The Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association (NANA), the Historic Northwoods District and the Greater Northwoods Area
NANA – the Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association – is the volunteer‑run civic and social association serving the historic mid‑century neighborhoods of Northwoods, Gordon Hills, Gordon Heights, Fleetwood Hills, and Sequoyah Woods in Doraville and DeKalb. Founded more than 50 years ago, originally as the Northwoods Hills Garden Club, then as the Northwoods Civic Association, NANA has long supported community connection, preservation, and neighborhood pride.
Over time, the association expanded to include the broader “Greater Northwoods Area,” covering the full 285‑85‑Chamblee Tucker Rd‑Shallowford Rd‑Buford Hwy border. This extended area includes all the additional residential developments that have been added to our community over the decades, like Hidden Colony, Arbor Creek, and the Chestnut Place neighborhoods.
Our Mission & EPIC Core Values
NANA sustains and builds relationships among neighbors, celebrates our architectural heritage and community diversity, and promotes the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
- Engagement & Service – Foster meaningful connections through inclusive programs, outreach, and volunteer opportunities.
- Promotion & Partnership – Collaborate with businesses, organizations, and government to enhance visibility and resources.
- Inclusion & Belonging – Ensure every resident feels valued and represented by celebrating diversity and individuality.
- Celebration of Character – Highlight the community’s historical character through initiatives that build shared understanding and uplift community vitality.
What We Do
NANA focuses on building a stronger, safer, and more connected neighborhood through programs that support:
- Neighborhood Beautification – maintaining entrances, green spaces, and community installations.
- Community Connection – member events, neighborhood gatherings, and volunteer opportunities.
- Neighborhood Resources – Little Free Libraries, Bella’s Blessings Box, and shared community spaces.
- Relationship Building – working with city partners and local organizations to support community priorities and initiatives.
NANA is voluntary, non‑partisan, and open to all residents in the Greater Northwoods Area. We operate on a not‑for‑profit basis, and our work is entirely neighbor‑driven.
Membership
Membership is open to all area residents. Membership dues directly fund beautification projects, community events, and ongoing neighborhood initiatives.
Become a member today and help shape the future of our community.
Stewardship Program
NANA’s stewardship program empowers volunteers to maintain entrance signs, plantings, and community installations such as Little Free Libraries and Bella’s Blessings Box. These neighbors keep our shared spaces thriving year‑round.
Visit our Champions page to meet this year’s board, sponsors, and stewards.
Contact Us
Have questions, feedback, or suggestions? We’d love to hear from you.
📧 NANADoraville@gmail.com
The Story of the Historic Northwoods District
Breaking ground in 1952, Atlanta-area contractor Walter L. Tally had a vision of what would become one of the first planned unit developments in Georgia, and which still retains its vitality seven and a half decades later.
After a period of slow sales of the traditional ranch homes, Tally recruited two recently graduated Georgia Tech architects, Ernest Mastin and John Summer, to offer variety. Mastin and Summer designed state of the art, modern homes that would eventually sell before they were even finished. Northwoods boasted 6 floor plans, mostly ranch style, and Better Homes and Gardens even featured a Northwoods home in one of its 1953 editions, with an affordable starting price of $10,000.
Originally envisioned as a housing community for General Motors executives due to its proximity to PDK and the GM facility, Northwoods became such a popular place to live that it grew to over 700 homes by the subdivision’s completion in 1962. Northwoods featured its own parks, tennis courts, shopping center, church, service station, professional building and school. John Portman, a fellow classmate of Mastin and Summer, and who would go on to achieve worldwide acclaim for his architectural work, was hired to design the two main schools in the neighborhood (previously known as Cary Reynolds Elementary and Sequoyah Middle School).
Some of those original home owners still live in Northwoods and, while many of the homes have been enlarged, renovated and modernized over time, some of them maintain their original hardwood floors, fireplaces and even built-in retro appliances.
Northwoods first appeared on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ radar as part of the DeKalb History Center’s DeKalb Single Family Residential Post War Development project in 2009. Richard Laub, Director of the Historic Preservation Program at Georgia State University suggested Northwoods as a preservation project for his graduate students. Enlisting the support of the Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association (NANA) members and other residents in the area, the university students worked diligently to survey the Northwoods district’s homes, buildings, schools, churches, and parks gathering historic blueprints and old photos via site visits, community meetings, and resident interviews. As the research grew, parcel communities adjoining Northwoods would become absorbed into the project including Gordon Hills, Gordon Heights, Fleetwood Hills and Sequoyah Woods.
Additionally, it was discovered during the project’s research that Northwoods is widely recognized as one of Georgia’s earliest planned unit developments (PUDs) and one of only a few that survive today with such a high level of integrity, including nearby Embry Hills and Fairway Oaks in Savannah.
In April of 2012, the GSU students presented their findings to a large and enthusiastic group of Northwoods area residents at the Church of the New Covenant on Chestnut Drive. Doraville Mayor Donna Pittman attended the presentation, as did surprise guest Ernest Mastin.
Shortly after that presentation, the students began the long process of nominating Northwoods to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination went through multiple levels of approval; with the neighborhood finally being listed on the register on May 13, 2014. Follow this link to search for the neighborhood on the registry.
The Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association is proud to represent this historic mid-century district. Join NANA and make your mark on history today!
-Written by Bob Kelley, with contributions from Joseph Geierman
Historic Northwoods District Gallery
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