ABOUT

THE PROJECT

Constructed in the 1920s, the Abrams Fixtures buildings stand as a captivating testament to the industrialization era that followed the Civil War.  

By the time Braden Fellman purchased the property in 2019, more than a dozen individual businesses had left their mark, and the structure had fallen into a state of severe disrepair. Over the course of the next two years, we worked with historians, preservation specialists, design professionals, the State Historic Preservation Department and the National Park Service, to develop a plan for the property’s revitalization.

Transforming Abrams Fixtures into a vibrant mixed-use development has become a tribute to our city and its history. We hope to have shepherded it into another era of Atlanta’s progress, enabling the property to elevate ongoing revitalization and economic growth of the surrounding community. 

In 2023, nearly 10,000 square feet of space within the main building will become the new Braden Fellman Group headquarters office.



HISTORY

If the walls at Abrams Fixtures could talk, they’d tell the story of Atlanta’s commercial and industrial growth through most of the 20th century.  The buildings have been regional operations or headquarters of business like the J. I. Case Company, Gate City Table Company, Abrams Fixture Corporation, and more – each leaving their mark on the property since construction of the first structure in 1920.

The J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company, of Wisconsin selected a downtown site with direct access to the railroad and built an “administrative and distributing headquarters for the Southeast,” for their farm equipment. The Case building was constructed in the “slow-burning” method, intended to buy time for the fire department to save buildings, because fire prevention was costly and ineffective.
A two-story brick warehouse was constructed by Massell Realty Company just 12 feet south of the Case Building, to be leased to commercial tenants. The developer chose slightly embellished aesthetic qualities to help attract tenants. The tactic attracted several of the nation’s most successful tire manufacturers as early occupants.
The Gate City Table Company added a concrete block structure to expand on the smaller space they’d occupied in the Massell addition since 1946. Gate City was founded earlier by Benjamin H. Zimmerman and a group of Jewish furniture manufacturers, and occupied this building during the booming post-World War II period in Atlanta.
Case sold its building to Envelope Products Company, D.B.A. Justrite Envelope Manufacturing Company.
The Case building suffered a significant fire on the fourth floor. An article in the Atlanta Constitution the following day described “The Stewart avenue fire…” as having caused damages in excess of $100,000. A gas station, named Short Stop Service Station, was built on the south end of the property, in a style typical gas stations of the time in Atlanta. It’s one of the few like it still standing today.
Abrams Fixture Corporation gradually occupied and acquired all the buildings on the property, where they grew into a major US design/build specialist in retail storefronts, shelving, and other in-store fixtures.
“The hyphen” structure was added, connecting the Case and Massell buildings.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Abrams Fixtures is located in the historic and rapidly developing neighborhood of Adair Park, adjacent to Atlanta’s West End district. It is just one of several exciting new additions to this already vibrant community. Along with Abrams Fixtures, nearby attractions, including the Atlanta Westside BeltLine, Lee + White, MET Atlanta and the Mercedes Benz stadium, have helped activate the neighborhood.  With other nearby historic sites ripe for the type of preservation and repurposing that Abrams represents, we look forward to welcoming even more great neighbors in the coming years.