Woodstock: Main Street Sessions at Dean’s Store
Posted: Wednesday, February 13th, 2008, 4:15 pm EST
Category: Woodstock Real Estate
The Main Street Sessions is a monthly series in 2008 that will feature prominent local authors. Every month on the third Saturday at 1pm people will have the chance to hear presentations from the individuals that have helped shape the culture of the area in the unique setting of Historic Dean’s Store. This is the second year of the series.
The February 16th program is Heartworks Art Studio. Heartworks Art Studio is located in downtown Woodstock at 114 Towne Lake Parkway. Heartworks is a working studio, as well as offering art instruction classes and special workshops. Promoting local artists is a very important part of Heartworks’ mission. Heartworks holds open studio nights on the first Friday of each month, where they feature the works of a local artist, enjoy live music and refreshments. These events are free of charge and open to all. Deborah Tidwell is the founder of Heartworks Art Studio. She teaches oil painting classes, and paints commissioned portraits and fine art. Deborah was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She is the mother of three, Paul, Drew and Joy. Paul, her eldest, is currently serving our country in Iraq. Resident Artist, Amber Klippel, specializes in oil paintings, outdoor art and furniture as well as pyrography. A portion of the proceeds of her popular Goddess Series goes to various charitable organizations to benefit women. Amber was born in Atlanta Georgia, and is mother of one teenage son, Myke.
For more information go to www.oldetownewoodstock.com or call 770-924-0406
Woodstock Real Estate
Posted: Sunday, January 6th, 2008, 4:57 pm EST
Category: Woodstock Real Estate
Woodstock Real Estate
Woodstock Real Estate: Under $150,000
Woodstock Real Estate: $150,000 - $250,000
Woodstock Real Estate: $250,000 - $350,000
Woodstock Real Estate: $350,000 - $500,000
Woodstock Real Estate: $500,000 - $750,000
Woodstock Real Estate: $750,000+
Woodstock Georgia is an excellent place to end your search for the perfect home. Woodstock offers a wide variety of affordable real estate opportunities. With master planned communities, beautiful subdivisions, and homes with acreage, Woodstock Georgia Real Estate has a house waiting to become your home.
Woodstock Georgia provides easy access to both the subtle beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the vibrant metropolis of Atlanta, the Biggest City in the South. Woodstock ’s top-rate quality of life is not compromised by steady growth and a modern infrastructure. Here you will find traditional southern hospitality accompanied by the undeniable conveniences available in a metropolitan community.
Woodstock is located in the southernmost part of Cherokee County, approximately 30 miles north of Atlanta and 12 miles south of Canton, the county seat. Woodstock City Hall is located at 103 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, GA 30188. The southern part of Cherokee was settled first due to its flatter topography and easier access. Woodstock is over one hundred years old and one of the county’s oldest towns.
Today, the City of Woodstock is the fastest growing city in Cherokee County. More and more new businesses and professional services are available and conveniently located in Woodstock. With the growth rate of Woodstock at 70% over the past 10 years, the city has doubled in size. With Interstate 575 and State Highway 92 running diagonally and directly through the heart of Woodstock, there are unlimited possibilities for those who live and work in Woodstock and Cherokee County. Historical Downtown Woodstock Brick paved sidewalks provide residents and visitors with a pedestrian friendly environment, where buildings dating back to 1879 are the trademark of this historical commercial district, the heart of Woodstock.
The Downtown District includes antique shops, tearooms and special events facilities. Specialty shops, including hair salon, gift shop, coffeehouse and furniture store complement the area. Services available include chiropractic care, spas, car repairs and more. A walk through Downtown Woodstock brings back the beauty of days gone by with the convenience of today and the allure of the future.
History of Woodstock, Cherokee County, Georgia
The City of Woodstock, located in southernmost Cherokee County, is now one of the fastest growing cities in North Georgia. Her future looks bright, backed by a past glowing with the richness of a well-preserved history.
Cherokee County was formed in December 1831 from lands claimed from the Cherokee and Creek Indians. The discovery of a 10-mile wide gold belt in these parts led to the Georgia Gold Rush. During this time an estimated 3000 men came to the area searching for gold. Joined by their families, they settled into communities that were largely self-sufficient and self-contained. With the Indians relocated to present-day Oklahoma on the infamous Trail of Tears, the territory was open for mining and agriculture, especially of cotton and corn. The rush of settlers to the fertile rolling hills of Cherokee County led to the establishment of cities.
It is uncertain where Woodstock derived its name, but it is widely accepted that the city was named for Sir Walter Scott’s book by the same title. Another theory suggests a connection to the busy train stop established; the trains restocked their wood supply in Woodstock. Yet another legend claims a Mr. Woodstock settled in the area and established a school by the same name. Regardless of its true origin, the name of Woodstock has been recognized since 1833, almost 175 years!
In the early years, most of the settlers in the Woodstock and Canton vicinity grew cotton, benefiting from the rich, fertile soil. The Rope Mill produced cotton ropes that were used for plow lines and well-water buckets. The Rope Mill and the first gristmills were powered by water flowing through Little River, Noonday Creek, and the Etowah River.
