Douglas County History Trail
Select a location from the interactive map or scroll through the list below for more information
1. Douglas County Museum of History & Art
In 1958 the old Douglas County Courthouse structure was set for demolition once the government offices were moved to the new location. However, The Douglas County History Commission successfully saved the Old Courthouse structure to be solely used as a museum. The Museum became a reality and now houses extensive collections of local historical artifacts and art.
The Commission was also successful in getting the structure on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s one of the few remaining examples of the International Style of Architecture in the United States.
- Location: 12431 Veterans Memorial Highway Douglasville, Georgia 30135
- DCMuseum.org
2. Chapel Hill Courthouse/Middle Courthouse
These are the only two remaining structures of this kind in Douglas. County. These buildings were not “Courthouses” in the traditional sense. They served various community needs including polling places for outlying communities as well as gathering places for hosting social events.
- Location: Chapel Hill Road Douglasville, GA 30135
3. New Manchester Manufacturing Company
Workers at the New Manchester Mill used Sweetwater Creek as a power source. It was one of the most modern structures in the region at the time. Open from 1849-1864. This textile factory was five stories tall with large belts, pulleys, and machinery. Union troops burned the structure to deny the Confederacy access.
- Location: 1750 Mt. Vernon Road Lithia Springs, GA 3012
- GAStateParks.org/SweetwaterCreek
4. Simpson & Daughters Mortuary
The mortuary is located at the site of the old Hutcheson High School building. It was originally constructed in 1936; and served as the only African-American school in Douglas County until 1957. The original high school auditorium remains inside the building.
- Location: Hutcheson High School Site
6787 James D. Simpson Avenue Douglasville, GA 30134
5. Basket Creek Cemetery
Mounds of red clay mark the burial spots in this cemetery. The church’s 123-year-old graveyard is like no other cemetery in Georgia. The cemetery has a swept yard with no grass or vegetation. Twice a year, Basket Creek Baptist Church members rebuild the burial mounds — a practice with roots in West Africa.
- Location: Basket Creek Baptist Church
7289 Capps Ferry Road Douglasville, GA 30135
6. Vansant Cemetery
The Vansant family settled in what was known as ‘Skint Chestnut’ (now Douglasville) in 1850. Brothers Young and Reuben were prominent in the establishment of the city of Douglasville. The brothers were given 40 acres that became downtown. They and their wives are buried in the cemetery.
- Location: Corner of Cedar Mountain Rd. & West Strickland St. Douglasville, GA 30134
7. Pine Mountain Gold Museum
As one of the first gold mining operation in the US (c. 1826), this site is now an interactive museum that tells the story of mining in the area through the early 1900s.
- Location: 1881 Stockmar Road Villa Rica, GA 30180
- PineMountainGoldMuseum.com
8. Cultural Arts Center
Originally the Roberts-Mozley House, this structure was built in 1901. This was once home to three Douglasville mayors and a state senator before it became the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County in 1986. This two-story columbed Greek Revival style home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Location: 8652 Campbellton Street Douglasville, GA 30134
- ArtsDouglas.org
9. Clinton Nature Preserve and The Carnes Cabin
The Carnes family moved to the area as one of the earliest settlers, and their original 1820s cabin remains. A family descendant, Annie Carnes Clinton, donated the property to Douglas County for use as a nature preserve. Many of the original furnishings are on display at the Douglas County Museum of History and Art.
- Location: 8720 Ephesus Church Road Villa Rica, GA 30180
- www.CelebrateDouglasCounty.com
