Trip Photos – Bolton – Andrew J. Bramlett

On July 1, I got to tour Bolton, a neighborhood north of Atlanta that was once its own independent community. These photos were originally posted on my Peach State Past social media site. Special thanks to Larry Davis for showing me around this area!

Right in the heart of Bolton is a tunnel traveling beneath the railroad. Built in 1896 for a streetcar line, it is one of the last remnants of the streetcars that traveled across Atlanta. It is remarkable the amount of wood that has survived, including crossties and the pieces under the keystone.

Bolton Road, which runs next to the streetcar tunnel, used to cross at grade with the railroad tracks. An underpass was eventually built, and some of the original concrete and railings survive intact. The bridge is a more recent replacement.

The final picture in the slideshow below shows where Bolton Road used to cross. Opposite is the site of the railroad station.

This Masonic Hall was located in the heart of Bolton. The lodge moved years ago, and the building is occupied by a dentist. When the lodge was decommissioned, the cornerstone was removed, and the brickwork that fills the hole can still be clearly spotted.

Next to the Masonic Lodge in Bolton is this historic structure. The sign above the door belonged to a building that once sat to its right. The sign is for Adams Inc, who sold “Explosives, Hardware, Detectors.”

One of the surprises on today’s tour of the Bolton area was this concrete street sign, likely one of the few left in Atlanta.

Collins Memorial UMC was built in 1909 and was the only church in the area. According Larry Davis’ father, because there was one church, it was an integrated congregation, though the seating was segregated.

Hiding in the woods behind a restaurant on Marietta Boulevard is the Montgomery Cemetery. J. M. C. Montgomery, the family patriarch, is believed to be the first white settler of Fulton County.