What is now Candler Park became the city of Edgewood in 1890, and had a population of over 500 persons in 1870-1880 when Inman Park was but a dream.
In 1886 the Moreland Park Military Institute (later Neals Academy) came to Candler Park (Edgewood), a desirable area for business and professional people such as Judges John S. Candler and Charles Whitefoord Smith, two state agriculture commissioners, and J.M. Miller, founder of Miller's book store.
Edgewood existed until 1908 with its own government, schools, and even electric light system. In 1908, the citizens of Edgewood petitioned to become part of Atlanta, and major development followed immediately as those same citizens subdivided their estates.
The area that is now the Asa G. Candler Park was a Union camp in the Civil War and later contained many houses that were owned by African American people. In the early 1920's Candler Park was graded to its present level, destroying the houses and forcing the families to relocate. Prior to that, there was a hill with a large valley with houses only on the west side. When the grading occurred, most of the houses that were in the actual park were destroyed, and in 1922 the sixty acres were given to Atlanta for a park by the Edgewood Park Realty Co., controlled by Asa Candler, soon to be mayor of Atlanta. Some of the houses survived into the 1930's.
After a brief decline when many houses were subdivided and rented by the week, Candler Park began an upswing in the late 1960's that has continued through today. Most homes have been converted back to single family dwellings and the neighborhood has undergone significant gentrification over the last 20 years. Candler Park retains many of the characteristics that made it popular at the turn of the century, including the small business districts catering to the neighborhood and easy access to downtown. Intown neighborhoods such as Candler Park continue to see a resurgence of popularity as commuting problems to downtown increase, but these could be offset by the looming increase in sewer fees to pay for years of neglect.
(Information courtesy www.candlerpark.org)
