When it was completed in 1892, the original Equitable office building was the tallest in Atlanta. It was also considered the first “modern” office building, though I haven’t a clue what that means. Among the distinguishing characteristics of that 19th century structure were 18 marble Corinthian columns, which supported it. When the building was demolished in 1971, some of the columns were saved; some remained downtown, others made their way to Columns Drive, where a real estate developer used them as an historic attraction of sorts, naming his new development The Columns. They were all but forgotten until the original owners found out about them.
Now three of 20,000-pound columns can be found at the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead.
In this image from the Atlanta History Center you can see the columns at the base of the original Equitable Building, which was Atlanta’s first modern office building.
Continue reading: Neighbor Newspapers – Historic columns found a home in Buckhead
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