History
In the Battle of Atlanta, The Atlanta Rolling Mill was a primary target of Sherman, as it was one of the South’s largest producers of rail track, cannons and two inch sheets of steel. Destroyed during the Battle of Atlanta by the retreating of the Confederate army, the mill site was acquired by Jacob Elsas and Isaac May, German Jewish immigrants who came to Atlanta during reconstruction. Starting out as rag, paper and hide dealers, they transformed their business into a container business focusing on cloth and paper and incorporated the Fulton Cotton Spinning Company in 1881
The International Cotton Exposition of 1881 was held in Atlanta in an effort to attract investment to the region. With many industries relocating to the post-Reconstruction South in search of cheap labor, the partners acquired the site and built their factory. Expansion of the complex occurred over the years with addition of a bag mill, but a dissolution of the partnership and change in business direction lead to the incorporation of the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill with Jacob Elsas and his family having control of the site in 1889.
Cabbagetown was built as the surrounding mill town. Elsas built a small community of one and two-story shotgun houses and cottage-style houses surrounding the mill. Like most mill towns, the streets are extremely narrow with short blocks and lots of intersections. At its height, the mill employed 2,600 people which consisted mostly of poor whites recruited from the Appalachian region of north Georgia. A protracted strike in 1914-15 failed to unionize the factories workforce. For over half a century, Cabbagetown remained home to a tight-knit, homogeneous and semi-isolated community of people whose lives were anchored by the mill, until it closed in 1977. Afterwards, the neighborhood went into a steep decline which didn’t end until Atlanta’s intown renaissance of the mid-1990s. The mill itself was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Today
With funding from the department of Housing and Urban Development and the Empowerment Zone initiative, the renovation of the Fulton Cotton Mill into loft apartments was announced in 1992, Renovations began in earnest in 1996 to transform the Mill into the nation’s largest residential loft community. In April 1999, a fire almost destroyed the eastern most building (The Stacks), but the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts opened the following year.
Atlantans have begun to rediscover Cabbagetown’s unique flavor and the area has undergone dramatic changes as homes and businesses have been restored. Many long-term residents have been displaced by the newcomers, but there are still plenty of people who either worked at the mill and or remember the days when the twin stacks still blew smoke.
An affordable intown neighborhood, Cabbagetown attracts an eclectic mixture of artists and professionals drawn to the architecture and sense of community. As the population grows, so does the influx of new restaurants and shops. The main festival is the Cabbagetown Reunion, known colloquially by long time residents and displaced residents as “The Vegetable”, and takes place in the summer. Chomp and Stomp takes place in November and is the primary vehicle for funding and support for Cabbagetown Park. The Twisted Art Festival was recently started to commemorate the resilience of the Cabbagetown after the Tornado of March 2008.
Carroll Street
Once known as the home of Panorama Ray’s photo gallery, Carroll Street has undergone renaissance as small businesses have renovated the commercial district of Cabbagetown. The street includes Agave (Fine Southwestern Dining), Carroll Street Cafe (a French Bistro), Little’s Grill (a neighborhood sandwich shop and provisions store), GraveSide Tattoo, Cabbagetown Coiffures, Village Pizza, Milltown Arms Tavern (a green pub) and us, Profiling Solutions.
Attractions and Dining
See-and-Do:
- Centennial Olympic Park
- World of Coca-Cola
- Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
- Georgia Aquarium
- Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Zoo Atlanta
- Little 5 Points
Eats:
- Harold’s BBQ – 171 McDonough Boulevard. Old style done right.
- Australian Bakery – 463 Flat Shoals Avenue. Do you ever long to return to the 50′s for casseroles and pot pies? I don’t but I do love the meat pies of Steak Mushroom, Lamb CUrry, Steadk Cheddar and Bacon pies of Aussie Bakery. We’ll swear by the Sausage Pies, but the hidden jewel is the Fish Chips and Cranberry/Walnut Salad.
- Octane - 1009-B Marietta Street. Real baristas with real art. Real cool.
- Papis Cuban Grill – 216 Ponce De Leon Avenue. One could easily be lulled by the home made black or red beans, but you would be remiss to not have the Ropa Vieja (Dirty Rags). The slow cooked shredded beef with tomatoes and onions makes us wince for Miami.
- 4th and Swift – 621 North Avenue. Fine dining executed to perfection. From the custom bar drinks, inventive appetizers and entrees to the amazing desserts, this converted Southern Diaries location will soon have a patio view to match of Historic Fourth Ward park.