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Roswell is a city in northern
Fulton County, Georgia Fulton County is a county in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710, making it the state's most populous county. Its county seat and most ...
, United States. At the official 2020 census, the city had a population of 92,883, making Roswell the state's ninth largest city. A suburb of
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Roswell has an affluent National Register Historic District.


History and government

In 1830, while on a trip to northern Georgia, Roswell King passed through the area of what is now Roswell and observed the great potential for building a
cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...
along Vickery Creek. Since the land nearby was also good for plantations, he planned to put cotton processing near cotton production. Toward the middle of the 1830s, King returned to build a mill that would soon become the largest in North Georgia – Roswell Mill. He brought with him 36 enslaved Africans from his own coastal plantation, plus another 42 skilled enslaved carpenters bought in
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
to build the mills. The enslaved built the mills, infrastructure, houses, mill worker apartments, and supporting buildings for the new town. The enslaved Africans brought their unique Geechee culture, language, and religious traditions from the coast to north Georgia. King invited investors from the coast to join him at the new location. He was also joined by Barrington King, one of his sons, who succeeded his father in the manufacturing company. Archibald Smith was one of the planters who migrated there to establish a new plantation, also bringing enslaved African Americans from the coastal areas. Shortly after 1832 a survey of the area was conducted by Nathan Crawford Barnett as part of the Cherokee Purchase in preparation for the sixth state administrated land lottery culminating in the
Cherokee removal The Cherokee removal (May 25, 18381839), part of the Indian removal, refers to the forced displacement of an estimated 15,500 Cherokees and 1,500 African-American slaves from the U.S. states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama to ...
. Barrington Hall (the home of Barrington King), Smith Plantation (the home of Archibald Smith) and Bulloch Hall (the childhood home of President Theodore Roosevelt's mother, Mittie Bulloch) have been preserved and restored. They are now open to the public. According to the 1850 Slave Schedules, these three "founding families", together with the next three largest planters, held 192 slaves, 51% of the total 378 slaves held in Roswell District. Archibald Smith had a cotton plantation. According to the 1850 Census, Barrington King held 70 enslaved Blacks. Half of them were under the age of 10. These enslaved worked in the Barrington's household. Barrington King "leased" or "rented" some of his enslaved adult males to the Roswell Manufacturing Company, but they did not work around the mill machinery. The Roswell area was part of Cobb County when first settled, and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Marietta was a four-hour (one-way) horseback ride to the west. Since Roswell residents desired a local government, they submitted a city
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...
for incorporation to the
Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directl ...
. The charter was approved on February 16, 1854. By the time of the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, the cotton mills employed more than 400 people, mostly women. Given settlement patterns in the Piedmont region, they were likely of Scots-Irish descent. As the mill increased in production, so did the number of people living in the area. During the Civil War, the city was captured by Union forces under the leadership of General Kenner Garrard. Under orders of General Sherman, Garrard shipped the mill workers north to prevent them from returning to work if the mills were rebuilt. This was a common tactic of Sherman to economically disrupt the Confederate rebellion. The mill was burned, but the houses were left standing. The ruins of the mill and the dam that was built for power still remain. Most of the town's property was confiscated by Union forces. The leading families had left the town to go to safer places well before the Civil War, and arranged for the enslaved people to be taken away from advancing Union troops, as was often the practice. Some slaves may have escaped to freedom beyond Union lines. After the war, Barrington King rebuilt the mills and resumed production. While many
freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...
stayed in the area to work as paid labor on plantations or in town, others migrated to Fulton County and Atlanta for new opportunities. The South suffered an agricultural depression resulting from the effects of the war and the end of slavery in the United States. According to the census, the population of Cobb County decreased slightly from 14,242 in 1860, to 13,814 in 1870. The proportion of African-Americans decreased more, from 27% to 23%. During those years, nearby Fulton County more than doubled in population, from 14,427 to 33,336. The effects of dramatic African-American migration can be seen by the increase in Fulton County from 20.5% slave in 1860 to 45.7% colored (Black) in 1870. At the end of 1931, the United States was in the midst of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. The difficult economic conditions drove Milton County, Roswell's neighboring county to the north (note: much of what is now Roswell was part of Milton County already), to merge in its entirety with Fulton County, Roswell's neighboring county to the south. To facilitate the merger, Roswell was ceded from Cobb County to become part of Fulton County. This became effective the 9th day of May in 1932. Roswell filed all legal records, including vital statistics, real estate, and the results of torts with the county clerk of Cobb before this date; with the county clerk of Fulton, after this date.


