Red Oak, Georgia

Red Oak is an unincorporated community of Fulton County, Georgia, near College Park, Georgia and East Point. It is located largely along US 29, NE of Union City, and about five minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the world's busiest airport. A pre-Civil War town, it was never rebuilt after the war, which does not mean that the area has been devoid of growth. Indeed, in the past few years, there has been new home construction in the area for the first time in approximately 30 years. Unfortunately, it is of the "tract house" variety, and acres of indigenous forest were clear-cut to make room for these new developments. There are other, more interesting dwellings to be found in Red Oak, including "The Rock House", built in the 1930's by Henry Frazier Bailey, his wife Lalla Gentry Bailey, and their five children. Originally situated on 100 acres, the Bailey home was provided with water by three springs on the property. Mr. Bailey was a well-educated man, a botanist, who cross-bred ground cherries and tomatillos to create his own vegetable, the poorly-named "Cherotti", which, despite the unappetizing name, is said by family members to have been delicious. Their grandson, 6th child of Tinha Bailey and William M. Anderson, lives on some of the original land, purchased by his father from the Baileys in the 1960's. The family name and the names of relatives can also be found as local road names.

A beacon to many that have passed by, the Red Oak United Methodist Church (now the Unity in Faith Baptist Church) on US 29, at the corner of Orchard Dr, was founded in the early 1940's, with Lalla Bailey as one of the founding members. The beautiful stained glass window at the front of the church, a large depiction of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, is illuminated at night. Many visitors comment on the beauty of the window, due to the beautiful colors that were chosen for the glass. There are other similar windows in the area, but this is largest. Several other churches dot the landscape in the area as well.

There are now several shopping centers in Red Oak, and the National Corporate Headquarters for Chick-fil-a, a local fast food chain, are here as well. A Coca Cola bottling plant, a rock quarry, and the enormous Atlanta Auto Auction (open to car dealers only) are here. There is also a concentration of notable musicians in Red Oak, including Dock Anderson, organist, and Brian Lyons, oboist; the Sneed family were well-known for being great horn players and teachers; Bob and Marjorie Price; former residents the Miller family (Jack, Sally, Shelly, and Marc).