Roswell, Georgia

Vickery (Big) Creek Dam

In 1830, while on a trip to northern Georgia, Roswell King passed through the area of what is now Roswell and observed the great potential for building a cotton mill along Vickery Creek. Since the land nearby was also good for plantations, he planned to put cotton processing near cotton production.

Toward the middle of the 1830s, King returned to build a mill that would soon become the largest in north Georgia – Roswell Mill. He brought with him 36 African slaves from his own coastal plantation, plus another 42 skilled carpenter slaves bought in Savannah to build the mills. The slaves built the mills, infrastructure, houses, mill worker apartments, and supporting buildings for the new town. The Africans brought their unique Geechee culture, language, and religious traditions from the coast to north Georgia.

The old Roswell Presbyterian Church, built in 1839

King invited investors from the coast to join him at the new location. He was also joined by Barrington King, one of his sons, who succeeded his father in the manufacturing company. Archibald Smith was one of the planters who migrated there to establish a new plantation, also bringing enslaved African Americans from the coastal areas.

Shortly after 1832 a survey of the area was conducted by Nathan Crawford Barnett as part of the Cherokee Purchase in preparation for the sixth state administrated land lottery culminating in the Cherokee removal.[7][8]

Barrington Hall (the home of Barrington King), Smith Plantation (the home of Archibald Smith) and Bulloch Hall (the childhood home of President Theodore Roosevelt's mother, Mittie Bulloch) have been preserved and restored. They are now open to the public. According to the 1850 Slave Schedules, these three "founding families", together with the next three largest planters, held 192 slaves, 51% of the total 378 slaves held in Roswell District. Archibald Smith had a 300-acre (1.2 km²) cotton plantation. According to the 1850 Census, Barrington King held 70 slaves. Half of these slaves were under the age of 10. These slaves worked in Barrington's household. Barrington King "leased" or "rented" some of his adult male slaves to the Roswell Manufacturing Company, but they did not work around the mill machinery.

Bulloch Hall, built in 1839.

The Roswell area was part of Cobb County when first settled, and the county seat of Marietta was a four-hour (one-way) horseback ride to the west. Since Roswell residents desired a local government, they submitted a city charter for incorporation to the Georgia General Assembly. The charter was approved on February 16, 1854.

By the time of the Civil War, the cotton mills employed more than 400 people, mostly women. Given settlement patterns in the Piedmont region, they were likely of Scots-Irish descent. As the mill increased in production, so did the number of people living in the area.

Barrington Hall, built in 1842

Archibald Smith Plantation Home, built in 1845

During the Civil War, the city was captured by Union forces under the leadership of General Kenner Garrard. Under orders of General Sherman, Garrard shipped the mill workers north to prevent them from returning to work if the mills were rebuilt. This was a common tactic of Sherman to economically disrupt the South. The mill was burned, but the houses were left standing. The ruins of the mill and the 30-foot (9.1 m) dam that was built for power still remain. Most of the town's property was confiscated by Union forces. The leading families had left the town to go to safer places well before the Federal invasion, and arranged for their slaves to be taken away from advancing Federal troops, as was often the practice. Some slaves may have escaped to Union lines.

After the war, Barrington King rebuilt the mills and resumed production. While many freedmen stayed in the area to work as paid labor on plantations or in town, others migrated to Fulton County and Atlanta for new opportunities. The South suffered an agricultural depression resulting from the effects of the war and labor changes.

According to the census, the population of Cobb County decreased slightly from 14,242 in 1860, to 13,814 in 1870. The proportion of African-Americans decreased more, from 27% to 23%. During those years, nearby Fulton County more than doubled in population, from 14,427 to 33,336. The effects of dramatic African-American migration can be seen by the increase in Fulton County from 20.5% slave in 1860 to 45.7% colored (Black) in 1870.

