Clarkdale, Georgia facts for kids

Clarkdale is a small community located west of Atlanta, Georgia, in Cobb County. It has its own post office and is known as the hometown of Ray Stevens, a famous singer of novelty and country music. In 2020, about 23,401 people lived there.

A Town Built for a Mill

Clarkdale started in 1932 as a "mill village." This means it was a town built specifically to support a factory, or "mill." The mill in Clarkdale was a spinning mill owned by the Coats & Clark Thread Company.

The mill and the homes for its workers were designed by an architect named Joseph Emory Sirrine. There were 98 homes, including both single-family houses and duplexes (homes for two families). These homes were quite modern for their time, having electricity and indoor plumbing.

The community also had cool features for its residents. There was a public swimming pool, a community house for events, and even a baseball team sponsored by the mill! As the mill grew, so did the town. Several local businesses opened, along with a dedicated post office and two churches. Both churches are still active today.

Changes Over Time

In the 1950s and 1960s, the mill started having layoffs, meaning fewer workers were needed. Eventually, the mill closed down in 1983. Before it closed, in 1966, the company sold the homes to the people living in them. Many of these residents were current or former mill employees.

Because of its unique history and design, Clarkdale was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. This means it's recognized as an important historical place.

The 2009 Flood

In September 2009, a big flood hit the Atlanta area. This event is known as the 2009 Atlanta floods. Clarkdale Elementary School, which is part of the Cobb County Public Schools system, was badly damaged by Noses Creek. Luckily, all the students and teachers had left the school before the floodwaters rose.

Even though the school was not in an area usually expected to flood, very heavy rainfall and new buildings upstream caused the creek to swell to more than ten times its normal size. This also flooded other parts of Clarkdale. A new Clarkdale Elementary School was built in a different location and opened in August 2012.