About

Location of the Venue

887 West Marietta Street NW
ATL, GA 30318

Office Location
975B Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 885-9933 ext. 4

The History of King Plow

The Concept: King Plow has been transformed from an antiquated plow factory into an arts community and center for commercial, performing and visual arts. In 1990, the owners designed a plan to build affordable Live/work studios, commercial artist spaces, art galleries, areas designed for the performing arts, and a restaurant within the buildings while preserving their historic and architectural significance. The project started with eleven different buildings. Several of the buildings were built at different periods of time throughout the Plow Company’s existence. The oldest, as well as the only two-story building, was built circa 1890. Most of other buildings were built between 1936-38. Because of the different types of architecture involved the renovation of the building created spaces that are truly unique.

The Reality: The King Plow Arts Center has more than sixty-five tenants representing fine, commercial and performing arts. Tenants representing six fine art areas include: photographers, sculptors, writers, painters, metal smiths and printmakers. The commercial arts are represented by a floral sculptor, architectural firms, a modeling agency, graphic design firms, a film production company advertising agencies, a set designer, multi-media designers, art galleries, and several product and fashion photographers. Representing performing arts are a theater company, a dance school and circus arts school Also located in the center is the City of Atlanta’s Clearinghouse.

King Plow Art Center is pleased to serve as a model of adaptive reuse of historic structures and a catalyst for the proposed Marietta Street Arts Corridor. King Plow is the largest center of its kind in the city and has become a significant part of Atlanta’s Arts community.

A Brief History
The Business :The King Plow Arts Center was once the home of the King Plow Company which manufactured equipment from 1902 to 1986. In 1902, Clyde Lanier King* and two partners bought the Walker-Sims Plow Company which was operating in several of the older buildings still on site. The company was reorganized and called the Atlanta Agricultural Works. In 1906 the name was changed to the Atlanta Plow Company. In 1928, Towers and Sullivan Manufacturing Company of Rome Georgia was purchased by the Atlanta Plow Company. The two companies were merged five years later and the men and machinery of the T & S were moved to Atlanta. Also at that time the name was changed to reflect Mr. Kings purchase of his partners shares, hence the King Plow Company. In 1934, the firm of E. N. Camp and son of Moreland, GA was purchased and moved to Atlanta. Combining all these operations in Atlanta necessitated the 1936-38 expansion of the factory to its present size of 165,000 square feet (4 acres under roof). During its prime, the factory employed over 300 people and shipped equipment throughout the United States, Mexico and South America. Unfortunately sales declined until the farm crisis of the 1980′s put the King Plow Company out of business. It closed its doors in 1986.

The Buildings: The factory was comprised of primarily two types of buildings erected around a central rail(road) siding. The first type was built circa 1900 and is typically characterized by arched windows and doorways along with massive oak and heart pine timbers. The second type was built during an extensive expansion that took place between 1936-38. Steel beams, large rectangular windows, skylights and clerestories characterize these structures. All totaled, there are eleven adjoining buildings comprising approximately 165,000 square feet. It is exactly these characteristics -expansive open spaces with high ceilings, large windows utilizing the natural light, heavy steel beams reflecting an industrial age long gone by, oak and pine timbers worn by almost a century of use and a central rail spur-now a landscaped courtyard-that makes King Plow factory an interesting place to live, work, and create art. Certainly King Plows heritage-its connection with the past, richly enhances the environment. Most of all, however, it is the wonderful architecture that facilitates the contemporary usefulness and acceptance of the completed lofts, live/work studios, commercial arts spaces and galleries.

The Work : Re-adaptive Use Design by Smith-Dalia Architects
The redevelopment of the 165,000 square foot King Plow Factory into a live/work commercial and studio space has taken 5 years to complete. During this time there have been five distinct phases of development.
The first phase included redevelopment of the raw materials building, the foundry and the office cottage, some 36,000 square feet, into 8 live/work and commercial studios. (Completed-Summer 1991).
The second phase included redevelopment of the plant superintendent’s office, the welding areas and the loading dock, some 17,000 square feet, into 9 live/work studios. (Completed-Summer 1992)
The third phase included all of the site work, storm sewers, side walks, parking lots and lights, main and secondary entrances, steps, hand rails, mail house, landscaping, and installation of the interior court yard. (Phased 1993-1995)
The fourth phase included the redevelopment of the only two story building in the factory-the assembly building, the main entry building-some 63,000 square feet-into a combination of twenty-eight residential and commercial studios, artists lofts, gallery spaces, the Frances Shaw Gallery and Special Event Space, and a 200 seat theater for Actors Express. (Completed Winter 1993-94)
The fifth phase redeveloped the wood shop, varnish room, and assembly area-some 47,000 square feet into a combination of twenty-three residential and commercial studios, artist lofts, dance school and restaurant. ( Completed-Winter 1994-95)

-Via Artery.org