At the end of 1931, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression. The difficult economic conditions drove Milton County, Roswell's neighboring county to the north (note: much of what is now Roswell was part of Milton County already), to merge in its entirety with Fulton County, Roswell's neighboring county to the south. To facilitate the merger, Roswell was ceded from Cobb County to become part of Fulton County. This became effective the 9th day of May in 1932. Roswell filed all legal records, including vital statistics, real estate, and the results of torts with the county clerk of Cobb before this date; with the county clerk of Fulton, after this date.

Roswell is now one of the largest cities in the state; its population has increased most steadily in the last 15 years.

Lori Henry, has served as mayor of Roswell since 2018. She is the first woman to assume the office.

See also: List of Mayors of Roswell, Georgia

Roswell is located in northern Fulton County at 34°2′2″N 84°20′39″W (34.033896, −84.344028).[9] It is bordered to the north by Milton, to the northeast by Alpharetta, to the east by Johns Creek, to the southeast by Peachtree Corners in Gwinnett County, to the south by Sandy Springs, to the west by unincorporated land in Cobb County, and to the northwest by the city of Mountain Park and by unincorporated land in Cherokee County. The southern boundary of the city follows the Chattahoochee River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Roswell has a total area of 42.0 square miles (108.8 km²), of which 40.7 square miles (105.5 km²) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²), or 3.06%, is water.[2]

In the last official U.S. Census of 2010, Roswell had a population of 88,346. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 74.7% White, 11.7% Black or African American, 4.0% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.6% from some other race and 2.5% from two or more races. 16.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race; a majority of them were of Mexican origin (11.5% of the total population).[13]

In the preceding census[4] of 2000, there were 79,334 people, 30,207 households, and 20,933 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,086.5 people per square mile (805.7/km²). There were 31,300 housing units at an average density of 823.2 per square mile (317.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.51% White, 8.54% African American, 0.20% Native American, 3.74% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.08% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.61% of the population.

There were 30,207 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city, the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $73,469, and the median income for a family was $103,698. The average income for households was $106,219 and the average income for families was $123,481. Males had a median income of $72,754 versus $45,979 for females. The per capita income for the city was $40,106. About 3.2% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 0.7% of those age 65 or over.[14]

Household income (2010)[15]

Household income (2010)[15]

Roswell median housing value[15]

2000 population by age[15]

Population by gender (2006)[15]

Education[15]

Race and ethnicity[15]

CNN named Roswell #76 for its list of the Top 100 Places to Live in the US in 2010.[16]

Named One of the Top Three Cities in the Nation to Raise Your Family. Roswell was listed third in the book, Best Places to Raise Your Family, released by Frommer's.[17]

On October 30, 2006, the City of Roswell was named the 18th Safest City in the United States by City Crime Rankings, an annual reference book of crime statistics and rankings published by Morgan Quitno Press. Roswell was selected from 371 cities in the Overall Safest 25 category.{{[18]}}

The Consulate-General of Honduras in Atlanta is located at Suite 3 in 600 Houze Way in Roswell.[19] The city's largest employers are The Kimberly Clark Corporation, North Fulton Regional Hospital, Harry's Farmers Market, and The City Of Roswell.[20] A section of Route 400 between Roswell and Atlanta is known as the high tech corridor, where many technology firms like Kimberly Clark have factories or offices.[21] As of the 2006 census, one third of Roswell's 5.000 registered business were home based. The largest industries were retail, technology, food services, wholesale trade and health care.[21]

Many Roswell residents work in nearby Atlanta.[21]

Businesses with their headquarters in Roswell include Snorg Tees,[22] Tripwire Interactive,[23] and Pharsalia Technologies.[24] Roswell's economy is large enough to recruit franchises from many popular Georgia businesses like Moe's Southwest Grill, Chick Fil A[25] and Heel Sew Quik[26] operate multiple locations in Roswell.[27][28]

In 2015, Roswell was ranked 224 for economic growth among small American cities.[29]

Recreation and parks

Pond at East Roswell Park

The Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs Department proudly maintains more than 900 acres (3.6 km²) of parkland, as well as three historic house museums (A Southern Trilogy). Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs Department has become the first city in Georgia to win the National Recreation and Parks Association's (NRPA) Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management. The city received this honor in the Class III category, which is for a population range of 75,001 to 150,00 at the NRPA conference in New Orleans on September 26, 2017. The goals of the department are to promote a sense of community spirit and athleticism in the youth of Roswell partnering with many local middle and high schools to achieve its goals by lending practice fields and athletic coaches throughout the year.