Geography

Roswell is located in northern Fulton County. It is bordered to the north by Milton, to the northeast by
Alpharetta Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818; in 2010, the population had been 57,551. ...
, to the east by Johns Creek, to the southeast by Peachtree Corners in Gwinnett County, to the south by Sandy Springs, to the west by unincorporated land in Cobb County, and to the northwest by the city of Mountain Park and by unincorporated land in Cherokee County. The southern boundary of the city follows the
Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Roswell has a total area of 37.0 square miles (100.8 km2), of which is land and , or 3.06%, is water.


Geographic features

* Big Creek * Bull Sluice Lake *
Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...
* Morgan Falls Dam * Johns Creek *Crooked Creek *Audery Mill Creek


Climate

Roswell features a
Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, which is characterized by abundant precipitation that is spread evenly throughout the year.


Demographics

According to the 2020 United States census, there were 92,833 people, 35,944 households, and 25,529 families residing in the city. In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 63.28% non-Hispanic white, 11.52% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 4.98% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.76% some other race, 4.15% multiracial, and 15.18% Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2000, its makeup was 75.47% non-Hispanic white, 8.34% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 3.70% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.24% some other race, 1.47% multiracial, and 10.61% Hispanic or Latino of any race. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $73,469, and the median income for a family was $103,698. The average income for households was $106,219 and the average income for families was $123,481. Males had a median income of $72,754 versus $45,979 for females. The per capita income for the city was $40,106. About 3.2% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 0.7% of those age 65 or over. In a 2022 estimate, the median household income was $130,008 with a per capita income of $65,061.


Economy

The Consulate-General of Honduras in Atlanta is located at Suite 3 in 600 Houze Way in Roswell. The city's largest employers are the Kimberly Clark Corporation, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital, Harry's Farmers Market, and the City Of Roswell. A section of Route 400 between Roswell and Atlanta is known as the high tech corridor, where many technology firms like Kimberly Clark have factories or offices. As of the 2006 census, one third of Roswell's 5.000 registered business were home based. The largest industries were retail, technology, food services, wholesale trade, and health care. Many Roswell residents work in nearby
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. Businesses with their headquarters in Roswell include Snorg Tees, Tripwire Interactive, and Pharsalia Technologies.


Arts and culture


Festivals and parades

*Roswell Memorial Day Ceremony — the largest Memorial Day ceremony in Georgia *Roswell Roots: A Festival of Black History & Culture (February) *Roswell Criterium Bicycle Race and Historic Roswell Kiwanis Kids Bike Safety Rodeo (May) *Roswell Magnolia Storytelling Festival (June) *Riverside Sounds Concert Series (May — October) *Roswell Youth Day Parade and Festival (October) *Keep Roswell Beautiful Duck Race (October) *Roswell Annual Fireworks Extravaganza July 4 *Roswell Wine Festival (first Sunday in October - Sunday, October 4, 2015) *Alive in Roswell (third Thursday of the month, April–October)


Sites

* Archibald Smith Plantation Home * Atlanta Rowing Club * Bulloch Hall * Barrington Hall * Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area * Chattahoochee Nature Center * Mimms Museum of Technology and Art * Faces of War Memorial * Roswell Mill * Primrose Cottage * Teaching Museum North


Public libraries

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System operates the Roswell Branch and the East Roswell Branch.


Parks and recreation

The city maintains more than of parkland, as well as three historic house museums that are former plantations. A branch of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, a component of the
National Park System The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all national parks; most national monuments; and other natural, historical, and recreational ...
, is located in Roswell at Vickery Creek.


Education


Public schools

Roswell's local public schools are part of the Fulton County School System.


