Four Seasons History

In 1952, Bill Zuber, an Atlanta businessman, purchased one hundred acres of heavily wooded land off Spalding Drive for $89 per acre.  He later bought another hundred acres adjoining this property.  With a creek running through the land, it had become a popular place for whiskey stills, several of which were still operating there.

In 1968, Dick Irwin and Bill Probst, both well known Atlanta developers, purchased 100 acres from Mr. Zuber and began developing Four Seasons.  At that time, there were few houses in the area, Dunwoody Club Drive was called Old Lawrenceville Highway, and the present Dunwoody Country Club was owned by the Ansley Golf Club and consisted of a small, one story house and a nine hole golf course—it was considered to be “out in the country.”  The closest hospital was Piedmont Hospital in south Buckhead.

The A frame at the pool was originally the Sales Office for Four Seasons, the “farthest out” subdivision being built in North Fulton County at the time.  Several builders were involved in the development and for this reason there was never a “tract house” look.  Every house had individuality.  Of particular interest was the builder, Emily Ann Smith.  She had been an interior designer at Georgia Lighting and decided to strike out on her own—quite bold for a female at the time!  Starting her building career in Four Seasons, she built nineteen houses, naming them all.  Some examples are the Mushroom (Lee, 8100 Innsbruck), the Brittany Stable, (Riser, 7940 Innsbruck), the Pennsylvania Barn (Dyer, 7955 Innsbruck), and the Victorian Railroad Station (Greenwood, 7925 Innsbruck).

On the weekend of June 19, 1968, the first two families moved into Four Seasons, Frank and Dee Hitt with three sons and Red and Margie Stuart with two daughters and a son.  At that time, the paved street ended at the pool—the rest of the land was like being in the mountains surrounded by beautiful woods.  Those families had lots of visitors that first summer—copperhead snakes and scorpions!

During the first summer and fall, four or five more families arrived.  The Bath and Racquet Club was completed at the end of the year. By 1970, Four Seasons was almost completely built out, and by 1971, all but six houses had been sold.

In the early years, Four Seasons had many social activities with lobster and oyster roasts and pot luck dinners.  This continues today with summer cookouts at the pool nearly every week and Progressive Dinners.  But, each Fourth of July was special back then with bicycle races for the children, swimming races for children and adults, fireworks, and the big event—lawn mower races for the men!  Apparently, Art Cavanagh was in charge of this event and usually won for best decorated mower and for fastest mower, too!

For many years, on Christmas Eve, luminary candles were lit in each driveway and neighbors gathered at the pool parking lot to sing carols and enjoy hot chocolate for the kids, hot toddies for the adults.  This changed over the years, and today’s tradition involves several Four Seasons’ families gathering at someone’s home for warm beverages after caroling at many of their neighbors’ homes.  

Developers Irwin and Probst also bought the adjoining 100 acres by the creek, developed it, and sold it entirely to builder/architect Emily Ann Smith.  She named it Saddleridge, though it is still called Four Seasons on the Fulton County official plat.  Nearly every home in Saddleridge was built by Ms Smith.  Originally, a walk to connect the two developments was planned (between the Bowden's at 8010 Innsbruck and the Kittner’s at 8020), for access to the Bath & Racquet Club, but that never materialized. 

 

INTERESTING FACTS:

 

• Four Seasons has 10 private pools and 3 tennis courts

• Four Seasons consists of 76 homes

• Four Seasons was the birthplace of the Great American Cookie Company (7980 Innsbruck).

• There are 3 original homeowners still living in Four Seasons:​

  • Shirley Conroy – 7975 Innsbruck

  • Louie and Jean Gomez – 8050 Innsbruck

  • Rusty and Sam Hanley – 8185 Innsbruck

• Helen (Moynihan) Carson and her family live in 8040 Innsbruck, the home where she grew up

• The Hanley’s are the parents of the first baby born in Four Seasons

 

STRANGE STREET NUMBERS:

 

• 8095 and 8105 Winged Foot are switched. This was to allow the clubhouse to be either 8105 Innsbruck or 8105 Winged Foot.

• There are 12 house numbers missing in Four Seasons:

• 7915, 7920, 7985, 8005, 8025, 8035, 8090, 8115, 8120, 8130 and 8135 Innsbruck.

• 8170 Winged Foot is also missing. 

 

This was all done to allow for the street numbers to line up across the from each other in those sweeping curves and intersections.