Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Starbucks chimney was part of tenant house

When the Starbucks was set to be built on the site in 2013, the fate of the old chimney was in question. Local citizens and preservationists, including Dunwoody Preservation Trust, asked that the chimney be saved. Starbucks agreed to incorporate it into their new store.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Five members of a Dunwoody family serve during WWII

The Head family once lived on both sides of Chamblee Dunwoody Road, just north of where it intersects with Vermack Road. Their homes were where Boxwood Place, Shadow Bend, Shadow Court and Pine Acres Court are located. All five children of Roy and Pamela Head served during World War II.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Columbia Cheek, Dunwoody Postmaster 1906

Columbia became Postmaster in December 1906 and kept that position until Dillard Blackwell took over February of 1920. There was no mail delivery yet, but she would have operated the post office, which was in a small building on the Cheek family property.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Dunwoody Post Office history

According to The Story of Dunwoody, written by Ethel Spruill and Elizabeth Davis in 1975, there have been seven different post office locations in Dunwoody.  Much of the post office history they gathered came from Sentell Spruill, retired Dunwoody postmaster. 

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

On the homefront during WWII

The June 11, 1942, edition of the Atlanta Constitution shared an announcement from Washington, D.C., “Scrap salvage campaign will begin shortly.” The War Production Board asked that everyone across the country collect metal, rubber, fats and oils.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Video rental business, here and gone

Whatever community you lived in, there was a Blockbuster, Hollywood Video or perhaps a smaller chain or independent video store. Other competitors in the Atlanta area included All Star Video, The Movie Store, National Video, and West Coast Videos. Record stores also entered the video rental business.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Sandy Springs DeWald’s Alley and the memories of Shirley Peters Pruitt

Residents of DeWald’s Alley rented from Clyde and Susie DeWald, who lived nearby on Spruill Road, later known as Meadow Lane Road. Susie DeWald would go door to door collecting rent each month. The houses of DeWald’s Alley had outhouses, no electricity, and well water. Pumps were eventually installed.

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