Internal Built Environment Description: Rhodes Hall (part three)

Back room on the first floor that is now used as an office

Back room on the first floor that is now used as an office

The contrast between different styles of interior decoration in the home give indication of their purpose. The grandiose front rooms (dining room, Parlor, etc.) have some paintings on the walls and ceilings or expensive wall paper and were intended to be used for entertaining guests, while this out-of-the-way back room is very sparse except for some woodwork around the door frame.

Birds-eye view of the Rhodes Center layout

Birds-eye view of the Rhodes Center layout

Directory of stores in Rhodes Center

Directory of stores in Rhodes Center

Another captivating chapter in the history of the Rhodes Hall came in 1937 when Atlanta’s first shopping center, Rhodes Center, was opened. It consisted of one story marble-faced store fronts running along the north, west and south perimeters of the property. In an interesting combination of private-residence-turned-government-property mixed with retail space, this is a perfect example of how the changing needs of a community affects the built environment it occupies. Today only the vacant buildings along the south side of the plot remain as a visage of the once bustling strip mall.

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The remaining south building of Rhodes Center

The remaining south building of Rhodes Center

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