These 6 Georgia Towns Have The Best Historic Districts

Long before rail lines crisscrossed Georgia's pine-thick interior and interstates cut across the Deep South hills, the Peach State's coastal and upland towns had already written historical chapters in America's shifting politics of empire and war. The Spanish arrived first, following rivers to the sea, and the British came next, naming forts and crossings after admirals and monarchs. Today, numerous historical districts here reflect every American conflict since the Revolution in their street grids, courthouse squares, and antebellum storefronts still in use.

Maritime villages that once housed British customs agents now welcome shrimpers and kayakers. In the foothills and clay country, where forests met farmland, textile mills gave way to theaters and museums. Some places became preeminent resort towns; others flourished near the Atlantic Coast, snake-infested reservoirs, or those power stations where creeks flowed into lakes. In the end, it’s Georgia’s natural resources and its charm that have directed it to build a legacy embedded in these historic districts.

McDonough

Southeast of Atlanta in Henry County, McDonough emerged through centuries of Creek Indian presence and early American expansion. The Creek people first inhabited these rolling hills before the region came under colonial influence following territorial conflicts of the early 19th century. Naval officer Commodore Thomas Macdonough, hero of the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812, lends his name to this settlement. Founders established this town in 1823 as a waypoint along the stagecoach route connecting New York City to New Orleans. The McDonough Historic District preserves its foundational heritage through many contributing properties that span two centuries of architectural development.

The Henry County Courthouse dominates the town square with its Romanesque Revival grandeur. Its red brick and stone construction dates to 1897 and has earned placement on the National Register of Historic Places. Complementing the courthouse square stands the Turner House, a 1916 Renaissance Revival residence that exemplifies the prosperity of early 20th-century McDonough. The annual Geranium Festival continues McDonough's cultural traditions through the McDonough Lions Club's celebration of arts and crafts, connecting contemporary community life to its historic town square origins.

LaGrange

Near the Georgia-Alabama border in Troup County, LaGrange recites stories of dauntless female defenders. During the Civil War, the town was protected by the Nancy Harts Militia, an all-woman military unit of forty women. When Colonel Oscar H. LaGrange led Union troops toward the city that bore his name, these warriors negotiated a surrender that spared a great deal of destruction. The LaGrange Commercial Historic District contains the town's commercial buildings, including the 1939 Troup County Courthouse complex. The three connected New Deal-era structures comprise the courthouse, the administrative annex, and the original jail, which operated until 2001.

Among LaGrange’s most significant antebellum architecture stands Bellevue, the Greek Revival mansion that Benjamin Harvey Hill built during the 1850s. The enormous structure is another example of Nancy Hart’s bravery, as Colonel LaGrange spared it during the Union occupation. The two-story wood-frame, grand columned façade, with six fluted Ionic columns and black Italian marble mantels, now operates as a historic house museum that attendees can explore from Tuesday to Saturday. Besides all the bricks and marbles across the city, West Point Lake defines the eastern and northern boundaries of the community. The 25,900-acre reservoir supplements recreational opportunities at sites like Sunny Point Recreation Area, where anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, stripers, and hybrid bass.

St. Marys

St. Mary's has the privilege of islands and lagoons leading to the Atlantic Ocean to its east and tropical Floridian tourism to the south. These details ensure it already stands as an idyllic site for tourists, and those in the 18th century absolutely concurred with this notion. Spanish settlers first explored the broader region as early as 1566. It was after the Seven Years' War that British colonization began, and the town took its modern form in 1787. Immortalizing this legacy is St. Mary's Historic District. Here, original 18th-century sites facing the seaside remain intact, including Oak Grove Cemetery, where ancient live oaks create canopies over historic graves.

The district also flaunts antiquated residential, commercial, and religious buildings, such as the First Presbyterian Church of St. Marys, a Presbyterian Church that is one of the oldest of its kind in Georgia. Sitting on the estate of William Ashley, one of the twenty pioneers of St. Mary's, Orange Hall ranks among the most endangered historic sites in the state, representing ongoing preservation challenges for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. St. Mary's also snuggles beside Cumberland Island, where Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse guides maritime traffic through coastal waters. Crooked River State Park provides another attraction where nature triumphs over solemn tales, creating recreational opportunities alongside the community's historical legacy.

