Wash Collier

Who was Wash Collier?

George Washington "Wash" Collier was one of the first recognised settlers in the Atlanta area.

Wash Collier came to the Atlanta area when his father, Meredith Collier, purchased Land Lot 104 in 1822. On that land Meredith Collier built a four room house. Wash Collier was one of 15 children and he purchased the house and land from his father. Around 1868, Wash Collier built on the site of his father's house a new house, which still stands today in what is now Ansley Park. He was the first postmaster in the area running mail from the fort at Standing Peachtree on the Chattahoochee River. He held on to his undeveloped land lot 104 most of his life which left the northern part of Midtown in a rustic state.

In 1899 he gave an extensive interview to the Atlanta Journal which is an important primary source for the early history of the area.

Collier built and owned the Hotel Aragon, one of the city's principal hotels.