Adamson Square - Carrollton, GA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
N 33° 34.794 W 085° 04.504
16S E 678646 N 3717237
Once the courthouse stood at the center, now a shopping area.
Waymark Code: WM111D5
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 07/29/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 1

County of marker: Carroll County
Location of marker: Adamson Square & Newnan St., on Merle Newman Cosmetics bldg., Carrollton
Erected by: Carrol County Historical Society & The City of Carrollton

The Person:
Marker Text:

ADAMSON SQUARE
  When Charles Adamson, for whom Carrollton's downtown Square was named, was a lawyer, judge and Congressman. He was born in 1854 in Bowden, Georgia, where he graduated valedictorian of his class at Bowden College. He excelled in oratory skills and was admitted to the Bar in 1876. Adamson served as an attorney and judge in Carrollton for twenty years and a Congressman from 1896 to 1917.

  During his time in congress, Adamson was instrumental in the construction of the Panama Canal and was Chairman of the Committee on Labor. He participated in the creation of the United States Labor Department and authored The Adamson Act, which created an eight-hour workday for railroad workers. This benchmark became the standard for the duration of the modern workday. Adamson was also instrumental in broadening the exploration of waterpower in the South. In 1917 President Woodrow Wilson appointed Adamson to a United States Customs Judgeship, where he served ten years. Judge William Charles Adamson died in New York City on January 3, 1929 and is buried in Carrollton City Cemetery.

  Judge Adamson remained faithful to his Bowden roots and attended every opening and closing ceremony at Bowden College. During his last address to the students Adamson advised, "Never lose any time. Read, talk to intelligent people, form no habits but to work, pray, save money and to respect and love your fellow man."


The Place:
The Square received is NRHP status in 2007

"During the 1880s and 1890s, Carrollton experienced a tremendous period of commercial and residential growth. The heart of downtown surrounded the courthouse centered within the square. The area hosted a general store, a hardware shop, a hotel, a grocery, and various mercantile shops. The square also included four water wells at its corners as shown on the 1885 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (“Sanborn”).

"A series of destructive fires in the late nineteenth century accompanied this period of growth. In 1889, the Carrollton city council passed an ordinance forbidding the new construction of wooden structures within the downtown core. In 1892, the first fire destroyed four warehouses and a residence at the southwest section of the public square, with a second in 1893 destroying 15 buildings along Newnan Street.

"Carrollton’s public square and surrounding downtown area form the core of the town’s historic, commercial, and social development. The history of Carrollton and its original environs are entirely intertwined; therefore, the narrative of the Downtown District’s evolution is explored thoroughly in the above discussion of Carrollton’s historic context. However, to further understand the area, it is necessary to explore the specifics of some original buildings that surround the public square.

"The first brick store building in Carrollton was constructed from 1872-3, located at present-day 412 Adamson Square (GNAHRGIS 250939). The store was purchased and operated by L.C. Mandeville, a Carrollton resident who sold cotton and basic merchandise until 1895.23 The building has served as a drug store, a grocery, a jewelry store, and various other specialty shops. Other than this outlier, the earliest group of commercial buildings in the Downtown District date to the 1880s and 1890s, including 404 Adamson Square (GNAHRGIS 250937) and Horton’s Book Store at 410 Adamson Square (GNAHRGIS 250938). Famous for its title as Georgia’s oldest bookstore, Horton’s Books and Gifts has been in continuous operation since 1891.24 Located at 304 Adamson Square (GNAHRGIS 250790), the Bradley Building contains four storefronts and was built in two parts in 1888 and 1891. In the northeast corner of the square, the buildings at 106 A and B Adamson Square (GNAHRGIS 250899) were built in 1892.

" ... Though constructed of brick, the courthouse was destroyed by fire in the 1920s. The public square, occupied by the original courthouse until 1893, became an open space perfect for public gatherings and a market. A water tower was present in the square around 1895, and a Confederate memorial replaced it in 1910.25 The latter was relocated to its current location adjacent to the present courthouse in 1976." ~ Historical Resources Survey

Year it was dedicated: 1885

Location of Coordinates: Center of Square

Related Web address (if available): [Web Link]

Type of place/structure you are waymarking: Downtown public square

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