On this month’s cover, Stuart Noel, Ph.D., holds the cover of his forthcoming book, Reid House: Atlanta’s Finest Apartment Building — a work that brings nearly a century of Atlanta architectural history into sharp focus.

Years in the making, the book traces the building’s story from its 1924 origins as Garrison Luxury Apartments through its celebrated 1974 transformation into Reid House Condominiums and into the present day. Drawing from original architectural drawings, historic documents, and renovation archives, Stuart documents how the building has evolved alongside Atlanta itself.

For Stuart, the project is both scholarly and deeply personal.

He and his spouse of 35 years, Joseph Bishop, M.D., have lived at Reid House for six years. Located at the corner of 16th and Peachtree — often referred to as “Atlanta’s Park Avenue” — the nine-story Georgian Revival landmark sits at the intersection of Midtown’s cultural vitality and Ansley Park’s historic charm.

“We truly have the city out our front door and Ansley Park out our back door.”

Originally from Boaz, Alabama, Stuart moved to Atlanta in 1989 to work as a copywriter for Macy’s Advertising. His academic path soon defined his career. He earned a triple undergraduate major in English, Fashion Merchandising, and Interior Design from Auburn University, followed by both a master’s and Ph.D. in English and Communication from Georgia State University.

Today, he serves as Professor of English and Humanities at Georgia State, guiding students through literature, rhetoric, and the cultural forces that shape how stories endure.

Joe, originally from Covington, Kentucky, also arrived in Atlanta in 1989 after medical school to complete his residency at Emory University. He continues to practice as a physician. The couple met on September 17, 1990, at The Colourbox in Virginia-Highland — the beginning of a partnership that has now spanned more than three decades.

Stuart had admired Reid House long before he lived there. A visit during a Neil Reed–Ansley Park Tour of Homes — specifically George Lanier’s apartment — transformed admiration into devotion.

Originally constructed in 1924, the building is a distinguished example of Georgian Revival architecture designed by noted Atlanta architects Philip Trammell Shutze and Neel Reid. From its beginning, it housed many of Atlanta’s wealthier citizens and retained that distinction even as other early luxury apartment buildings declined.

The structure was solidly built with remarkable attention to detail. Only two residences open onto each semi-private elevator vestibule, finished in original black-and-white marble tile — a layout designed for privacy. Four vertical stacks of apartments extend from front to back, each including either an enclosed sunroom or a generous garden room with masonry planter boxes. The upper floors boast working fireplaces.

“It’s Atlanta’s version of a classic pre-war Manhattan apartment,” Stuart says — graciously proportioned and designed for elegant living.

Stuart serves on the Reid House HOA Board of Directors, and his role deepened his commitment to preservation. While serving on the board, he began researching the building’s history in earnest, uncovering original 1924 architectural drawings and documents that revealed the ambition behind its construction.

One of the most fascinating chapters involved the pivotal 1974 renovation, when the aging Garrison Luxury Apartments were transformed into Reid House Condominiums in a $2 million project led by Ed Barnum and directed by architect Eugene T. Lowry. Rather than stripping away its past, the renovation modernized the building while preserving original yellow pine floors, moldings, fireplaces, and cherry-paneled lobby interiors.

The exterior remains unchanged, crowned by a regal pediment featuring a large disc of Liberty above classical motifs of bucrania, swags, and stone scrollwork.

“The renovation respected the building’s original character — that’s what makes it endure.”

Reid House has been home to socialites, artists, business leaders, and recognizable Atlanta surnames — Alston, Candler, Dewberry, Dorsey, Hardin, Inman, Lanier, and Woodruff among them. Each decade reflects a chapter in Atlanta’s artistic and cultural evolution.

Inside their own residence, Stuart and Joe were immediately drawn to the abundant natural light streaming through numerous windows. The gracious proportions reinforce the building’s original purpose: refined urban living.

For all its architectural distinction, Reid House is first and foremost home.

Stuart and Joe alternate Thanksgiving with Joe’s family in Covington, Kentucky, and Christmas with Stuart’s family in Boaz, Alabama. Some years, Stuart’s mother and brother travel to Atlanta, filling their home with holiday warmth.

On Christmas Eve, they attend Midnight Mass at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, just across the street.

Each year on the first full weekend of December, they attend A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols at Glenn Memorial on Emory University’s campus, also designed by Philip Trammell Shutze. After the concert, they host a festive holiday dinner party at home.

“We especially enjoy entertaining during the holidays,” Stuart says.

Beyond the building itself, Stuart contributes to the broader Ansley Park community through service on the Ansley Park Neighborhood Association’s History and Preservation Committee and the Tour of Homes Committee. Together, he and Joe are active members of the Atlanta History Center, the Atlanta Preservation Center, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and The Decorative Arts Trust.

Through his book, Stuart hopes readers will see Reid House not simply as an elegant landmark, but as a living chronicle of Atlanta — one that reflects the city’s ambition, refinement, and resilience across generations.

With Reid House: Atlanta’s Finest Apartment Building, Stuart Noel has done more than document a landmark — he has ensured that one of Atlanta’s most refined addresses will continue telling its story for generations to come.