Prior to the Civil War, much of the property that now comprises Kirkwood belonged to the Kirkpatrick family. Another portion belonged to the Dunwoody family. The name Kirkwood was derived from a blending of the two family names. During the early part of the last century, streetcars ferried Kirkwood commuters into Atlanta.

Kirkwood traces its beginnings to residential development begun as early as the 1870s. While no one would consider Kirkwood a suburb of Atlanta today, an early tour book described it as an ?area of beautiful suburban villas.? Kirkwood was an early streetcar suburb to Atlanta. By 1910 streetcars provided express service to and from Atlanta three times daily, and street cars continued service along some streets including Kirkwood Road until the early 1950?s.

Kirkwood was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1899. Governed beginning in 1899 by its own city council and mayor, the town boasted its own water system, school systems and fire department. The former Kirkwood School is a handsome building from this period, located on Kirkwood Road just north of Bessie Branham Park. Individually nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, the primary building on the property?s south side was originally designed by John Francis Downing, the son of the noted Atlanta architect W. T. Downing. Both buildings now comprise the Kirkwood Lofts apartments as a result of a $1 million renovation in 1997.

Beginning in the 1980s, the neighborhood began to witness another influx of new residents interested in renovating the neighborhood?s stock of historic housing. The Kirkwood village a mix of restaurants and retail industry has been a big draw for bringing newcombers into the neighborhood. There has been alot of renovation of charming bungalows over the last 5 years most of which are still very affordable.