Crescent Apartments
Also known as: "The Dump"; Windsor House Apts.; The Margaret Mitchell House
Why it's listed
Built in 1898-99 as a two-story Tudor Revival house for businessman Cornelius J. Sheehan, Jr., this brick-veneered building on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta changed form several times. In 1913-14 it was moved to the rear of its lot, set on a raised basement and given a Crescent Avenue address. Between 1919 and 1920 it became the ten-unit Crescent Apartments. Margaret Mitchell and her husband rented ground-floor Apartment 1 from 1925 to 1932, and she wrote most of Gone With The Wind there, calling the place "the dump." The building stood vacant after 1977 and suffered a major fire in September 1994 that destroyed much of the upper floors and roof. Mitchell's apartment survived with its floor plan nearly unchanged. Restoration was underway to return it to its 1925-1932 appearance and to open the building as a museum. Its significance rests on that literary association and its surviving interior.
Significance in brief: The building is significant because Margaret Mitchell lived in its ground-floor Apartment 1 from 1925 to 1932 and wrote most of Gone With The Wind there. That apartment survives relatively intact, with its floor plan virtually unchanged. The building also illustrates a converted single-family house used as apartments, distinct from the garden or courtyard apartments common in Atlanta.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000649, listed June 21, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 979 Crescent Ave., NW, Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | June 21, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000649 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925-1932 |
| Architect / builder | Possibly an Atlanta architect, "Mr. Dunning" (uncertain); built for Cornelius J. Sheehan, Jr. |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| Areas of significance | Literature |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Damaged by a September 1994 fire, then stabilized; exterior and the Margaret Mitchell apartment were being restored for use as an interpretive center and house museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.78115, -84.38444 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000649.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6759733
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.