L. Windsor Smith – Initial Atlanta real estate transactions
Part of the ‘Smith family history’ series
On 12/16/1848 Robert Windsor Smith’s father acquired 21 1/4 acres from Charner Humphries, the owner of the White Hall tavern. Here are images of the recording of the DeKalb County deed, and following I will include my attempt to transcribe the text.
12/16/1848 deed transcription
DeKalb County Deed Book L, Page 557
In consideration of four hundred & twenty five dollars paid to me by
L. Windsor Smith I Charner Humphries hereby grant bargain sell &
convey to the said Smith his heirs & assigns forever that piece of
land lying in Lot Eighty five District fourteen DeKalb County Georgia
and bounded as follows Beginning on the South Easterly line of a road
lately opened(?) and staked(?) out on the said lot at a stake at the corner
of a piece of Ground occupied by Mr. Moody and thence running
South fifty nine and a half degrees West along the line of the
said Road nine hundred & sixty feet to a stake thence South
thirty and a half degrees East seven hundred feet to a stake
sticking at the distance of of one hundred and forty six feet
A small post Oak and the distance of five
DeKalb County Deed Book L, Page 558
Hundred and fifty two feet a large blazed chestnut thence East
nine hundred & eighty seven feet sticking at the distance of
Two hundred & eighty seven feet a blazed hickory and at the distance
of five hundred and forty six feet a blazed post oak thence South
along the East line of the said lot eighty five on which the last
mentioned stake stands two hundred thirteen feet to a stake on the
South bank of a small creek thence South thirty(?) and a half
degrees West to the place of beginning Sticking at the distance of
two hundred fifty one feet a blazed Black oak which last
mentioned course from the stake at(?) the bank of the creek to the
place of beginning is ten(?) hundred and nineteen feet. Containing
twenty one and a quarter acres more or less and I also grant to
the said Smith his heirs & assigns forever a right of way fifty
feet wide along & outside the first mentioned line of the above
described premises & South easterly across the said Lot 85, and
for my self my heirs & personal representatives I covenant with the said
Smith his heirs and assigns and personal representatives the above
described premises in his & their possession forever to warrant(?) and
defend against all persons lawfully claiming the same(?) or any past/part(?)
Thereof given under my hand & seal this sixteenth day of December
Eighteen hundred and forty eight. C. Humphries
In presence of
John Collier
William Willis J. D.(?)
Registered 3rd Nov. 1849
R. M. Brown clk
While this property description is somewhat difficult to decipher I feel fairly confident that this contemporary map shows the approximate location of the original 21 1/4 acres that Larned purchased from Charner Humphries (21.25 acres = 925,650 sf):
Similar to the property that Larned sold to the City of Key West for their new cemetery in 1847, a road still bears his name today bounding the east side of the property. The street bounding the western edge of the property was named Smith Street from ~1871 until 1903 when it was changed to Whitehall Place and eventually became Whitehall Terrace.
The property is now bisected by I-20. I believe the north section is considered to be part of the Castleberry Hill neighborhood and the south is in Mechanicsville. Click here to view the area in Google maps. This 1949 aerial photo shows the area prior to construction of I-20.
Larned and Mr. Humphries would come to another agreement for a subsequent sale six months later on 6/28/1849. Larned purchased an additional 2 1/2 acres, this time on the north side of the newly opened Whitehall Street.
6/28/1849 deed transcription
DeKalb County Deed Book L, Page 558
I Charner Humphries of DeKalb County Georgia do hereby
In consideration of sixty dollars to me paid by L. Windsor Smith
Of the same place grant bargain sell and convey to the said Smith
His heirs and assigns forever that piece of land lying in Lot
Eighty five District fourteen DeKalb County Georgia and bounded
As follows Southwesterly by the Macon & Western RailRoad South
Easterly by the new road leading from Atlanta past & in front of the
Present dwelling of the said Smith and the lot of land bought
By him of the said Humphries December 16th 1848 by deed to which
Reference is here made South westerly by a line running from the
Said new Road to the said RailRoad at right angles with
The former & when continued across the road sticking the Westerly
Corner of the Lot of land late(?) bought as aforesaid & South Easterly
By a line running parallel with the last mentioned line five
Hundred & seventy three feet nine inches there from the said
New Road to the said railroad and for myself my heirs & personal
Representatives I covenant with the said Smith his heirs
Assigns & personal representatives the above described
Premises in his & their possession forever to warrant
And defend against all persons lawfully claiming the
Same or any part thereof. Given under my hand &
DeKalb County Deed Book L, Page 559
Seal this twenty eight day of June Eighteen hundred and
Forty nine the above described piece of land to contain two and a
half acres more or less. Charner Humphries
In Presence of
? Pemby(?)
? B Clapp Notary Public
DeKalb County Georgia
Recorded the 3rd Nov. 1849
R. M. Brown Clerk
This contemporary map shows the approximate 2 1/2 acres from this second transaction (2.5 acres = 108,900 sf):
I haven’t attempted to locate any deeds after Fulton County was created in 1853, but I suspect Larned purchased additional adjacent land to the south of his initial purchase. Some of the following give clues to support that claim.
The house that Robert Windsor Smith and his family lived in prior to their move to Kirkwood is on one of these maps, but that’s a story for another day! Sadly, on 8/2/1849, less than two months after Larned’s second purchase from Charner Humphries, Evie and Larned’s son Charles W. Smith passed away at 1 year 3 months of age.
Up next we will review who was recorded as living with Larned and his family in the 1850 census and learn about another significant real estate transaction for a property situated in downtown Atlanta.
Birds of Kirkwood 