Rosedale Drive Home in Virginia Highlands

Classic Intown home on Rosedale Drive in Virginia Highland.

Cutting through Virginia Highland recently, running a slew of Midtown errands, I spy a 100-year-old Rosedale Drive home with a wraparound metal awning being prepared for either renovation or destruction.

The lovely classic Intown property is one of the last untouched century-old residences on the undulating street between Briarcliff and North Highland.

I’m told the 98-year-old owner died last year.

Mariam lived her entire life here. Her November estate sale included a pristine, garaged 1934 Western Flyer bicycle.

She rode the classic bike up and down Rosedale Drive when FDR was sitting in Warm Springs, Bing Crosby ruled the radio airwaves and WW II was years away.

In the early 1980s, I purchased a small home about a block away, 41 years ago, many of these 1920s Virginia Highland residences had metal/cloth awnings.

It was a neighborhood signature of Intown Atlanta the first half of the 20th century.

Now in 2025, you really have to look to find a surviving house awning — a Southern thing to help cool before A/C.

Look closely at the photo, this home was constructed with the prized yellow brick. The yellow always viewed as more Atlanta “deluxe” than red brick 100 years ago.

The now mostly forgotten neighborhood awnings were as much a part of Virginia Highland, as senior citizens with soft Georgia accents and lumbering LeSabres in the 30306 small driveways.

Decades later, the Buicks now supplanted by Lexuses and Range Rovers, and the hard consonants of the Northeast and Midwest rule.

Alas, farewell Atlanta awnings, but I see your beautiful yellow brick. But for how long?