Gold Museum, Mine, First Gold Rush - Villa Rica, GA
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 33° 45.143 W 084° 53.101
16S E 695896 N 3736710
Gold mine, museum, and Stockmar Park...
Waymark Code: WM10YNW
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 07/13/2019
Views: 1
County of site: Douglas County
Location of site: Stockmar Rd. & Mirror Lake Parkway, NW of Villa Rica
Phone: (678) 840-1445
"The Pine Mountain Gold Mine is located approximately three miles northeast of downtown Villa Rica
on the north side of the Villa Rica Regional Airport. The extant mining complex covers 28.77 acres of
hilly terrain. The historic property was larger but is no longer associated with the current property and
some areas have lost integrity due to redevelopment. Contained within this 28.77-acre site are 10
structures associated with different historical periods of gold mining operations conducted on this site.
"We are dedicated to the preservation of Villa Rica’s rich and unique history of gold mining. The lure of gold attracted Americans to this area in the very earliest days of industrial gold mining. We are Georgia’s only gold museum that is located on an actual gold mine with gold and gem panning on-site. In fact, gold is regularly found on Pine Mountain to this day! Our beautiful 4,800 square-foot museum houses many exhibits of artifacts used to mine gold right here on Pine Mountain or in the hills surrounding Villa Rica. In addition to gold mining artifacts the museum contains regional artifacts. Some of these regional artifacts date back as far as 12,000 BC. The typical museum tour begins with an 18-minute documentary detailing the history of gold and the Villa Rica mines." ~ The City of Villa Rica
"Gold mining activity on the mountain spanned over a century and is evident across most of the
wooded site. The earliest physical evidence of mining activity is a series of trenches that were used
for panning gold. Later mines included two large pits where a majority of the gold found was
removed. Established in the 1890s, the "Old Glory Hole", as it is known, includes a 60-foot-long
trench and a "man-way tunnel" through the top of the mountain that shortened the distance the ore
had to be transported for processing. The property is laced with unpaved roads and covered with
piles of tailings, or discarded. ~ NRHP Nomination Form