Brookhaven has long benefited from its prime location. With two creeks running through it and the well-traveled thoroughfare that became Peachtree Road, Brookhaven was a familiar place to Native Americans, Civil War soldiers, and early settlers like the Goodwin family, whose home became a railroad stop. Adjacent to the city of Atlanta, Brookhaven grew into a community of gracious neighborhoods, parks, and lakes and became home to Oglethorpe University. In 2013, Brookhaven became a city, and it continues to benefit and grow as businesses and families are attracted by its proximity to Atlanta.
Valerie Mathis Biggerstaff, a well-known local historian and writer, was commissioned to compile this history of Brookhaven. Biggerstaff has relied upon local history centers, schools, churches, Oglethorpe University, and the scrapbooks and memories of residents. Rebecca Chase Williams, a member of Brookhaven's first city council and former mayor, initiated this project to pull together the city's history. Williams, a former ABC News correspondent, employed her journalism background to gather images and tell the story of Brookhaven. Together, Biggerstaff and Williams document the growth of this “haven” between the “brooks” that has become a thriving city.