Updated 16 Jan 21
The following history of Drayton Square and its development has been compiled from Drayton Square newsletter articles published over the years, minutes of the Board of Directors' meetings and other Association records, and from recollections of long-time residents. It is based in large part on a series of five articles by Dr. Harold Loden published in the newsletter in 1995. In addition to providing an interesting historical perspective on the Condominium and its development, it also captures background information that may prove invaluable to residents and their elected officers and directors in the years to come.
The property which now comprises Stratford and Drayton Square condominiums was one of three parcels of land divided among heirs of Nancy Seagraves after she died in 1899. The deed plat shows three adjoining strips of land, each of equal size (25-3/5 acres), fronting on the "road from Athens to Barnett Shoals "remnants of which exist today as Old Barnett Shoals Road. Boundary markings on the plat are stones and a double oak tree; the unit of measure is the old survey "chain." The easterly-most strip of land, inherited by A. C. Seagraves, now comprises the Stratford and Drayton Square Condominiums. The middle strip, adjoining Stratford and Drayton Square on the west, is still largely undeveloped. The westerly-most strip includes the two Park Ridge subdivisions and several smaller parcels. Over the years, as the road to Barnett Shoals was realigned to the south, some small farm properties formerly across the road were acquired by the Seagraves and added to their holdings.
The majority of the property which now comprises both Stratford and Drayton Square condominiums was sold by George D. Seagraves, son and sole heir of A.C. Seagraves, to Richard L. Fields in 1931 for $1,100. He and his family farmed this and adjoining property, known locally as the Richard Fields Place, for many years, during which time much of it was planted in cotton. Remnants of terraces are still visible today, especially in the natural areas in front of units 120-124 and 125-129. In July 1961, Mrs. Richard Fields transferred title to the property (now some 26.784 acres total, with the addition of the wedge-shaped piece fronting the new Barnett Shoals Road) to their daughter, Mrs. Mavis Lucille Conner, for "Love and Affection." Mrs. Conner sold the property in December 1969 to C.J.C. Enterprises of Muscogee County, Ga.
Development of Stratford Condominium was begun in 1972 by Callaway Enterprises (formerly known as C.J.C. Enterprises). The original development plan filed by Callaway Enterprises shows several hundred townhouses like those now comprising Stratford Condominium. However, construction was discontinued after completion of 42 units on a 6.348-acre tract. The remaining property remained undeveloped until 1980, when Panola Development acquired two parcels from Callaway Enterprises, one of which was the 19 acres subsequently developed as Drayton Square Condominium and a second parcel, consisting of two tracts of 0.691 acres and 0.696 acres, respectively, comprising the South and North Stratford Drive tracts. The security deed between Callaway Enterprises and Panola Development was for $118,000, due as two annual installments of $59,000 each or $10,000 per acre released. The Declaration of Condominium for Drayton Square Condominium, executed by Panola Development on March 30, 1981, initially called for 22 residential units to be constructed as Phase I, with options for 57 additional units in Phases II and III. Over the next 3-1/2 years, 72 units were completed, at which time (October 15, 1984) the development was declared complete and control of the Condominium was transferred from the developer, PD. (Denny) Hill d/b/a Panola Development, to the Drayton Square Condominium Association.
Townhouse units 100-111 were the first units constructed in Drayton Square. Mrs. Agnes Lund, who purchased unit 108 (the Model Unit), was the first resident of Drayton Square, moving into her unit on April 27, 1981. At that time, all condominiums being built in Athens were multi-story townhouse units. Mrs. Ann Willett, whose husband was confined to a wheelchair, asked the developers to build her a one-story unit with wheelchair accessible rooms. The foundation for unit 112 was poured in February 1981, and Mr. and Mrs. Willett moved in during June. Other original purchasers of Phase I units included Dominic Fuccile (101), Mrs. Dorothy Varga (115), and Mrs. Marjorie Sterken (121). Mr. and Mrs. David Williams, who originally purchased unit 113, added a sunroom to their unit, a feature subsequently designed into most units constructed in later phases. Unit 119 was custom designed for Miss Mary Carmichael, a lady of short stature, who had the height of all the cabinets lowered. Mrs. Faye Head, the current owner, says the lowered cabinet height was her main reason for selecting this unit.
