The Eight BIG Lions of the Ponce de Leon Apartments

Folks always ask: "Where is that?" Maybe lion spotting will help.

Though it's kitty-cornered from the Fox Theater, has a unique curvy front, and is 100 years old nobody knows where "The Ponce" is. There's a map at the bottom if you are skimming.

It's The Ponce Condominium now and you can live there. It was designed by William Lee Stoddart (1868–1940) who also designed the lion infested (60 lion heads) Ellis / Winecoff Hotel.

 
Thanks to the Atlanta Preservation Center's Phoenix Flies and the fine Ponce residents I've had a close encounter. This one face east watching Ponce City Market, The Briarcliff Hotel, Decatur, and Stone Mountain.

Let's start the safari.


The Ponce is the one with belvederes, curvy front, and lions at the corner of Peachtree and Ponce de Leon.

Can't see the lions?


They are way up there holding shields guarding the belvederes. From down here, they don't look so big.


Now that I've got you looking, check out all the detailing up there.


Up close they are totally lion sized.


The Candler Building's 31 Lions are huge and they hold up the cornice. The Ponce lions need only step off their plinth.


When you visit the Fox they are totally watching you.

Let's do the count.


The northwest tower: Lions 1 and 2 face east. Lions 3 and 4 face north.


Lions 3 and 4 face north. Lions 5 and 6 face west.


Lions 5 and 6 face west. Lions 7 and 8 face south.


So now you know.


View Larger Map

Thirty-nine Lions on Atlanta's Glenn Building

The Atlanta lion count continues with the Glenn Building, 1923, designed by Waddy B. Wood.


The lions are way up in the elaborate cornice.

 
As long as I've been here, it was dumpy, frumpy, and seedy. The 2006 redevelopment into the Glenn Hotel deserves high praise.


It's the last classy, classical building on the west side of downtown.

There's nothing nearby left from it's era. The Omni, (now CNN Center), the former Federal Reserve, 101 Marietta (now Centennial Tower), the digital billboard with the giant clock, the Centennial Park light towers, are practical, impressive, modern, "activated" pop.

It's a vibrant area but my eye prefers the Glenn.

Let's count lions.


There is one lion on the rear of the building which faces southwest.


Eighteen lions on the Spring Street side.


There are nineteen lions on the front which faces Marietta Street.


Lion thirty-nine flies solo over the northwest side.

More lions:

• Candler Building Lions: 31 in the Cornice and 4 at the doors.
• Sixty Lions on the Ellis Hotel's Cornice - Really - I Counted Them

Please submit your lion count request in the comments.

Bonus lions:


The Ponce Apartments (now Ponce Condominiums) lions guard Midtown

Candler Building Lions: 31 in the Cornice and 4 at the doors.

Atlanta's Candler Building opened in 1906 with a full complement of Lions. Two things first. One, if you aren't from Atlanta: The Candlers were Coca-Cola. Two, if you are in downtown Atlanta: Walk into the lobby, thank me later.

 
I'm on a hunt. My last post was "Sixty Lions on the Ellis Hotel's Cornice - Really - I Counted Them." A kind reader wondered about the Candler lions. Here we go.


The south cornice has four lions.


The east cornice has eleven lions.


The north cornice has six lions.


The west cornice has ten lions.


The other "south cornice" doesn't have a cornice or lions.

That's 31 lions in cornice.


The east entrance has two Lions.


The west entrance has two lions.

That's 35 lions in all. Have I missed any? Let me know.

Next?


The lion count on the Glenn Hotel.