Angst in Buckhead over fate of the ‘Pink Palace’

With its deep front yard and long driveway sweeping up from West Paces Ferry Road, the Italian baroque mansion in Buckhead known as the Pink Palace is so majestic, it makes the governor’s residence a couple of houses over look cheap and plain.

But according to plans filed with Atlanta, its new owner wants to raze part of the dwelling and subdivide its 3.5-acre lot into three parcels; a new home in the front yard could block the view of the mansion from Paces Ferry. Some neighbors and preservationists are aghast.

The owner, Thierry Francois, has promised to restore the house to its original grandeur, removing the rear portion – a 1980s add-on that’s not in the original 1926 plans – and making it more “homey” for his family.

Francois paid $4.3 million for the mansion this spring and said that he’s already spent $150,000 removing the cream-colored paint and restoring its Venetian stucco, so it really is pink again. Still, he’s being criticized.

“Is nothing sacred in Atlanta?” Regina Snoderly Fielder asked on the Facebook page of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

“While we appreciate that the new owner has not planned to completely tear this incredible house down, seeing this beautiful home ... losing its designed facade and approach from Paces Ferry is still heartbreaking,” James Ottley, a board member of the Buckhead Heritage Society, told the AJC.

If the city grants Francois’ requests, Ottley said he hoped it becomes “a tipping point for residents in Buckhead to discuss and take action on how to best save landmark sites like this in the near future.”

Is the Pink Palace worth the uproar, or should the owner be allowed his private property rights to do as he pleases? Tell us what you think. Send comments by email to: communitynews@ajc.com.

JENNI GIRTMAN / ATLANTA EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY The Rhodes Mansion is known as the Pink Palace. It was built in 1926 for the Joseph D. Rhodes family.