Bradley Circle is a mill district neighborhood accessed through 29th Street off 2nd Ave. Nestled between City Mills and the Bibb Mill on First Avenue, City Village is a community that was constructed along the Chattahoochee River to provide housing for mill workers. Most of the homes are modest in size, located close together, and are reminiscent of the early 20th century properties that make up Bibb City.

By Ellison Nation Lykes- Photography by S. Saxon

A shotgun home, which became popular in the New Orleans area in the early 19th century, is known for its narrow, one-room wide structure which stretches back. Shotgun houses were designed to be affordable with their efficient formatting in small square footage. These homes are placed side by side and due to the close proximity, have no side windows. They are full of charm and are making a comeback in new urban areas.

The heart of this almost forgotten community is located within Bradley Circle. Comprising a total of sixteen structures constructed in the 1920s, all varying in their own unique and interesting design, the homes within the circle sit high above the river on a bluff with reaching views of the river. This neighborhood was built by the mill that is now occupied by Johnson Mill Lofts. These houses were worker houses, and the larger ones were for the foreman and higher paid employees. In the 1980s the properties were sold to individuals and were in disrepair until 2015 when Historic Columbus purchased a stucco bungalow and started stabilizing it.

The 22 houses in the area are isolated on the bank of the Chattahoochee to the west, a landfill field owned by the city to the south and a gully which has Riverwalk access to the North. It is the perfect size community to start a neighborhood revitalization. The houses are made up of older shotgun houses built around the turn of the century and a bungalow stucco floor plan one that has 2- 3 bedrooms.

The homes we are featuring are located on 29th Street. Jack Jenkins bought the first in 2015. It took three years to renovate it and he has rebuilt it with items salvaged from old houses, teardowns and from the late custom home builder Hal Averett’s many storage barns. The neighborhood also features a community garden donated by the McCormick family.

Jack's shotgun house is a combination of donated and connected pieces. The brick cheek walls were from bricks donated from Mrs. Burgin, and the columns came from the McCormick family’s tear down home in Green Island. The French doors are from a renovation to the TreeTops cottage in North Columbus. The interior columns were salvaged from a renovation to Foley Hill, a historic house in Green Island and are believed to have come from the entrance hall in the Fontaine House, which was located in the Historic District of Columbus.

All these historic details make Bradley Circle the charming street it is becoming today. Jack talked his niece and sister- in- law Dell Turner and Adele Stone into purchasing the 2nd shotgun house. It is filled with the same sort of historic relics and has just been completed and getting a new tenant in August. The third house has been renovated by Dina Woodruff of the Illges House fame. Dina plans to complete hers in August and will Airbnb it through the Illges House.

BRADLEY CIRCLE SHOTGUNS HOMES