Butler

Butler’s incorporation in central Georgia occurred in 1854, when Creek Indian territory transformed to become Marion, Talbot, and Macon counties. The town honors General William Orlando Butler, a preeminent veteran of the Mexican-American War. The Central of Georgia Railway established Butler at what was known as the Fifty Mile Station, giving the community its circular design with the town center coinciding with the geometrical one. The Butler Downtown Historic District comprises numerous Confederate monuments and early 20th-century commercial buildings, which highlight the prosperity that endured through the Great Depression era.

The Taylor County Courthouse dominates the district center, earning a separate National Register recognition. The Old Police Station, a small hexagonal brick building, still stands in the neighborhood as a reminder of the town's municipal history. The Masonic Lodge, constructed in 1920 and also known as Fickling Lodge, showcases Art Deco styling with minute belt course detailing across its multi-story facade. Butler's commercial heritage lives on through establishments like the Rabbit Box, the historic hamburger joint where John and Ruth Turk made Turk Burgers famous. This local institution continues serving delightful recipes that have transported diners back through the decades.

Hartwell

In northeastern Georgia near the South Carolina border, Hartwell took shape in 1854 as the seat of the newly formed Hart County. The name honours the Revolutionary War figure Nancy Morgan Hart, the same patriot warrior whose legacy inspired the all-female Nancy Harts militia that defended LaGrange during the Civil War. The Hartwell Commercial Historic District spotlights properties dating to the 1870s. The district's simple late-Victorian buildings, along with their brick corbeling, round and segmental-arched window openings, and parapet roofs, recreate the Late Victorian era. The Hart County Community Theatre building on Depot Street continues entertaining theater enthusiasts and dates to 1914, long before its current role.

Hartwell flourished thanks to its strategic geography at the confluence of the Savannah, Tugaloo, and Seneca Rivers that feed into Lake Hartwell. Such topography has transformed this region into a recreational and economic powerhouse. The vast reservoir promotes opportunities for fishing and tourism, driving the local economy. The ecosystem and water supply significantly boost power generation and real estate development throughout the region. Moreover, Hartwell Lakeside Park's boat ramps and docks provide easy access to both aquatic adventures and relaxation.

Thomasville

Replete with historical landmarks and that counts nature's participation, Thomasville is one of Georgia's most architecturally distinguished communities. The city celebrated its second centennial this year and has witnessed an abundance of history and architectural landmarks over the past two centuries. Wealth blessed the community early when its winters enchanted Northerners who embraced it as a resort town. The community relishes its floral heritage through displays of over one thousand roses and other plantations open to the public, including Pebble Hill Plantation. None of these landmarks, however, matches the authenticity of the Big Oak, an oak tree dating from about 1680 that continues to stand as the region's most enduring natural monument.

The Thomasville Commercial Historic District spotlights the prosperity of this era through its collection of late Victorian and early twentieth-century buildings. Among the most memorable designs is the Lapham-Patterson House, a luxurious Victorian-style winter cottage so vast it also constitutes part of the Dawson Street Residential Historic District. The National Historic Landmark astonishes visitors with its deliberate lack of uniformity. None of the windows, doors, or closets is symmetrical, making way for an architectural wonder that defies conventional design principles. Additional districts are prevalent throughout Thomasville, including Paradise Park Historic District, centered around its namesake park. The site features playground equipment, a lighted gazebo, grills, covered shelters, and picnic tables where wintering Northerners once enjoyed famous bands at the bandshell.

From Brick Streets to Battle Sites, Georgia Keeps Its Past in View

From Revolutionary heroines to industrial corridors, Georgia’s historic districts channel centuries of conflict, creativity, and quiet preservation. Museums speak for themselves, but so do the cemeteries, tabby ruins, and long-running theaters found in the middle of town. The state’s stories unfold in layers, from Spanish ventures in St. Marys to resistance against the Confederacy in McDonough to rail-era depots built where Native trails once crossed towns like Butler. Yet, this history isn’t boxed in glass.

You can notice the Peach State’s imprint in weathered sidewalks, aging oaks, and corners of town that still recall their original purpose. Places like Thomasville have anchored celebrations of roses, while LaGrange and Hartwell have sported wartime legacies in women’s militias. All the while, their preserved districts keep public memory in motion, complementing the ornamental with the everyday. Like Lapham-Patterson’s irregular shapes and Bellevue’s gigantic pillars, Georgia and its history prove time and again that they are unpredictable in the grandest way imaginable.