Rockmart Georgia
“A Proud Past and A Promising Future”
Town of Rockmart GA
Rockmart’s name came from the words “rock” and “market” because the town once was a scene of roofing slate business – the area has plentiful slate, limestone, iron shale and clay. Now it’s one of the cities along the Silver Comet Trail. Visitors flock to Rockmart in July for the annual Homespun Festival. Nearby the historic community of Van Wert, the Cedartown Performing Arts Center and more sites on the Polk County Historic Driving Tour await your discovery.Located in the heart of the Coosa Valley area of North Georgia, Rockmart’s name was derived from the two words Rock and Market. The town was once a scene of roofing slate business. This area has an abundance of slate, limestone, iron shale, and clay. Now, it’s one of the cities along the multi-purpose Silver Comet Trail, a favorite for locals and visitors alike. Many visitors travel to Rockmart in July for the annual Homespun Festival. Nearby sites of interest include the historic community of Van Wert, Cedartown Performing Arts Center, and more to be discovered on the Polk County Historic Driving Tour.
History of Rockmart GA
During the Civil War and for some years after, Van Wert, a town settled by Welsh miners in 1838, held place as a bustling business center in Polk County. Naturally, then, when railroad planners first began speaking about running track through the county, they immediately thought of Van Wert, a town of slate and rock quarries, as the logical place for the Southern Railway depot.
As it turns out, however, railroad planners took advantage instead of a grant they saw no reason to refuse. A wealthy landowner, Colonel Seaborn Jones, offered the railroad land and money to build a station one mile west of Van Wert, in the area that became Rockmart.
Incorporated in 1872, Rockmart grew up around the railroad. The city takes its name from the area’s Rock Market, one that boasted an abundance of slate, limestone, iron shale, and clay.
Among Rockmart’s attractions is the Seaborn Jones Memorial Park, which shares with its visitors the Euharlee Creek and the Silver Comet Trail, the popular running and cycling route that winds more than 60 miles from Smyrna to the Alabama border.
