The Mill - Villa Rica, GA
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 33° 43.886 W 084° 55.084
16S E 692881 N 3734324
History of the site...what was here, what is here.
Waymark Code: WM10WHF
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 07/02/2019
Views: 3
County of marker: Carroll County
Location of marker: N. Carroll St. & W. Church St., concessions bldg., Villa Rica
Erected By: City of Villa Rica
Marker Text:
THE MILL
THIS AMPHITHEATER IS LOCATED ON THE SITE OF WHAT WAS ONCE
THE HEART OF COMMERCE IN VILLA RICA FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS.
By 1900, the two block area to the east of here was developed by the
Villa Rica Cotton Oil Mill, whose president was W. B. Chandler. The original brick buildings were first used as warehouses to store the cotton bales made at the cotton gin building, which was also on this site.
In 1902, The Villa Rica Electric Light and Power Company was incorporated and occupied part of the complex. It was soon followed by the ice plant and the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant. The first Cola bottles used here had the name of the Electric Light Company imprinted on them. A fertilizer plant was later added in 1908.
By 19027, this multi-business complex became The Villa Rica Manufacturing Company, adding a new hosiery mill component known as Rica Tex Mills. The last two major textile mills operating here were The Golden City Hosiery Mills and Vince Hosiery Mills, Inc. The two acre property and buildings were sold in 2000 and became the home of Avanti Auto Manufacturing, Incorporated. In 2008, the site was purchased by the City of Villa Rica.
In the early deeds, the street area to the west of the mill complex was referred to as "The Purple Square". The old railroad depot was located about 150 feet down the track from the corner of this property and flanked one side of the "Square" area.
With the Amphitheater as a new focal point of downtown, the Old Public Square
Gathering point concept is once more a popular,part of life in the City of Villa Rica.