Atlanta first came into existence in the late 1830s, when the Western and Atlantic Railroad selected the site of present-day Atlanta as the location for a train depot. Commissioned by the Georgia General Assembly, the railroad was intended to link the seaside city of Savannah further inland to the commercially important settlement of Chattanooga, Tennessee. As such, the depot would provide logistical support for all the trains that needed to traverse the Appalachian Mountains in northern Georgia. A small community quickly formed around the facility, which was originally known as both “Terminus” and “Marthasville” before becoming “Atlanta” during the 1840s. Traffic on the Western and Atlantic Railroad increased dramatically over the next two decades, inspiring several private companies to link their own routes through the fledgling city. A vibrant industrial economy quickly emerged alongside the railroads, too. By the time the American Civil War erupted, the city had grown into one of the most economically vibrant communities in the entire nation. Atlanta’s value as a transportation hub and manufacturing center had made it a strategic target for the Union, which sought to capture it as soon as possible. In 1864, Major General William Tecumseh Sherman finally achieved the elusive goal after a climatic, four-month-long siege known to history as the “Battle of Atlanta.” The city was subsequently desolated by both the Confederate and Union armies, as they both hoped to deprive the other of the area’s useful military assets. Atlanta’s capture was a significant boost to Northern morale, and even aided in President Abraham Lincoln’s reelection later that fall. Sherman himself then used Atlanta as his primary supply base amid his famous campaign remembered as the “March to the Sea.”

When the American Civil War finally concluded the following year, Atlanta was swiftly rebuilt by its inhabitants. But Atlanta quickly became politically important, as the state legislature decided to meet in the city to closely coordinate the rebuilding efforts across Georgia. Atlanta’s railroad network made communicating with those disparate communities incredibly easy. As such, the state administration decided to relocate the capital to Atlanta in 1868. With the city’s political and economic rebirth came a subsequent cultural renaissance that persisted well into the first decades of the 20th century. Atlanta expanded at an unprecedented rate, spurred on by countless new business that had opened within the its borders. Among the many enterprises to appear at the time was the nascent Coca-Cola Company in 1892. Yet, race relations remained a point of contention inside the city, which ultimately made Atlanta a hotbed for the Civil Rights Movement. Led by Atlanta-native Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the city’s civil rights activists began organizing a massive campaign of civil disobedience that struck at racial inequality on a national scale. Dr. King emerged as the most visible spokespeople for the movement alongside his Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In recognition of his legacy, Dr. King’s Ebenezer Baptist Church and his adjacent gravesite currently serve as the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site. Atlanta is now among the most historic destinations in the whole United States. From its fascinating Civil War-era history to its connections with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., few places can claim the heritage that Atlanta enjoys.

Constructed in 1904, the whole structure was the brainchild of a prominent local businessman named Asa G. Candler. Architects George R. Murphy and George Stewart supervised its development, though, spreading out the work among many different contractors from across the country. Large quantities of beautiful Amicolola marble were imported directly by Atlanta Marble, while the Milwaukee-based American Cleaning Company installed the building’s vast electrical infrastructure. Incredibly talented craftsmen under the watchful eye of F.B. Miles were hired to sculpt the stunning array of ornate wall decorations that still proliferate the building today. The most daunting job of all fell to the American Bridge Company, as Murphy and Stewart tasked the firm with the creation of the structure’s towering frame. The assignment proved to be so great that the American Bridge Company had to use over 3,000 tons of steel and iron just to complete it. When Candler’s impressive 17-story skyscraper finally debuted, it was a breathtaking sight to behold. Christened as the Candler Building, it featured some of the finest amenities and design aesthetics of its day. Dramatic Beaux-Arts style architecture adorned the imposing façade, defined by a pair of marvelous Corinthian pillars and a highly elaborate rooftop cornice. Brilliant carvings wrapped around its exterior, showing the busts of countless historical intellectuals like William Shakespeare, Richard Wagner, and Michelangelo. Inside, the building possessed floors filled with white marble and red mahogany woodwork.

Beaux-Arts architecture itself is one of the most widely seen in America today, as it first rose to popularity around the dawn of the 20th century. This beautiful architectural form originally began at an art school in Paris known as the École des Beaux-Arts during the 1830s. There was much resistance to the Neoclassism of the day among French artists, who yearned for the intellectual freedom to pursue less rigid design aesthetics. Four instructors in particular were responsible for establishing the movement: Joseph-Louis Duc, Félix Duban, Henri Labrouste, and Léon Vaudoyer. The training that these instructors created involved fusing architectural elements from several earlier styles, including Imperial Roman, Italian Renaissance, ad Baroque. As such, a typical building created with Beaux-Arts-inspired designs would feature a rusticated first story, followed by several more simplistic ones. A flat roof would then top the structure. Symmetry became the defining character, with every building’s layout featuring such elements like balustrades, pilasters, and cartouches. Sculptures and other carvings were commonplace throughout the design, too. Beaux-Arts only found a receptive audience in France and the United States though, as most other Western architects at the time gravitated toward British design principles.   

Baby Driver (2017)