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Monroe's Landscape and Nursery Company landscape architectural drawings

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.VIS218

Scope and Content

This collection contains landscape drawings of both William L. Monroe, Sr. and William L. Monroe, Jr., as part of the Monroe's Landscape and Nursery Company, and represent a wide variety of clients including residential, commercial, churches, and parks. Of special note is a landscape plan of Chastain Woods for Chastain Memorial Park.

Dates

  • 1934-1987, undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.

Administrative/Biographical History

William Lott Monroe, Sr. (1892-1965), landscape architect, was born in Biscoe, North Carolina, and graduated from Elon College. Through his military service, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1917. After he was discharged from the military, Monroe worked for a local nursery, C. A. Dahl Company, in 1920. Monroe married Ila Smith (1898-1983) in 1921 and they had two children, Evelyn Doris (1922-1995) and William (Billy) Lott, Jr. (1925-1999). Monroe founded his own nursery in 1925, Monroe's Landscape and Nursery Company, which was located on Monroe Drive (originally Boulevard, but renamed in 1937 in Monroe's honor) in the Piedmont Heights neighborhood. Monroe was one of the earliest professionally trained landscape architects to practice in Atlanta. He was well known for his use of stonework and rock gardens in naturalistic settings that included waterfalls, ponds, bridges, retaining walls, and terraces. Beginning in the 1930s, Monroe served as special consultant for Fulton County and helped to develop Chastain Memorial Park as well as Adams Park. Many of Monroe's clients included Buckhead residences such as the Troy Chastain estate on Habersham Road, the Hugh Nunnally estate on Blackland Road, and the Chester Martin estate on Blackland Road. Monroe also worked on projects outside of Atlanta, such as Dunaway Gardens in Coweta County and Berry College in Rome. William L. Monroe, Sr. died in 1965. His son, William (Billy) L. Monroe, Jr., served in the United States Army during World War II and upon being released from service in 1946, attended University of Georgia. He joined his father's business in 1948 and operated the nursery until retiring in 1986.

Extent

357 set(s) of landscape drawing(s)

Language

English

System of Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically according to client name.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, 1982, with subsequent additions

Related Archival Materials

William L. Monroe, Sr. family photographs, VIS 234, Cherokee Garden Library, Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center

Description Control

This collection was reprocessed in 2016 with subsequent additions.

Title
Monroe's Landscape and Nursery Company landscape architectural drawings
Author
Jennie Oldfield
Date
2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040