The Trolley Barn was completed in 1889 and opened for service in August of that year. The building was used to service and house the electric streetcars of the Atlanta and Edgewood Street Rail Road Company. In 1907, The Barn was purchased by the Inman Park Baptist Church. Although the Congregation left The Barn in 1928, it remained under the Church ownership for several years, sometimes vacant and sometimes occupied. Wright and Lopez, a company that lays cable for Southern Bell, purchased the building in the 1950's and maintained ownership until 1971, when Henry Moog purchased the building and sold the facility to the City of Atlanta in the mid-1970's. Atlanta & Edgewood Street Rail Company (a name borrowed from the original 19th century company), began a restoration which was completed in 1987.

The City is going to sell the Trolley Barn as a part of its deposition of unneeded properties. Its current use is as an event facility; with a Board and Executive director whose goal is to impact the neighborhood as little as possible while generating enough income to maintain a facility.

UPDATE ON INMAN PARK TROLLEY BARN

Prepared 11-22-2015 by Steve Hays, President, AESRC

 

The 1889 Inman Park Trolley Barn on Edgewood Avenue is owned by the City of Atlanta but has been operated as an event facility by the non-profit Atlanta & Edgewood Street Railway Company since 1986. AESRC, along with the City, was instrumental in saving the structure from demolition and then renovating it.  In response to the City’s efforts to divest itself of surplus properties, AESRC submitted a response to Invest Atlanta’s Request for Proposal in late September 2015, offering to purchase the property. On November 19, 2015 the Board of Invest Atlanta selected AESRC as the purchaser. 

Atlanta City Councilperson Kwanza Hall issued this statement about IA’s decision: "I am thrilled that longtime Inman Park residents and advocates for The Trolley Barn will be able to continue their stewardship of this extraordinary historic structure and contemporary event space as its new owners. The community has invested in the restoration and preservation of The Trolley Barn for decades. This is a great day for Inman Park and the City of Atlanta."

AESRC, whose Board members are solely Inman Park residents with a deep appreciation for the property, will continue to have the privilege of offering The Trolley Barn to clients as well as providing a base for the Inman Park Neighborhood Association’s activities and archives