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Fayette County
Fayette County is one of my five focus counties where I sell real estate, and the FEATURED COUNTY for my website this year. You may know all about this area already, but just in case you don't, here's a little narrative I wrote about Fayette County and its environs. This is followed by an interesting article about the History of Fayette County.
I have a great deal more information about the county as it pertains to its residential subdivisions, future development plans, etc. I can eliminate most homes from consideration or prioritize them based on your criteria simply because of the extensive knowledge I possess about this area. If you're looking for some serious help by an expert at no charge, you found the right Realtor.
Dave Wildman
404.644.2337
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Fayette County - Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Tyrone and environs
Fayette County is about 35 miles south of cosmopolitan Atlanta, where we have the famous Fox Theater, Alliance Theater, The Atlanta Civic Center, Centennial and Piedmont Parks, Chastain Park (outdoor concerts), the Omni Center, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Fernbank Science Center, etc. The High Museum is our largest museum.
Educational centers include Georgia State University, University of Georgia - apparently you know something about this place :), Georgia Tech and Emery University to name the most prominent ones, all in Atlanta except UGA, which is in Athens, an hour to the east-northeast of Atlanta. 20-25 minutes northeast of Fayette County is Clayton State College and University, which has a great place called Spivey Hall - world-class concerts: classical, operatic, guitar, medieval music, organ, piano, Christmas, etc. in a small, acoustically perfect music hall.
Fayette County is located about 12 miles (22-35 minutes drive depending where you live and what the traffic is like) south of the busiest airport in the world - the Jackson-Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. Many Delta, FAA and other airport personnel working at or near the airport live in Fayette County.
Fayetteville, Peachtree City and Tyrone have almost anything one could want.
Fayette County is not a large county. Fayette has the highest per capita income, best school system, excellent health facilities, excellent shopping, lowest crime rates and fairly low pollution. I tend to think of our county as an "oasis."
However, these community features / amenities also cause housing to be pricier than any of the surrounding counties.
There are many schools: 17 new ones in the 17 years I've lived here. Fayette usually has the highest SAT scores in the state and one middle school here is trying for their second national science competition championship. There are also several private schools. For kids' extracurricular activities, there are multiple parks, ballet, soccer, karate, baseball, softball, track, gymnastics, cheerleading, etc.
In between Fayetteville and Peachtree City, on GA Highway 54 that connects them, is a fairly new Piedmont Fayette County Community Hospital that is being expanded onto 25 more acres. This hospital is the ONLY hospital in Georgia that made the Solucient "Top 100 U.S. Hospitals" list this year. There are several medical clinics, urgent care, private practices, laboratories, etc. springing up along this stretch. Our doctor-to-resident ratio is good. Ask me about other development plans in this area as it directly impacts your housing choices.
Both have excellent shopping and dining. Near the hospital is the Old Mill Steak House, that is on the edge of a lake, next to a waterfall. Fayetteville has "The Pavilion." It's a massive complex, but not an indoor mall. It has a stadium-seating, 14-screen movie theater, numerous well-known stores, restaurants, etc. Peachtree City has "The Avenue", an upscale shopping center. These are only the two most prominent shopping areas; there are dozens more throughout the county. There are so many restaurants that I will just list the newest and most prominent ones: Old Mill Steak House (on Crystal Lake and waterfall - a mill dated 1837), Ted's (Turner) Montana Grill, Buckhead Brewery, Bruster's, Bugaboo Creek, Macaroni Grill, Lone Star, Long Horn, several Japanese Steak and Sushi Houses, Carino's Italian Country Kitchen, Zaxby's, City Cafe and Village Cafe.
Both have outdoor, fair-weather amphitheaters for various oldies concerts and occasionally, a classic movie under the stars. Both have amateur theatrical groups and dance troupes.
There are several championship golf courses, an Aquatic Center (Kedron) and tennis center (Planterra Ridge) in Fayette County. There are 90 miles of golf cart / bicycle / walking / jogging trails that interconnect the numerous residential subdivisions with shopping, parks, etc.
There is a small antebellum house called the Dorsey-Fife-Holliday house that houses the Fayette County museum, photos, civil war memorabilia, etc.
To the north of Atlanta is Lake Lanier, a very large lake with all types of water recreation. There are numerous other lakes all over the state, including two in PTC - Lake Peachtree and Kedron Lake (no swimming in either). A third lake is being built in 3-4 years called Lake McIntosh that will be bigger than both of these others combined. South 40 minutes is Warm Springs, where FDR convalesced from polio. Lake Horton is a brand new man-made lake on the southern edge of Fayette County, something like 1.9 miles across at the widest point. Another popular lake destination is Lake Wedowee in Alabama, due to less traffic and crowds in the summer than at Lake Lanier.
An hour north is the Chateau Elan Winery, open for tours, with restaurants and shops. An hour south is the famous Callaway Gardens, especially beautiful in spring with the azaleas. There is at least one 18-hole championship golf course there. Huge butterfly sanctuary indoors. They occasionally have a circus there, birds of prey show, light shows at Christmas, etc.
5.5 hours southeast are the towns and resorts of Savannah, Amelia Island, Sea Island, Hilton Head Island on the Atlantic Ocean. Due south for 5.5-6 hours is Panama City, Destin, Pensacola, FL. Due north three hours are the North Georgia mountains. A day's drive to Disney World, Orlando Florida and all FL locales.
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Fayette County was enacted as a result of the Land Lottery Draw of 1821. The land was ceded from the Creek Indian Nation and five new counties were created: Fayette, Henry, Houston, Dooly, Monroe, and Fayette is therefore an original county (not created from other counties) and the 49th county in Georgia.
At this time, the county went up to present-day Atlanta and over to the other side of Jonesboro. Four counties have been carved in part from us, Campbell (now Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Spalding).