Based on marketing experience gained during Phase I, the developers turned their attention toward larger, single-level units situated in a landscaped environment for continued development under Phases II and III. Mrs. Callaway, wife of the developer and treasurer of the corporation, is credited with the basic floor plan designs of the Phase II and III units, as well as the interior and exterior decor. The first six units constructed, 120-124 South Stratford and 125-129 North Stratford, were the triplexes, featuring the basic floor plans for the two- and three-bedroom units. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ritchie moved into unit 125 on Labor Day 1981, Dr. and Mrs. Broadus Brown moved into unit 120 around Thanksgiving, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Davis moved into unit 124 shortly thereafter.
The concept of Drayton Square was so well received that contracts for many of the Phase II and III units were signed prior to construction, and essentially all of the units had been sold by the time they were ready for occupancy. Owners who purchased units prior to construction were able to modify the size and interior arrangements, while keeping the exterior appearance uniform. The careful selection of differing shades and texture of exterior brick, as well as varying the colors of the exterior woodwork, greatly enhanced the appeal of the development. All of the Phase II and III units were single story units except the townhouses at 173-179 S. Stratford Drive, which necessarily had to conform to the size and slope of the area.
Management responsibility for the Condominium was transferred from the developer to the unit owners' association in October 1984, when 75% of the units had been completed. The Association immediately appointed a Board of Directors, which met frequently during the first two years to develop the Bylaws and come up with rules and regulations governing the Condominium. Additions and revisions since that time have been surprisingly few in number and scope, testifying to the foresight of these early Drayton Square residents.
As the construction of units in Drayton Square was nearing completion, the developer met with several members of the Board of Directors to discuss the problem he had encountered in constructing the tennis court. All contractors he had contacted had declined to bid because the area where it was to be located had served as a drainage area for many years. The unit owners seriously considered foregoing the tennis court and using that area for other purposes. However, the developer was legally obligated to construct the tennis court. Soil and sand were hauled in to raise the level of the area several feet and a thick layer of concrete was poured.
When construction of the units was completed, there were no entrance posts or signs to identify Drayton Square or differentiate it from Stratford. The developer finally agreed to construct four short posts, we called them "stumps," at the entrance. Steve Speck, a retired UGA professor and original owner of unit 159, laid the brick for the column crowns and installed the brass plaques and lights that had been designed and selected by Glenn Argo, Ruth (Ware) Kotowski, and others on the Building and Architectural committees. Our entrances serve as a memorial to the memory of Steve Speck, who has since passed away.
North and South Stratford drives are private streets owned by Drayton Square Condominium. When Panola Development purchased the land for Drayton Square from Callaway Enterprises, it also purchased the two tracts containing the streets, beginning at Barnett Shoals Road, to insure ingress and egress to the property. These parcels include not only the streets but also the bordering land along the outside edges. Stratford Condominium has a perpetual right of ingress and egress to Barnett Shoals Road over these tracts. An attempt to transfer title to (and maintenance responsibility for) the roads to Clarke County proved unsuccessful since the roads had not been constructed to meet public road specifications. In retrospect, this has proved beneficial since it allowed the Stratford and Drayton Square associations to retain control over the use of the streets. Had they been accepted as public streets, anyone (not necessarily residents) could have used the roads to park trucks, boats, trailers, etc. without permission from the association(s). Maintenance of the streets is shared between the two associations under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 1989.
A newsletter was started in May 1985 "...to keep you informed about lots of little things that you really should and want to know about." The name "Around Drayton Square" resulted from a contest (although the winner wasn't identified). The logo for the masthead similar to the logo still used today on the Association's letterhead stationery was designed by Alice (Westfall) May. Many residents have contributed to the editorial content over the years, among them Dot Speck, Alice (Westfall) May, Helen and Dick Blomquist, Polly Moore, Scott Cutlip, Margaret Park, Faye Head, Elizabeth McDaniel, and Bob Lackey. Publication was discontinued for a couple of years, when no one could be persuaded to serve as editor, but resumed in 1995 under Conrad Fink's leadership.
