Piedmont Heights Walking Tour

Kathleen the Cow

566 Pelham Road

At the intersection of Pelham Road and Montgomery Ferry Road stands a cow quietly gazing out of the trees. A bit startling at first, until one realizes it is a full-sized statue of a Holstein. No, she is not an escapee from a Chick-fil-A billboard. Named Kathleen by her owner, she has been watching over the neighborhood since 2013 and is a quaint reminder of the dairy farms that once populated Piedmont Heights.

Kathleen originated in Mexico and arrived here by way of Cindy’s Dragonfly, a metal yard art shop in Dillard, Georgia. Kathleen belongs to Donna Bryans Gensler, a longtime Piedmont Heights resident. The cow was a gift from her family in memory of the herds of cattle on the farm in Madison, Georgia, where Donna grew up. Cows were Donna’s favorite animals, and she loved them so much that she became a vegetarian.

Kathleen enjoys an exciting life in Piedmont Heights. She is a frequent backdrop for photographs and always dresses up for holidays, neighborhood events, and special occasions. Recently she received a new “dress”—a fresh coat of black and white paint, her second since moving into the neighborhood.

A few years ago, a couple who frequently pass through Piedmont Heights fell in love with Kathleen, and the wife decided she wanted a “Kathleen sister.” Her husband contacted Donna, and now Kathleen has a twin “sister” named Priscilla who lives on Lanier Boulevard in the nearby Morningside neighborhood. Who knows, maybe someday there will be a full herd of Kathleen’s family in Atlanta.

GO TO THE NEXT LANDMARK ON THE PIEDMONT HEIGHTS WALKING TOUR: Liddell House

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