ABOUT ARDSLEY PARK/CHATHAM CRESCENT

Ardsley Park/Chatham Crescent (APCC) was founded in 1910 by Harry Latimore and Harvey Granger.  It was the first automobile suburb of Savannah, modeled after Gen. Oglethorpe’s ingenious city plan, but placing its 12 parks (roughly one acre each) to the side of the streets instead of in the middle. These lovely planted spaces encourage gatherings of all kinds from birthday parties, to potlucks, musical events, and an annual holiday celebration with the lighting of a Christmas tree in Kavanaugh Park. Three boulevards have elegant, planted medians: Victory Drive, Washington Avenue, and Abercorn Street. The plan includes service lanes to “hide the ugly stuff,” such as garbage cans, garages, pick-up and delivery, and telephone poles.  As a result, the street side of our homes looks much more attractive than areas without lanes.

Boundaries

The boundaries are from Victory to East 55^th Street lane, and Bull to Waters, with about 1654 households, four schools, and nine churches.  Less than one percent is commercial and short-term rentals (less than 30 days) are not permitted, making the neighborhood very communal and friendly since the population is constant.

APCC was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.  On our local historic designation, it is comprised of four areas;  Ardsley Park, Chatham Crescent (a beaux arts design), Ardmore, and Chatham Terrace. 

Wards

Ardsley Park is visually united by the urban plan of parks centered in each of the 11 wards (little neighborhoods), with service lanes, controls over lot size, lot coverage and height, and three 4-lane boulevards divided by planted medians (Victory, Washington, and Abercorn). Stone walls surround much of the area, with stone pillars capped with tile roofs accenting the main boulevard entrances. 

Conservation Overlay District

APCC is protected by Conservation Overlay, which requires a design review before removing a structure.  If it is considered a contributing building to our historic district, it may not be destroyed.  The overlay also prohibits short-term rentals (less than 30 days) so as to maintain the stability of a residential neighborhood.  

Ardsley Park/Chatham Crescent was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. While this is an honor, the only protection it provides is that no federal highway may be built through it.

The Conservation Overlay was placed over the neighborhood which prevents any contributing building from being torn down without first being reviewed by the City Preservation Officer. Secondly, a prohibition was added against allowing short-term vacation rentals, which change a community’s character since one can never know who their neighbors are. Rentals are permitted for anyone who commits to residing at an address for at least one month or more.

Design Conventions, Architectural Styles, and Materials

Design Conventions

With a park-like setting, there were to be no fences in the front yards so that they visually all ran together as one linear park. Backyard fences can be up to 6 feet on the sides and 8 feet at the rear.  Residents are encouraged to screen the street-side of their fences with landscaping.

The variety of home sizes allows people to live in this neighborhood for a lifetime, while being an attractive community for all ages.  Starter homes can be a garage apartment. Then, depending on income and family size, residents may choose a quadraplex, duplex, small/medium/mansion homes, and in reverse as households become empty nests.

Architectural Styles

A multitude of architectural style are interesting and visually compatible because they are united by the wonderful urban plan.  One can enjoy Tudor, ranch, prairie, colonial, bungalow, art deco, arts and crafts, and modern.

Materials include tile, slate, wood, iron, stone, stucco and brick.  Corrugated metal is prohibited. Vinyl has become popular for windows, siding and fences because it is cheap. However it not historic or as strong as traditional materials, therefore strongly discouraged.

Materials

It is most important to maintain the different historic materials that comprise all the structures: Slate and tile (on roofs), porcelain broken tile (accents on chimneys and walkways), iron, wood (for siding, windows, and doors), stone, stucco, and brick. Corrugated metal is prohibited. Vinyl is a new, non-historic and inappropriate material that has recently been used for fences, siding and windows. This material is prohibited in other historic neighborhoods of Savannah since to any observant eye, it clearly looks inappropriate. The reflective nature causes glaring reflections of lights at night. 

Windows represent about 10% of a building’s facade. Doors take less area, but are key focal points since they are the entry/exit points of our homes. While the original heart pine windows and doors, can last indefinitely, (well over 100 years!), vinyl is guaranteed for a maximum of 15 years.  When a glass breaks, the whole window/door must be replaced.  Further, since their size is standardized,  the openings must be made smaller to accommodate them. Before installing any vinyl (which is heavily advertised), please contact the Historic Savannah Foundation for guidance.

Distinguishing Neighborhood Features

Distinguishing features give our neighborhood a sense of place, including stone pillars capped with Spanish tile at Washington and Bull, Washington and Waters, and Abercorn and Victory. Then there are the 1940s “lollipop,” orange bus stop signs, and the distinctive double-head park light fixtures designed in 1923 by famed Henry Bacon for Washington, D.C. (Bacon also designed the Lincoln Memorial and the base Oglethorpe’s statue in Chippewa Square.)  In 2020, historic reproductions of the four original, five globe fixtures were installed at the intersection of Victory Drive and the Atlantic Mall.

Between the neighborhood association and garden club, residents maintain and improve this special neighborhood, counting themselves fortunate, indeed, to live in such a wonderful place!

Neighborhood Names

Places

• Ardsley means “home-lovers’ meadow” in old English.
• Chatham Crescent was named for William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham, who was a British Prime Minister in the 18th Century and supporter of the American colonists.
• Ardmore means “a place of great height”

Parks

• ENTLEMAN PARK named for John H. Entleman, Alderman
• KAVANAUGH PARK named for Michael J. Kavanaugh, Alderman
• LATTIMORE PARK named for Harry Lattimore, developer of Ardsley Park
• VETSBURG PARK named for Abraham Vetsburg, Alderman
• SMITH-GAUDRY PARK named for George H. Smith, Alderman, and Julius B. Guadry, neighbor/gardener
• ADAMS PARK named for John Adams, second president of the United States
• GUCKENHEIMER PARK named for A.S. Guckenheimer, Alderman
• McCAULEY PARK named for William M. McCauley, Alderman
• TIEDEMAN PARK named for George W. Tiedeman, Mayor
• HULL PARK named for Robert M. Hull, Mayor
• THEUS PARK named for Thomas N. Theus, jeweler, financier of DeSoto Hotel
• SOLOMONS PARK named for A.A., Samuel and Moses J Solomons

Streets

• ABERCORN STREET is named for Rt. Hon. James, Earl of Abercorn, benefactor of colonial Georgia.
• BULL STREET is named for Col. William, governor of South Carolina, a surveyor who laid out Savannah
• BATTEY STREET is named for Frank Chauncey Battey, Alderman
• HABERSHAM SREET is named for James Habersham, who accompanied the Rev. George Whitfield
• HARMON Street is named for Richard F. Harmon, Alderman
• VICTORY DRIVE is named in honor of all soldiers lost in World War I. Formerly named for John H. Estill, founder of the Savannah Morning News, builder of its Bay Street building, and County Commissioner.
• WASHINGTON AVENUE is named for President George Washington, who visited Savannah in 1793.