The Marietta and North Georgia Railroad built a depot in Woodstock in 1879 as a stopping point on the line between Marietta and Canton. At that time, Woodstock had a population near 300 spread over 960 acres. The City of Woodstock was incorporated into the State of Georgia in 1897. The current depot, located in historic downtown Woodstock, was built in 1912 to function as a passenger and freight depot. The depot also served as a center of commerce for local items such as rope, cotton, and other agricultural goods. The depot has since been used as a fire station, city hall, community center, and is currently the home for the Downtown Development Association.
The Woodstock Academy, another early Woodstock institution, was established in 1880. This was the first school in Woodstock, built near Main Street and present-day Towne Lake Parkway. Students attended the school for $1.50 to $3.00 monthly, used outhouses, and kept their mules in the neighbor’s barn! The present-day “granddaughter” of Woodstock Academy is Woodstock Elementary School, located just blocks from the original site.
The end of the 19th century through the 1920s saw the development of downtown Woodstock as a commercial center for southern Cherokee County. The Dean’s Store was established in 1906 and operated as the city’s general store for 75 years. It remains in the Dean family as the Woodstock Visitors Center. Stop in The Dean’s Store, “where yesterday lives and tomorrow waits,” for directions, information, or a visit with life-long residents of Woodstock.
Even in the early 20th century, Woodstock fostered an attitude of modern development that persists today. 1925 saw the first automobile in Cherokee County and the first street lights installed in Woodstock’s business district. In 1929 the City of Woodstock paved Main Street with concrete, making an 18-foot roadway. The layout of historic downtown Woodstock today remains much the same as it was in the 1920s.
Through the 1930s and 1940s, the poultry market developed into a thriving industry, greatly helping Woodstock’s agrarian economy. Lake Allatoona was created in 1951 when Georgia Power Company constructed a dam on the Etowah River. This 12,000-acre man-made lake is now a center for recreational activities in North Georgia.
The early 1960s saw the development of the first subdivision in Woodstock, Cherokee Forest, just south of Highway 92. Highway 92 became the major thoroughfare through Woodstock after it was paved in 1963. Fewer than 20 years later, Interstate-575 was opened, connecting Woodstock to greater Metro Atlanta. Highway 92 intersects I-575 in the heart of Woodstock, a location that seen great commercial development in the past 10 years. As well, downtown Woodstock is currently being developed and revitalized to celebrate the city’s rich history. These developments, among others, have led to a steadily increasing population, job market, and available professional services. Countless possibilities await those who live, work and play in the City of Woodstock, Cherokee County, and greater Metro Atlanta.
With a rich history of progress and prosperity, Woodstock continues to be a benchmark for growth in North Georgia. Would you like to become part of the promising future of Woodstock, Georgia? Please contact us or request a call back for more Woodstock Georgia Real Estate information and any questions about Woodstock, Cherokee County, and greater Metro Atlanta real estate!
Visit the City of Woodstock Official Website
Cherokee Commissioners, Private School Teachers and Legos
Posted: Thursday, March 8th, 2007, 3:02 am EST
Category: Woodstock Real Estate
What do Cherokee County Commissioners, Private School Teachers and Legos have in common? Could it be Socialism?
I found this story about a teacher in Seattle to be very interesting and then I thought maybe it relates to Cherokee County somehow. Read through and let me know what you think?
A Seattle public school class, taught by Ann Pelo, was building an elaborate LEGO town when it was suddenly (yet accidentally) destroyed. The teachers in the class decided this was somehow a perfect opportunity to expand on the concept that private property ownership is evil. One teacher said that they felt that the children were building a city that “mirrored that of a class-based, capitalist society — a society that we teachers believe to be unjust and oppressive.” As such, the classroom became LEGO free as the teachers banned the activity until a “social and political understanding of ownership and economic equity… from a perspective of social justice” was agreed upon by the classmates.
LEGO’s were eventually returned to the class once the children agreed to the teachers socialistic principals.
- All structures are public structures
- All structures will be standard sizes
- A house is good because it is a community house.
- It’s important to have the same amount of power as other people over your building.
Thanks to Right On for pointing out this blatant socialism, but how does that relate to the Cherokee Commissioners?
The Board of Commissioners for Cherokee County is currently trying to control real estate structures and future land use by imposing a more restrictive and less flexible Future Land Use Plan. The BOC had formed a Citizens Round Table (CRT) to involve the community, but recently replaced the majority of those members with more like-minded slow-growthers, because they did not like the CRT’s suggestions. They do these things for the "betterment of everyone", yet select only a few representatives from a very specific minded organization (Cherokee Coalition for Responsible Growth).
The CCRG has been anti-growth in Cherokee County for years and it’s leaders, Mary Catarineau Ware and Debra Haynes, have recently resigned to take positions on the Cherokee County Planning Commission. These appointments were recommended by Harry Johnston and Jim Hubbard, Commission Posts 1 and 2. A small element controlling many property owners rights is very scary. Not too mention that reading Mary Catarineu Ware’s blog I found comments of her interest in socialism. Such as this quote…
"So do not begrudge the changes to come, all deserve their fair share of America’s wealth. For tax laws need to be changed and adjustments made, not just for the few but the millions. For too many have paid more than their fair share and it’s time now for redistribution. And experts will step forward, with expertise, wisdom and heart, to help level the playing field for people worldwide. For inequities abound not only in the U.S., but other nations who have copied us. "
You can read her thoughts at www.mydiarywithgod.com. Scary.
