Matthew at Large

"Atlanta's Advancement" (1893)

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About This Text

This article was written in 1893 by William Wordsworth Goodrich (1841-1907), professionally known as W.W. Goodrich, an architect who practiced in Atlanta between 1889 and 1894.

Atlanta has long been a mediocre city gagging on its own unmerited arrogance and inflated sense of self-importance, a characteristic that can be definitively traced to the 1880s, when Henry W. Grady turned the Atlanta Constitution newspaper into a daily mythmaking machine of endless puff pieces that touted the city in near-religious terms as the predestined savior of a resurrected "New South" that would soon rival the industrial centers of the North.

So effective was the propaganda that to this day deluded Atlantans — despite all evidence to the contrary — will avow that Atlanta is a "world-class city" poised to overtake New York, Los Angeles or [insert city name here] at any moment. That moment, of course, never arrives.

Here Goodrich followed the template of hundreds of other gushing Atlanta promotional articles in the 1890s, starting with the subtle proclamation: "Atlanta is a phenomenal city." He goes on to praise the city's "master minds", "great and grand monuments", "charming homes" and "genuine" architects, concluding that Atlanta's destiny was to be — wait for it — "the Chicago of the south".

This is an article stuffed with so many lies and embellishments that it can only be considered a humorous work of fiction, and Goodrich repeats many of the sentiments he expressed in his similar 1892 article "Atlanta's Unique, Composite and Attractive Architecture".

Goodrich no doubt hoped that stroking Atlantans' egos would drum up business for himself: at the time of this article's publication the United States was in the throes of the Panic of 1893, which plunged the nation into deep economic depression for more than 4 years. Most Atlanta architects struggled greatly during this time, and many left the city altogether, including Goodrich, who in 1893 was already dividing his time between Atlanta and Norfolk, Virginia, and permanently left Atlanta the next year.

Originally published in the Atlanta Journal newspaper on March 25, 1893, this article has been lightly edited to correct for spelling and grammatical errors.

Atlanta's Advancement

Her Growth In Architecture Discussed.
W.W. Goodrich Writes Interestingly.
On the Beauties of the Homes of Atlanta.
The Center of the Best Field for Building Materials in the Country – Artistic Home Adornment.

Atlanta is a phenomenal city. The wonderful recuperative powers inherent in the master minds of this progressive city, has stood it many good turns in the past, and is at the front today, crowding out the pessimists, supplanting them and their narrow views, and erecting upon their small ideas great and grand monuments to a future as well as to this present generation.

Beautiful homes, are all about, practical contentment assures that observer on every hand “that life is worth living,” and that Atlanta's homes are models of rare elegance, bliss, “and homes, sweet home.”

The best building materials to be had in the “known world” are all native to Georgia, the empire state of the south, and are all within a radius of fifty miles of Atlanta. These materials are to be seen everywhere “in this city of charming homes.” And none is too humble but that some one or more of Georgia's native building materials are in its make-up and form an integral part of the harmonious whole of Atlanta's homes, that are known far and wide as being the best and most carefully studied and constructed; and arranged in their entirety, more so than in any other city of our common country.

The diversified forms of architecture are here blended.

The many inventions for good health and labor saving appliances for the housewife are in every home.

It is the progressive study of Atlanta's architects. And many of them are educated, practical men, thoroughly versed in its many intricate ramifications to design for their clientele only that which will be an additional ornament to Atlanta's excellent structural monuments, that so attract our northern and western friends, and they go from us to their own homes, with the most pleasing reminders of the hospitality of our southland, that each genuine architect, each real lover of his profession, who is so thoroughly imbued with his chosen calling banishes all other thoughts from his mind, and with his brother professional urges the many clients to use only native Georgia products, native Georgia labor, home industry and home labor, and thus imbued we have a style of architecture that is gradually being woven from the warp and woof of the past and present into a beautiful architectural mantle that so handsomely adorns Atlanta and her progress. Atlanta is thus garmented on every hand. The cottage homes of Atlanta and her beautiful suburbs are her pride. The thrift of a city is in its suburban population, because any city without suburbs is a dead, non-progressive affair, not worthy to be called even a village. The many suburbs are taking on metropolitan airs. Electrical lines are running and being planned to run everywhere.

The sound of the hammer and the merry whiz of the saw erect the ear, all denoting progress, thrift and sturdy belief in the greatness of our claim that Atlanta is the magic city of the south, and that her destiny is to be, and will be, the Chicago of the south. With this belief each one of her thousands stand shoulder to shoulder – a steady, solid phalanx of veterans ready to battle for Atlanta's future, Atlanta's greatness and Atlanta's grandeur.

W.W. Goodrich