Take a ramble through Rockmart, Georgia. Nestled in the rolling hills of Northwest Georgia, Rockmart is one of three Polk County towns just south of Rome. It was founded in 1872. The name “Rockmart” was chosen because of the abundance of slate in the area. Rockmart was once a railroad depot town with a station in the area. Not too many years back, Rockmart was home to a Goodyear Rubber Plant. In addition to tires, they also built floats for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Growing up and living in Northwest Georgia, Rockmart was just a short drive away. The one thing that I always thought of when going to Rockmart was the excellent dining establishments. They were locally owned and phenomenal. Things haven’t changed. Rockmart still has so many good restaurants. For this article, I decided to see what else Rockmart has to offer.
Rockmart’s Downtown Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The layout of the Town Square or downtown area is unique. One side of the street is a row of shops, while the other is short perpendicular streets with shops on both sides. The way it is laid out holds a lot more storefronts than if it were two horizontal rows of shops facing each other. I thought the layout was intriguing and creative. There are shops, and restaurants tucked around every corner.
In the downtown area, you will find the Rockmart Historical Museum. The museum is located in the original Rockmart City Hall building. The museum tells the history of Rockmart and the Polk County area. While you are there, you can pick up a brochure for the Polk County Historic Driving Tour.
Located just behind the Rockmart Historical Museum is the Rockmart Memorial Park. It is a monument recognizing Rockmart residents that have served our country in our nation’s armed forces.
Throughout the downtown area, I would see bricks with ROCKMART on them. It was a neat way to display old bricks. This brick was in front of Memorial Park.
On the side road diagonal from the Memorial Park is the Slate House. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a perfect display of the slate that was found in the area and what Rockmart was named after. After seeing this building, I noticed several other structures made of the same type of slate.
Seaborn Jones Park is just behind the town square and is a beautiful park. The park is named after a significant person to the founding of the Rockmart area, Seaborn Jones. Mr. Jones was instrumental in bringing many knowledgeable Welsh settlers to the Rockmart area to work in his slate quarry. He donated land to build five churches, the town square, the park, and the railroad right of way. Rockmart’s Welsh heritage is celebrated during the annual Welshfest held in the spring.
A creek runs through the park, with a walking bridge linking the park to the rest of downtown passing over the creek. There are also walking trails within the park as well as covered picnic tables.
The Silver Comet Trail also goes through Rockmart, and you can access it in several places throughout the area. In Rockmart, the Silver Comet Trail passes through Seaborn Jones Park and the downtown area.
While you are still in the downtown area, you will find the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center. The Rockmart Community is very involved in the arts. The community encourages its residents to participate in skills such as Choir, Visual Arts, Music, and Theatre and offers numerous opportunities throughout the year.
Just a few miles from the downtown area, you will find Coot’s Lake Beach. It is a privately owned swimming area that is very popular with the locals. You can go for a day and swim, hold a birthday party, or rent it out for a special event. There is also a beach area where you can set up for the day. It is a little slice of paradise in North Georgia.
On the backside of Coot’s Lake Beach, you will find yet another crossing point of the Silver Comet Trail. Here you will find parking and access to the trail.
Rockmart has a quiet, laid-back feel. It has local history, culture, arts, and plenty of cuisines to choose from.
Rockmart, Cedartown, and Aragon make up the three towns of Polk County. Each one is different and unique. With an area of just under 3 square miles, Aragon is the smallest of the three cities in Polk County. It has a population of just over a thousand. The name Aragon came from local mineral aragonite deposits, a type of calcium carbonate. Aragon was once a mill town, but the mill has been closed for years. The abandoned mill burned in 2002. In Aragon, you will find a post office operating since 1899. Aragon has a Mayor and four Council Members. It has a police station, fire station, cemetery, and park. It is a small, quaint community that flows right into Rockmart.
While we were rambling around Rockmart, we decided to try our 360 camera. Check out the panoramic photo below for a 360 view of Rockmart’s downtown area.
Getting out and discovering the surrounding areas has been enlightening. Even though you are just a few miles apart, you can feel like you are in a whole other world. I enjoy getting to know the small towns around Rome and hope you do too.