I remember going to a BOC Meeting almost two years ago when Mr. Johnston rejected a new development based on the density being too high for his liking. When questioned about how people are suppose to afford 2+ acres with a house on it in Hickory Flat that may cost $400,000+? I’ll never forget Mr. Johnston responding…then they don’t need to live in Hickory Flat. This elitism is now shifting to social elitism by placing restrictions on private property that has yet to be developed so that those currently living in Cherokee County can enjoy things more equally. Preventing future growth prevents old farmers from retiring. It also prevents private property rights. Here’s another scary quote…
"The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property." Karl Marx
I’ll stop drawing the comparisons here and leave with this funny clip:
Let me know if you see any similarities.
Cherokee Land Use Plan Meeting Announcement
Posted: Tuesday, February 13th, 2007, 2:30 pm EST
Category: Woodstock Real Estate
This announcement comes from Cherokee CPR:
(Academy Street Canton)
Cherokee County: Gated Country Club for Slow-Growthers
Posted: Thursday, February 1st, 2007, 10:03 pm EST
Category: Woodstock Real Estate
Wednesday, the Cherokee Tribune published the following "Dear Editor" letter…
Cherokee needs to cap population
DEAR EDITOR:
When my wife and I moved to Cherokee a year ago, we assumed that the county would be like Cobb County, where we lived for 24 years. Relentless growth changed Cobb from a wonderful place to live to a suburban nightmare. It now has a population of 663,818 (2005 estimate).
Cherokee went from 141,903 people in 2000 to 184,211 (est.) last year. Forty-two thousand new residents! Compared to little DeKalb County with about 678,000 residents, Cherokee might end up with 1.2 million people.
As Cobb county grew, people were concerned about the problems: traffic, air quality, water restrictions, kids going to school in trailers, crime, and rising taxes. But the message from the media and county commissioners was that growth was a good thing, and also inevitable.
The land-use plan should limit the population to 200,000. The zoning board should never allow changes that would increase population. "Slow growth" is really slow death for the county.
It would be nice to have more development other than residential: office parks, light industrial, recreational, etc. But as for homes, Cherokee County has enough for now and forevermore.
Robert M. Holroyd II
Woodstock
Mountain Brook was developed by The Landon Group, a local developer who has many quality projects around Cherokee and neighboring counties. The developer purchased the land for Mountain Brook several years ago and pledged to not develop up the side of Little Sweat Mountain in order to preserve it for future residents (including Mr. Holroyd II). In fact he placed 100+ acres (almost 40% of the total acreage) in a Land Preservation Trust never to be disturbed. The developer also set aside another 40+ acres for common areas, including preserving an existing lake to be enjoyed by all residents of Mountain Brook. It’s no wonder Mr. Holroyd II enjoys his scenic Cherokee County Gated Country Club, or I mean his home in Mountain Brook.
He gets to enjoy Cherokee County and his 100+ acre preserve as a neighbor for the low price of only $234,800 (he got 0.000 acres for that price). Do you think Mr. Holroyd II could afford to buy all 100+ acres and the lake and the additional 40 acres of common space? Maybe he can, but the point is he didn’t have to because one of those "greedy landowners" sold to a developer who took the risk and paid the expense for him. He should be thanking landowners and developers, not bad-mouthing everything that happened to allow him access to the assumed paradise of Cherokee County.
Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy of "slow-growth" advocates who just recently moved into Cherokee County?
Then he goes on to make my favorite complaint…"
It would be nice to have more development other than residential: office parks, light industrial, recreational, etc." Maybe he overlooked the 43+ acres in front of Mountain Brook that has yet to be developed because it is zoned for commercial use? There is already approval for placing 263,000+/- square feet of restaurants, office, shops, recreation gyms, etc… right in front of Mr. Holroyd II’s neigborhood. The only reason it doesn’t exist now is that the market has not created a need. You see, commercial businesses exist only to make a profit. They do not see any profits to be made yet at that place in Cherokee County or you can rest assured there would be something built already. The zoning is in place, the utilities are there, the access is great, the only thing missing is the people. It takes customers to make businesses successful and companies tend open where customers will likely visit.In order for Cherokee to grow more commercial, office, and industrial it will take more houses and people moving into the county. Companies invest where they can hire quality people at reasonable rates and reach a viable target demographic. These things will come to Cherokee, but only if the residents are here in larger numbers and more diverse demographics…which takes more housing, more development, and more selling of existing land by those "greedy landowners".
I didn’t even get into the fact that "slow-growth" advocates like Mr. Holroyd II only care about their desires and not other resident’s property rights!
Brad Nix
Woodstock, GA
References: The Glens at Mountain Brook, The Bluffs at Mountain Brook
