East Point Industrial District

Five former factory complexes stand beside the Central of Georgia Railroad in downtown East Point, Georgia, forming an industrial district of about 30 acres. They are the White Hickory Wagon Works (1884), the Blount Carriage and Buggy Works and Couch Brothers Manufacturing (both around 1907), the Atlanta Utility Works, and the Oak Knitting Mill (early 1920s). Most are rectangular brick buildings with large segmental-arched windows and heavy timber interior framing, while the largest knitting mill building uses reinforced concrete with brick infill. Together they show how East Point developed as a suburban manufacturing center outside Atlanta, making wagons, buggies, cotton products, fertilizer and farm machinery. Many workers, including residents of South Atlanta, commuted by train or trolley. Production of horse-drawn vehicles faded in the 1920s as motor vehicles took over. The district also reflects the influence of John J. Egan, who developed much of East Point east of the tracks. Later additions and a transit overpass have altered the setting, but the historic buildings remain intact.