The Adair Estate was built in 1910, by Forrest Adair Sr. The original estate covered roughly fifteen acres and included the 15,082 square foot Adair Mansion, and the 2,800 square foot Carriage House.

Mr. Adair sold The Adair Mansion to Emily English Robinson, wife of James D. Robinson, on September 19, 1919 for $55,000. The landmark sale made the front page of The Atlanta Journal, describing the home as “one of the show places of Atlanta.” Mr. Adair did not sell Mrs. Robinson the corner lot, but retained it for investment purposes. The Atlanta Journal article stated,

“The house is equipped throughout with a vacuum cleaning system and other improvements which make it one of the most modern dwelling houses in the south. Mr. Adair erected the building some eight or ten years ago, after a thorough study of dwelling construction in all parts of the country. He provided in the house, which he built as a home, all of the best ideas he gained from his investigation, and these contribute both comfort and beauty to the place.”

The Warren Manor

Mr. Adair later sold the corner lot to George Warren on October 20, 1925 for $20,000. Mr. Warren built his home in 1926. His sister, Mrs. Cleo Warren Turner, is credited with establishing the basic floor plan. Workers from The Warren Company, a commercial refrigeration company owned by Mr. Warren, built the home. Mr. Warren died in the mid-1930’s, and his children and grandchildren moved into the home to live with his invalid widow.

Title to the property transferred to Mrs. Cleo Warren Turner in 1944. Mrs. Turner sold the home to Mrs. Ruby Helms on April 2, 1946. Mrs. Helms sold the home three years later to Georgia Sladkin on October 1, 1949. Ms. Sladkin sold the home to Juanita Johnson on June 1, 1971. Ms. Johnson sold the home, together with The Adair Mansion, to Juliette Dowling on June 28, 1974.

Ms. Dowling’s estate put the two homes constituting The Adair Estate on the market in the mid-1990’s. Given their state of disrepair, the two homes remained abandoned and on the market for several years. Finally, the City of Atlanta Housing Department requested that both properties be condemned, recommending that each carriage house be demolished and that each home be repaired and closed, or demolished. The Druid Hills neighborhood and the Urban Design Commission opposed demolition. Finally, facing a demolition hearing, the Dowling estate, controlled by Ms. Dowling’s two nieces in Beverly Hills, sold both properties to Historical Developments.

From 1996-1998, Atlanta Architects Menefee & Winer, P.C. led the charge to redevelop — to save actually — the Adair Estate. The photos on the right show the miserable state of disrepair from the then-abandoned property.

The Adair Mansion was converted into five (5) residential condominiums, plus a fitness center. There is also an apartment which houses the on-site concierge assisting the Adair community owners.

The Carriage House, as well Warren Manor, were also rescued, the latter being converted into a duplex.

As part of the property redevelopment project, six additional structures were built, bringing the grand total number of condominium owner units to fifteen.

The Adair Estates Owners participate in a property owners association, and work in close coordination as needed with other local organizations such as:

• Druid Hills Civic Association
• Olmsted Linear Park Alliance