We are excited to share something new with our community — the launch of Virginia-Highland History Meetings, a series of free, open-to-all gatherings designed to bring neighbors together around the fascinating history of our beloved neighborhood.
Beginning this May and continuing through 2027, we will meet every other month or so — pausing during the busy summer travel season — to hear from local experts and scholars on topics that explore the people, places, and stories that have shaped Virginia-Highland into the community we know and love today.
Each evening will be held in the warmly historic upstairs room at Atkins Park Restaurant, where you are welcome to enjoy dinner and drinks while you learn and connect with your neighbors.
These meetings grow directly out of the History Committee's community shuttle tours, which have introduced many of us to the neighborhood's remarkable past — from European settlers in 1821 to the Todd and Cheshire families, the Adair mansion, the Nine-Mile Trolley, and the spirited fight to stop Interstate 485 from cutting through our neighborhood. Now we are bringing those conversations indoors, with guest speakers and a welcoming setting for all.
2026–2027 Schedule
All meetings are held from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Atkins Park Restaurant, Upstairs Room, 794 N. Highland Avenue NE.
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Jewish Migration in 20th Century Atlanta
Speaker: Catherine Lewis, PhD
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Webb Construction & Nora G. Webb — The Female Leader Who Built VAHI
Speaker: Kady DeWees
Thursday, September 10, 2026
History of the Founding of Virginia-Highland and the I-485 Highway Fight, with Joseph Drolet (VHCA Founder & Community Activist)
Speaker: Catherine Lewis, PhD
Thursday, November 12, 2026
The Architecture of Virginia-Highland
Speakers: Pam Bullock and Mark & Julie Arnold
Thursday, January 14, 2027
Research Your Own Home Workshop
Speaker: Victoria Lemos (Archive Atlanta)
*This is a registration-required Hands-on workshop; about 25 seats in Upstairs room at Atkins Park; Price: $50. (registration link coming soon)
February 11, 2027
The History of Atkins Park
Speaker: Paul Burks
Thursday, March 11, 2027
Early Atlanta Pioneer History — Native Tribes and Settlers, including the Todd and Cheshire Families
Speaker: Mark Pifer (Author of Hidden History of Old Atlanta and other Atlanta area history books)
May 6, 2027
So I've Been Told… An Informal Group Discussion of Neighborhood Stories
Speaker: Lola Carlisle
August 12, 2027
LGBTQ History in Virginia-Highland
September 9, 2027
History of the Virginia-Highland Rivers and Streams, and Managing Them over Time
Speaker: Jack White
October 14, 2027
Spooky Stories in VAHI
Speaker: Victoria Lemos (Archive Atlanta) and Liz Clappin (Tomb with a View Podcast)
November 11, 2027
Veterans Day Topic (topic to be planned)
Speaker: Civil War, World War I, or World War II
Details
When: 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Where: Atkins Park Restaurant, Upstairs Room — 794 N. Highland Ave NE, Atlanta
Cost: Free and open to all neighbors
We are deeply grateful to the team at Atkins Park Restaurant for hosting us in their beautiful upstairs space. Given the restaurant's own century-long history in this neighborhood, it feels like the perfect home for these conversations.