Presented by the Buidings Worth Saving
Committee of the Atlanta Preservation Center:

2001 List of Endangered Buildings:

Peters House/Ivy Hall 
a/k/a The Mansion Restaurant
179 Ponce de Leon Avenue

Ivy Hall, the home of Edward Peters, was designed by prominent Atlanta architect Gottfried Norrman, who also designed Fountain Hall at Morris Brown College and the Windsor Hotel in Americus. Constructed in 1883, the Peters House may be the first house in Georgia to fully embody the new Queen Anne style. The house conceived as a villa occupies a full city block with the landscaping and carriage house contributing to the historic significance of the site. The architectural ornamentation of the interior is exceptional and shows the characteristic interest of Atlantans in the usage of ornament in their houses. The importance of the Peters House Complex has been recognized by its listing in the National Register of Historic Places and local designation by the City of Atlanta as a Landmark Building.

Recognizing the importance of the Peters House, Bill Swearingen purchased it in the early 1970's and turned it into the Mansion Restaurant. With increasing property values and taxes, development pressures and faltering restaurant operations, the owners placed the property for sale. Watermake Properties sought approval for the construction of 164 condominiums from the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. The proposal, deemed not to be in scale and character with the site, was denied. A lawsuit was filed by the owner, and the appeal will be heard by the Georgia Supreme Court this year.

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