The Graveyard Tavern building has been part of East Atlanta since the Roaring Twenties, spanning nearly 80 years of Atlanta history. Here’s a
self-guided tour and chronology of the building that will help you see how it has “evolved” since the Jazz Age. Chronology – Graveyard Tavern Building
(1245 Glenwood Avenue SE)

1927 Original building under construction – 2000 sq ft building on Glenwood at the corner of Joseph Avenue (Joseph Avenue was not yet a paved street).

1928 -1932  Southern Feed Store Listed as a branch store; this is the first use of the 1245 Glenwood Ave address in the city directory. Southern Feed had several branches in Atlanta; only the older “corner” building had been constructed.

1933 – 1937  The address is listed as vacant. A tough economic time in the South.

1938  Tripp Laundry and Cleaners (Ernest Tripp, owner). Only listed for this one year.

1939   Vacant. We believe the building expansion was under construction. Williams Brothers purchased the corner building, and expanded it by tearing down the west wall of the building and constructing a 4000 sq ft addition; they also built a new façade along Glenwood that tied the old and new buildings together so that they would appear to be one building from the street.

1940 – 1942  Williams Refrigerator Corporation. Listed as manufacturers of refrigeration equipment and fixtures. H. Rudolph Williams (Pres), J. Rufus Williams (VP), William A. Williams (Sec Treas) – these are the “Williams Brothers” who also ran Williams Brothers Building Supply.

1943 Vacant

1944-1947
Atlanta Dixie-Rush Bottling Company Inc. George B. Edmunds, Pres. Listed as a “carbonated beverage bottling company.” Also listed at the address is “House of Beau-Regarde Extract Company,” which apparently made orange and grape extract for soft drinks.

Atlanta Dixie-Rush Bottling Company had a previous address at 340 Courtland Street NE in 1943; this was the home of Barq’s Beverages in Atlanta for several years.

1947 – 1970  East Atlanta Furniture & Appliance Company Run by the Auerbach family (of Auerbach’s furniture). 23 years in business.

1971  Wills – Parker Furniture Company, Donald R. Wills, owner.

1972 – 1974  Vacant

1975 – 2003  Cycle City and Graveyard, Joseph E. Bennett, Owner.  Mr. Bennett had the longest run of business in the building – 28 years.

2004  The building was purchased by the current owners and renovation begun.

2005 - Graveyard Tavern --- James Brooks, George Nikas, Martin Eglington, Robert Reece, owners.

(Information taken from listings in the Atlanta City Directory, City of Atlanta building permit records, and Sanborn fire insurance maps.)