Charter schools

* Amana Academy (K–8) * Fulton County Charter High School of Mathematics and Science (disbanded) *Fulton Academy of Science and Technology (K-8)


Elementary schools

*Esther Jackson Elementary School *Hembree Springs Elementary School *Mimosa Elementary School * Mountain Park Elementary School *Northwood Elementary School *Roswell North Elementary School *Sweet Apple Elementary School *Hillside Elementary School *River Eves Elementary School *Vickery Mill Elementary School


Middle schools

*Crabapple Middle School *Elkins Pointe Middle School *Holcomb Bridge Middle School


High schools

* Centennial High School * Crossroads Second Chance North Alternative School * Roswell High School


Private schools

* Blessed Trinity Catholic High School * Cottage School *Queen of Angels Catholic School * The Howard School (North Campus) *Jacob's Ladder Neurodevelopmental School & Therapy Center (Roswell Campus) *Regina Caeli Academy *Fellowship Christian School *Atlanta Academy *Eaton Academy *Saint Francis Schools


Infrastructure


Transportation


Major roads and expressways

* State Route 9 * State Route 92 * State Route 120 * State Route 140 * State Route 400 *Pine Grove Road *Riverside Road *Crabapple Road


Pedestrians and cycling

* Big Creek Greenway * PATH400 (proposed) * Roswell Riverwalk Trail * Vickery Creek Trail


Notable people

*Jad Arslan, soccer player * Charlie Asensio, soccer player * Jerome Bettis, former Pittsburgh Steeler and current
NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...
announcer *
Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.; he played the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his caree ...
, musician, attended Crestwood High School * Jay Busbee, author/journalist, resides in Roswell * David Cross, comedian, television, and film actor, writer, and director, lived in Roswell as a child and attended Crestwood High School * Deko, born Grant Andrew Decouto in Roswell, rapper and Grammy-nominated music producer * Emily Dolvin, aunt of
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
(the 39th US president), lived in Roswell the majority of her life * Ben Finegold, chess grandmaster, founded the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta (CCSCATL) in Roswell * Jeff Foxworthy (born 1958), stand-up comedian, actor, television/radio personality, author, and voice artist *
Karen Handel Karen Christine Handel (maiden name, née Walker; born April 18, 1962) is an American businesswoman and former politician. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Handel served as chair of the Fulton County, Georgia, F ...
, former Georgia Secretary of State, former US Representative of the 6th congressional district of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, resides in Roswell * Regina Lynch-Hudson, publicist, travel writer, and historian, lived here * Landon Milbourne, basketball player for Hapoel Eilat of the
Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
* Anya Monzikova, Russian-American actress and model, lives in Roswell with her husband * Brendan Moore, professional soccer player * Dale Murphy, two-time National League MVP, former
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
MLB player, lived in Roswell in the early 1990s *
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...
, American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. * Pauley Perrette, writer, singer, civil rights advocate and former actress, attended Crestwood High School * Jermaine Phillips (born 1979), football safety in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2002–2009 * Tony Phillips, baseball utility player who had an 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career from 1982 to 1999. * Tom Price, Congressman from the 6th congressional district of Georgia * Mike Ramsey, former Roswell High baseball star, went on to play for the NL's St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) 1978–1985; played on the World Series Champion Cardinals in 1982 *
Neel Reid Joseph Neel Reid (October 23, 1885 – February 14, 1926), also referred to as Neel Reid, was a prominent architect in Atlanta, Georgia, in the early 20th century as a partner in his firm Hentz, Reid and Adler. Early life Reid was born in Jackso ...
, architect; lived in Mimosa Hall and died there in 1926 * Chris Reis, former professional football safety,
Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...
champion (
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
), Roswell High graduate * Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, mother of
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
and grandmother of
Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...
, came from Roswell * Nap Rucker, left-handed pitcher in MLB for the Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers/Robins * Sam Sloman (born 1997), NFL football player * Jack Smith (born 1924), racing driver * Amin Stevens (born 1990), basketball player in the
Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
* Sunny Suljic (born 2005), actor * Demaryius Thomas (1987–2021), professional American football wide receiver, primarily for the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
, Super Bowl 50 champion, found dead in his Roswell residence in 2021 * Stevie Wilkerson, coach for the
Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...


References


Further reading

* Sherron D. Lawson, ''A Guide to the Historic Textile Mill Town of Roswell, Georgia'' (Roswell, Ga.: Roswell Historical Society, 1996). * * Galloway, Tammy Harden, ed. 2003. ''Dear Old Roswell: Civil War Letters of the King Family of Roswell, Georgia.'' Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.


External links


City of Roswell official website
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Fulton County, Georgia Populated places established in 1854 Cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area 1854 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)