Because some of the new settlers were Revolutionary War veterans, it is surmised that they were the ones instrumental in naming the county for Marquis de LaFayette, who fought alongside General George Washington in that war.
Fayetteville was named as the county seat in 1823 and the present-day courthouse in the town square was built in 1825. It remains the oldest courthouse in Georgia and is still in municipal use.
It remained the only city until the 1900's, although there were a number of small communities that had names.
Incorporated cities at the present time are: Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone, Brooks, and Woolsey.
During The War Between The States, cavalry activity took place in the middle of the county. A several hundred Confederate wagon supply train was burned just two miles west of Fayetteville and one of the last cavalry skirmishes took place the next day. This activity was an indirect part of The Battle of Atlanta.
In the 1930's, Margaret Mitchell spent time in Fayette County researching facts for her GONE WITH THE WIND. Her great Grandfather, Phillip Fitzgerald, came to Fayette County in the 1830's and the Fitzgeralds were the prototypes for the O'Haras in the book. They are buried in the Fayetteville City Cemetery.
The Holliday family was from Fayette County and one of "Doc" Holliday's cousins married a Fitzgerald, making the famed old west character a "kissin' cousin" of Margaret Mitchell.
Peachtree City was enacted in 1959 and is the only successful pre-planned city in the southeast. Be sure to note the water fountain in its City Plaza, a donation of all the Japanese companies who have opened companies in Peachtree City.
The Fayette County Historical Society was chartered in 1972 and meets each third Sunday, September through May. For more information, call 770-716-6020.
Fayette County Historical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 421
Fayetteville, Georgia
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Profile of the County
Fayette County, which was established by Resolution in 1821, is a “political subdivision” of the State of Georgia, organized and existing under its Constitution and laws. Fayette County was the 49th county created in the State and was formed from parts of the Creek Indian Territory. Both the County and the City of Fayetteville, which is the County seat, were named for the Marquis De LaFayette, one of General George Washington’s lieutenants in the Revolutionary War. Fayette Countians, whether old timers or newcomers, seem to have an appreciation for the County’s heritage. You can read more about Fayette’s beginnings on this site by choosing the History of Fayette County.
Encompassing only about 199 square miles, it is one of the smallest counties in the State in terms of land area (142nd out of 159). Fayette County is geographically located in what is referred to as the northwestern part of Georgia. More precisely, it is situated about 15 miles south of the city limits of Atlanta and is considered an integral part of the Metro Atlanta area. Fayette County is in the 8th and 13th U.S. Congressional Districts, the 16th and 34th State Senatorial Districts and the 66th, 72nd, 73rd, 74th and 77th State House Districts. Since all counties in Georgia are required to be a member a regional planning and development agency for long-range planning and services coordination, Fayette County is a member of the Atlanta Regional Commission.
Fayette County is bordered on the north by Fulton County with Atlanta as its County seat, on the east by Clayton County with Jonesboro as its County seat, on the south by Spalding County with Griffin as its County seat, and on the west by Coweta County with Newnan as its County seat. This area located just south of Atlanta is often referred to as Metro Atlanta’s Southern Crescent. Incorporated communities located within Fayette County include the City of Fayetteville, which is the County seat, the Town of Brooks, the City of Peachtree City, and the Towns of Tyrone and Woolsey.
In geographical terms, Fayette County possesses some excellent physical characteristics. Average rainfall is 48.61 inches per year, and average temperatures range from a high of 87 degrees in the summer to a low of 34 degrees in the winter. With a year round average temperature of 61.4 degrees, the climate is very favorable, consisting of warm summers and moderate winters. Though Fayette’s climate in considered generally mild, residents do enjoy four distinct seasons, from bountiful blooms of dogwoods and azaleas in the spring to a delightful blaze of colorful leaves in the fall. The general terrain of the area is characteristic of the Piedmont region of Georgia, with hills with broad ridges, sloping uplands and relatively narrow valleys. Land elevations within the County range from 720 to 1,005 feet above sea level.
Another important attribute of Fayette County is its location in relationship to major transportation modes. Living in Fayette County means having ready access to several different modes of transportation. The County is strategically located in proximity to three interstate highways, I-75, I-285, and I-85. In addition, several principal arterial roads, State Highways 54, 74, 85, 92, 279 and 314, pass through the County.
Citizens also have fairly easy access to the public transportation system which serves the immediate Atlanta area. From terminals in south Fulton County, one can take advantage of the trains and buses operated by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). For a very reasonable fare, MARTA offers residents the alternative of an easy, quick commute to Downtown Atlanta or to the various professional sports venues. And from the private sector, the Greyhound Bus Lines operates a local terminal in nearby Hapeville.
In spite of its relatively small size in terms of land area, Fayette County offers its residents a variety of amenities and recreational activities. Generally considered a family-oriented community, Fayette offers lots of leisure-time opportunities, with its six golf courses, a championship tennis center, an indoor aquatic center, extensive youth athletic programs, two amphitheaters, a number of annual festivals and community events, senior citizens’ activities and local theater groups. In recent years, Fayette has exploded with quality shopping venues and eating establishments.
As you visit Fayette County, you may sense some differences throughout the various areas of the community. Fayetteville, the County seat, is the traditional small town, though now home to about 12,000 people. It is a certified Georgia Main Street City, rich in history and tradition. In Peachtree City, the nation’s most successful planned community, you may feel an almost cosmopolitan flair about it. The Towns of Brooks and Woolsey, in the southern portion of Fayette County, are more pastoral and most residences are on large tracts of five acres or more. The Town of Tyrone, in the northeast part of the County, home to about 3,800 people, is a blend of rural but busy surroundings anchored by a small business district.
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