Historic Georgia Home Painted Orange Creates Stir in Neighborhood

The orange hue that owner T. Ruben Jones has painted his historic Atlanta home (it's on Georgia's National Register of Historic Places) is stirring things up in the upscale Peachtree Heights West neighborhood in the Buckhead area.

How can painting your house a color your neighbors object to cause such a fuss? It's easy.

Located at 125 W Wesley Rd NW in Atlanta, the house was built in 1922 and planned by renowned 20th century Atlanta architect Neel Reid and was specifically constructed to resemble a villa. It was listed for almost $2 million.

The two-story structure, built of natural limestone, had its natural grayish color -- that is, until Jones bought it and painted the exterior a bright orange, which he said, according the Atlanta Journal Constitution, will fade over time to achieve the Italian villa look he's trying to achieve.

Meanwhile, neighbors have knocked on Jones' door and expressed anger at his outrageous color choice. "The neighborhood is in an uproar because it destroys the historic character of the whole block," said Wright Mitchell, a lawyer who lives across the street.