Air conditioning comes to Atlanta

Every now and then during the summer months of July in Atlanta, I hear a weather report that mentions 1980 as the hottest day on record. 1980 is the hottest summer I can remember, although I don’t have all the statistics to prove that is true. Lately, the summer of 2026 seems like the hottest!

Looking back to 1980, the Atlanta Constitution reported July 12, 1980, “Saturday in Georgia will bring no relief from the heat wave of the past week.” Temperatures of between 95 to 105 were expected that day. Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia experienced record high temperatures on the previous day. “The 101-degree high in Atlanta was four degrees above the old record of 97 degrees set in 1901.” But at least we had air conditioning in 1980.

Before my family had air conditioning in our 1960s home, we had a whole house fan, or attic fan. It did a decent job of cooling the house at night, but it was loud.

We had an air-conditioned car before our home was air-conditioned. My mom and I would sit for a brief time in the family AMC Rambler, just to cool off. We also went to the movies, knowing that the movie theater was air-conditioned and we would enjoy the cool air as much as the movie.

As early as 1928, Atlanta shoppers could enjoy the new cool air system of Davison-Paxon department store. “Shoppers of Atlanta now may enjoy one of the blessings of modern science which heretofore has been reserved for theater goers and the patrons of a few restaurants.” The system is described as fresh air passing through an air shaft and “forced through a falling sheet of water.” The water was chilled by refrigerator pipes. (Atlanta Constitution, June 8, 1928, “Cool Air System Now in Operation at Local Store”)

Fox, Capitol, Paramount, Grand and Rialto Theaters in Atlanta all bragged about their cool air systems in 1934. Restaurants and more department stores began installing air conditioning systems. Offices began adding new cooling systems, but it was too expensive for home use. (Atlanta Constitution, Oct. 1934)

The Brookhaven Theater advertised a modern refrigerated air-conditioning system in 1950.

In 1932, a window unit was developed that could be used in homes, but not many were purchased due to the high cost. The 1932 Carrier Room Weathermaker was large and expensive, but the 1940 model was advertised as half the size and half the price of the earlier version. (New Georgia Encyclopedia)

By the late 1960s, window units were more affordable, and most new homes were built with central air conditioning.

When North DeKalb Mall opened on July 29, 1965, it was advertised as “Metropolitan Atlanta’s first regional shopping center with an air-conditioned mall.” (Atlanta Constitution, July 29, 1965, “City’s first weatherproof mall shopping center opens Thursday”)

By 1971, when Perimeter Mall opened, air conditioning was expected. The mall is advertised as having “…an atmosphere of perpetual Springtime, created electrically just for your comfort.” (Atlanta Journal, August 31, 1971)