The area of Home Park was originally known as Chastaintown, in honor of Avery Chastain, a large estate owner whose house was at the intersection of Hemphill Avenue and Emmet (now Tenth) Street.
Chastaintown was a center for horse trading and until the end of the nineteenth century was a largely undeveloped area of woods and fields with few conveniences associated with city living. In 1901, a group of business associates founded the Atlanta Steel Hoop Company in order to provide a local source of ties and hoops or cotton bales. Atlanta Steel Hoop Company became Atlantic Steel Company in 1907 and went on to become one of Atlanta's largest manufacturing establishments.
In the 1960s many elderly homeowners in Home Park passed away at the same time younger residents moved to the suburbs. This trend made a significant number of residential properties available for sale. By 1970 Georgia Tech began expanding its campus north to Tenth Street and west to Northside Drive by purchasing and converting blocks of Home Park residential
property for institutional use. During the 1970s and 1980s the rapidly expanding student population exceeded campus dormitory capacity.
In 2002 a skilled team of Home Park residents, architects, city planners, conservators, engineers, and business leaders invested significant human capital to create the Home Park Master Plan . The list of participants included representatives from the City of Atlanta, Atlantic Station, Georgia Tech, the Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Department of Transportation, and Turner Properties. Since that time those wanting to own a home and live in a convenient in-town neighborhood at relatively low cost have settled in Home Park. The more recent and profound trend of young people wanting to avoid long commutes and live in walkable in-town Atlanta neighborhoods has also sparked renewed interest in our neighborhood. The Home Park Community Improvement Association, through its leadership and stewardship of the neighborhood, has won the respect of City of Atlanta officials, the business community, and civic leaders.