A branch of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, a component of the National Park System, is located in Roswell at Vickery Creek.

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta, founded by GM Ben Finegold, is located in Roswell.

• Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steeler and current NBC Sports announcer.[36]
• Jay Busbee, American author/journalist, resides in Roswell.[36]
• Anya Monzikova, Russian-American actress and model, currently lives in Roswell with her husband Josh Fritts.
• David Cross, American comedian, television, and film actor, writer, and director, lived in Roswell as a child.
• Brendan Moore, American professional soccer player
• Emily Dolvin, aunt of Jimmy Carter (the 39th U.S. President), lived in Roswell the majority of her life and was the inaugural chairwoman of the Roswell Historical Society.
• Jeff Foxworthy (born September 6, 1958) American stand-up comedian, actor, television and radio personality, author, and voice artist
• Karen Handel, former Georgia Secretary of State, and former U.S. Representative of the 6th congressional district of Georgia resides in Roswell.[36]
• Roswell King (1765 – February 15, 1844) American businessman, planter, and industrialist
• Landon Milbourne, basketball player for Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Basketball Premier League[37]
• Jermaine Phillips (born March 27, 1979) Nephew of Tony Phillips, was a Former American football safety in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002–2009.
• Tony Phillips, American professional baseball utility player who had an 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career from 1982 to 1999.
• Mike Ramsey, former Roswell High Baseball star who went on to play for the NL's St. Lous Cardinals (MLB) from 1978 until 1985. He also played on the World Series Champion Cardnals in 1982.
• Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, the mother of Theodore Roosevelt (the 26th US President) and grandmother of Eleanor Roosevelt, came from Roswell. Bulloch Hall was her home.[38]
• Architect Neel Reid lived in Mimosa Hall and died there in 1926.[39]
• Two-time National League MVP, former Atlanta Braves baseball player Dale Murphy, lived in Roswell in the 1980s.
• In 2006, Tom Price was re-elected to a second term in the United States House of Representatives to serve as the Congressman from the 6th congressional district of Georgia, the district that encompasses most of Roswell. Price later served as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services under the administration of Donald Trump.[40]
• Nap Rucker, left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers/Robins
• Chris Reis, Super Bowl 44 Champion (New Orleans Saints), Roswell High School graduate.
• Deko, born Grant Andrew Decouto in Roswell, rapper and Grammy-nominated music producer.

• Sherron D. Lawson, A Guide to the Historic Textile Mill Town of Roswell, Georgia (Roswell, Ga.: Roswell Historical Society, 1996).
• Darlene M. Walsh, ed. (1994) [1985]. Roswell: A Pictorial History (2nd ed.). Roswell, Georgia: Roswell Historical Society. ISBN 0-9615854-2-0.
• Galloway, Tammy Harden, ed. 2003. Dear Old Roswell: Civil War Letters of the King Family of Roswell, Georgia. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roswell, Georgia.

• City of Roswell official website
• The New Georgia Encyclopedia entry for Roswell, Georgia
• Roswell Convention & Visitors Bureau: Quick Facts
• Roswell Memorial Day Celebration
• Roswell Recreation and Parks
• Archibald Smith Plantation House
• Bulloch Hall
• 1850 US Census Slave Schedules, Cobb Co, Georgia
• Historic Roswell Convention & Visitors Bureau
• History of Roswell, Georgia
• Roswell Historical Society
• Chattahoochee Nature Center
• Roadside Georgia's list of things to do in Roswell
• State of Georgia website info on Roswell
• Georgiainfo.com maps of Fulton County and surrounding area over the years
• Historic Roswell Square historical marker
• Roswell Presbyterian Church historical marker
• Roswell's Distinguished Men historical marker