Joseph Neel Reid (October 23, 1885 – February 14, 1926), also referred to as Neel Reid, was a prominent architect in Atlanta, Georgia, in the early 20th century as a partner in his firm Hentz, Reid and Adler.

Early life

Reid was born in Jacksonville, Alabama, in 1885. He moved to Macon, Georgia, with his family in 1890. After an apprenticeship with architect Curran Ellis, Reid moved to Atlanta to continue his career at the suggestion of his mentor.

Career

Reid specialized in elaborate homes, but he also designed commercial, transportation, educational, medical, and university buildings. Many of these buildings survive today, primarily centered in the Buckhead and Ansley Park sections of Atlanta and in Athens, Georgia. The blueprints of Reid's designs are held as part of the Hentz, Reid and Adler Drawing Collection at the Archives and Special Collections of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Reid lived in Mimosa Hall (built by Major John Dunwoody c. 1840) in Roswell which he bought in 1916 and extensively renovated including designing the gardens. Reid died of brain cancer on February 14, 1926, at the age of 40 and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia.

Legacy

A number of his works are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Reid's work is the focus of two books:

Work

In Athens, Georgia: In the Atlanta, Georgia, area: Elsewhere in Georgia: In Florida: