FAYETTE COUNTY

Starr’s Mill:

Almost everyone who lives in the area is familiar with the iconic and picturesque Starr’s Mill It is one of the most photographed historical sites in the state! Located near the junction of GA Hwy 74 and GA Hwy 85

Connector near Brooks and Peachtree City, the mill sits regally on Whitewater Creek First owned by Hananiah Gilcoat and built in 1825, the mill was situated between the boundary of Creek Indian lands and the state of Georgia

Hilliard Starr, who owned the mill from 1866 – 1879 named the site Starr’s Mill The mill log structure burned down twice before the current building was rebuilt by William Glower in 1907 The mill and its water-powered turbine served several purposes – grinding corn and operating as a saw mill. The site also included a cotton gin and a dynamo producing electricity for nearby Senoia The Fayette County Water System purchased the mill house, dam and 16 acres in 1991. The site is free and open to the public for picnicking

Did you know? Starr’s Mill was used as a film location (Jake’s glass-blowing business) in the popular movie of 2002, “Sweet Home Alabama,” starring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey.

Hopeful Primitive Baptist Church:

The church and cemetery were established in the Hopeful community of Fayette County in 1825 and are located at the intersection of GA Hwy 92 N and New Hope Rd in north Fayetteville The single room, 30’ x 40’ hand-hewn beam church structure is being preserved and renovated by local citizens There are 101 readable headstones in the cemetery, and ground-piercing radar indicates there may be over 300 buried here, including Native Americans and African American slaves

Did you know? Veterans of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, World War I and II are buried in the Hopeful cemetery

Landrum Mill Ruins on Gin Branch:

Hidden near the Kedron industrial Park on World Drive, across from the Kedron Kroger in Peachtree City, you will discover the disappearing remains of a cotton gin and dam that are almost 200 years old. Nearby you will find the cemetery of the Landrum family who owned the mill The land along a creek branch was purchased by Jeptha Landrum in 1830, where he built a plantation and cotton gin on what became known as Gin Branch Tragedy would soon mark the family Jeptha and Frances Landrum’s young, ten year old son, also named Frances, drowned in the gin pond in 1837

Jeptha and his brother, Larkin, together purchased over 3,000 acres of land in what is now northern Peachtree City Both men were prominent citizens Jeptha served as sheriff of Fayette County and Larkin served in the Georgia legislature Jeptha died in 1870, bankrupt by the Civil War

To reach Landrum ruins and cemetery, drive (or take a golf cart) to the turn-around at the end of World Drive and park Walk or take a golf cart down the cart path to a partially gated road (an abandoned portion of Peachtree Parkway) Continue to the right on the cart path and you will see a wooden overlook At the overlook, you will find an historic marker and the ruins of the gin mill and the dam Retrace your steps to the gated road and walk through the gate for a short distance until you find the path on your right that leads to the Landrum family cemetery

Did you know? Nearby Dogwood Church in Tyrone maintains the L cemeteries in F