Marietta is a city northwest of Atlanta. Near leafy Marietta Square, an 1845 former cotton warehouse houses the Marietta Museum of History. Exhibits there focus on local history. The Gone with the Wind Museum, nearby, celebrates the film and the Margaret Mitchell novel. Northwest, trails lace Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, site of an 1864 Civil War battle.
Marietta is a city northwest of Atlanta located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is the county’s seat and largest city.
As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579. The 2013 estimate is 59,089, making it one of Atlanta‘s largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest of the principal cities (by population) of the Atlanta metropolitan statistical area.
HISTORY
Homes were built by early settlers near the Cherokee town of Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) prior to 1824.
Marietta was initially selected as the hub for the new Western and Atlantic Railroad, and business boomed. By 1838, roadbed and trestles had been built north of the city. However, in 1840, political wrangling stopped construction for a time. In 1842, the railroad’s new management decided to move the hub from Marietta to an area that would become Atlanta. Nonetheless, in 1850, when the railroad began operation, Marietta shared in the resulting prosperity.
Businessman and politician John Glover arrived in 1848. A popular figure, Glover was elected mayor when the city incorporated in 1852. Another early resident was Carey Cox, a physician, who promoted a “water cure”, which developed into a spa that attracted patients to the area. The Cobb County Medical Society recognizes him as the county’s first physician.
The Georgia Military Institute was built in 1851, and the first bank opened in 1855. During the 1850s, fire destroyed much of the city on three separate occasions.
GEOGRAPHY
Marietta is located near the center of Cobb County, between Kennesaw to the northwest and Smyrna to the southeast. U.S. Route 41 and State Route 3 run through the city northeast of downtown as Cobb Parkway, and Interstate 75 runs parallel to it through the eastern part of Marietta, with access from exits 261, 263, 265, and 267. Downtown Atlanta is 20 miles (32 km) to the southeast, and Cartersville is 24 miles (39 km) to the northwest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Marietta has a total area of 23.2 square miles (60.0 km2), of which 23.1 square miles (59.8 km2) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.38%, is water.[5]
INDUSTRY
Dobbins AirForce Base on the south side of town and a Lockheed Martin manufacturing plant are among the major industries in the city. The Lockheed Georgia Employees Credit Union, is also based in Marietta.
PARKS AND ATTRACTIONS
The City boasts many parks including the famous Glover Park in the middle of the square. A portion of the Kennesaw National Battlefield Park is in Marietta as well as historic civil war monuments and cemeteries. There are dozens of family/recreation parks as well including Six Flags giant water park, White Water, which is located off U.S. 41.
The city has six historic districts, some on the National Register of Historic Places (these include Northwest Marietta, Whitlock Avenue, Washington Avenue, and Church-Cherokee Streets). The city’s welcome center is located in the historic train depot.
Downtown is the town square and former location of the county courthouse. The square is the site of several cultural productions and public events, including a weekly farmers’ market and monthly Art Walk Friday nights.
The Marietta Players perform semi-professional theater year round. The Strand Theatre has been renovated back to its original design and features classic films and other events.
The Marietta Museum of History exhibits the history of the city and county. The museum is home to thousands of artifacts including items from Marietta residents and businesses. The Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum, also called “Scarlett on the Square”, houses a collection of memorabilia related to Gone with the Wind, both the book and the film.
The CSX freight trains between Atlanta and Chattanooga (Western & Atlantic Subdivision) still run a block west of the town square, past the former railroad depot (now the Visitor Center) and the Kennesaw House, one of only four buildings in Marietta not burned to the ground in Sherman’s March to the Sea. The Kennesaw House is home to the Marietta Museum of History which tells the history of Marietta and Cobb County.
EDUCATION
All of the public schools in Marietta proper are operated by the Marietta City Schools (MCS), while the remainder of the schools in Cobb County, but outside the city limits, are operated by the Cobb County School District, including all of the county’s other cities.
MCS is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School district. In 2008, MCS became only the second IB World School district in Georgia authorized to offer the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) for grades 6-10. MCS is one of only a few school systems nationwide able to provide the full IB (K-12) continuum.
Kennesaw State University (Marietta Campus) formally Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), and Life University (Chiropractic College) are located in Marietta, serving more than 20,000 students in more than 90 programs of study.
To find out further information regarding all public and private schools, ratings and reviews we recommend www.schooldigger.com.
REAL ESTATE
If you are interested in purchasing, selling, investing, or just getting more information about Marietta real estate, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to serving you with all of your real estate needs.
Sincerely,
Tony Morris
The Meridian Group
678-631-1723
*Information and data compiled from various sources via Google Search