Big Shanty Village Historic District

Big Shanty Village Historic District covers about 28 acres of downtown Kennesaw, Georgia. It includes two blocks of one- to three-story, turn-of-the-century brick commercial buildings on the west side of Main Street, notably a two-story bank and a three-story Masonic building. Along the railroad tracks are the bracketed, board-and-batten depot, a cotton gin now used as a museum, a warehouse, the site of the Lacy Hotel, and a commemorative park. Several blocks of Victorian and turn-of-the-century cottages and houses line Harris Street, Whitfield Place, Lewis Street and Park Avenue. The district was recognized for its role in transportation history, from the Old Peachtree Trail and wagon roads to the railroad that brought the town into being. It also served as the staging ground for Andrew's Raid during the Civil War. Its commercial center and largely intact buildings represent typical downtown areas of small northwest Georgia towns.