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