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For $640K, classic Oakhurst bungalow brings architectural pedigree, period charms

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Designed by pioneering female architect in the early 1900s, the property has been available for several months

A white and blue house with a blue sky behind it and many trees around.
The white-picket-fence curb appeal of 245 East Lake Drive.
Compass; photography by Joshua Vensel

At Decatur’s western edge, this classic bungalow with a compelling architectural backstory is said to have enough white-picket charms and period detailing to keep visitors smiling.

Built in 1910, it joins blocks upon blocks of similar home styles and vintages on East Lake Drive, around the corner from Oakhurst Village, the neighborhood’s dog park, and in the other direction, East Lake MARTA Station.

Despite its curb appeal, refined interiors, and design by none other than Leila Ross Wilburn, this Oakhurst cottage hasn’t exactly been mobbed by viable offers.

A graduate of nearby Agnes Scott College and follower of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Wilburn was among the first female architects in Georgia.

Her styles ranging from craftsman to colonial revival and even ranch houses were so widely used throughout Atlanta, its suburbs, and the rest of Georgia, she’s credited as being the state’s most prolific architect from any period, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

A white front porch with a brown ceiling fan.
A front porch with surprisingly large dimensions and a crucial ceiling fan.

Beyond the driveway parking and a rather huge front porch, Wilburn’s 2,057-square-foot offering on East Lake Drive brings original hardwoods, three old fireplaces, high ceilings, numerous built-ins, and appropriate touches such as period window detailing and a Dutch door on the mudroom.

Room count: three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. Plus one large back patio. And a slide.

It listed with Compass about three weeks ago at a new price of $640,000, after having become available in September for $25,000 more and slowly trickling down.

That makes it just one of two built Oakhurst houses on the market right now without contracts—and the only one discerning Atlanta buyers would consider move-in ready.

A set of windows and bench seating beside a white door.
Bench seating to the right of the entry, with period muntin detailing that qualifies the windows as Queen Anne, as with many others throughout.
An office with light blue walls.
To the left of the entry, an office space behind pocket doors, with the first of three fireplaces.
A big white room with a gray fireplace.
Conjoined living and dining spaces, with abundant shelving.
A big white kitchen with stainless steel.
Updated appliances in the kitchen, where open shelving meets more traditional cabinetry.
A big white room with animal photos on the walls.
Banquette seating off the cooking spaces and a skylight toward the back of the home.
A big white and blue master bedroom.
A third fireplace in the master.
A white master bathroom with vintage vanity.
Master bathroom.
A white bathroom.
Secondary bath.
A big terraced yard with a slide.
A patio and playground in the terraced backyard.