Cedartown Commercial Historic District

Downtown Cedartown's commercial core is a grid of streets focused on South Main Street and a courthouse square, planned in 1851 when Polk County was formed. Most buildings are one- and two-story attached brick storefronts built from the 1870s to 1942, with corbeled cornices, arched windows, cast-iron columns and terra cotta trim. Landmark buildings include the 1914 Neoclassical Revival post office by Oscar Wenderoth, the 1919 Hawkes Children's Library by Neel Reid, the 1935 former city hall by Otis Clay Poundston, and the 1941 Art Deco West Theater, still used as a theater. Transportation resources include a 1910 arched concrete bridge, a 1920s warehouse beside the railroad, and several 1920s gas stations. The railroad arrived in 1873 and spurred commercial growth along South Main. The district was listed for its role as the business and government center of the county and for its representative small-town architecture. Later demolitions have left gaps, though facade improvements were underway.