Conyers

The Rockdale County seat is a blend of old and new.

The only incorporated city in Rockdale, Conyers is a blend of historic storefronts and stately homes highlighted by modern accents including new streetlights, sidewalks and freshly paved streets.

The town of Conyers Station, as it was once known, was born when W.D. Conyers deeded the right of way to the railroad. By 1845, trains were running regularly between Marthasville -- now Atlanta -- and Augusta.

In 1854, Conyers Station had grown to 400 residents and officially became the town of Conyers. The town and surrounding mill communities were important railroad stops.

Today, the Conyers Depot and the "Milstead 104," a 1905 steam engine also known as the "Dinky," attract visitors to Olde Town Conyers, where shops, boutiques and quaint Victorian homes line the downtown streets. The restored depot is used for meetings and other special events.

Many homes and buildings in the tree-lined Olde Town section are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Conyers is the hometown of Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter, Olympic soccer player Clint Mathis and child movie star Dakota Fanning.

Like many Georgia towns, Olde Town Conyers has its church row. Along Main Street, Presbyterian, Baptist and United Methodist churches stand side by side and hold joint services throughout the year.

A three-year revitalization program has added more charm to the historic area. Olde Town Park features a pavilion used for concerts and a Fourth of July festival; an ice skating rink is set up at Christmastime.

The downtown shopping and restaurant district features a botanical garden that includes a nature walk and a stream running from the old stone water tower. There are plans to add homes and lofts.

Milstead Village

When Frank Milstead went looking for a site for a cotton mill in Georgia, he found the perfect spot -- an old paper mill site on the Yellow River.

In 1902, Milstead Manufacturing Co., later Callaway Mills, opened. The area became known as Milstead Village in 1990. When the cotton mill was open, it offered its workers, sometimes called lint-heads, not only jobs, but also many country club extras, including use of a golf course, tennis courts, a bowling alley, a private school and a swimming pool (the Milstead pool is still there).

At the turn of the century, "There was nothing in the county but this," said historian Frank Smith, who in 2001 wrote a book on Milstead called "Looking Back: Fond Memories of Bygone Days."

The mill also sponsored a semipro baseball team that traveled by Greyhound bus to play other teams in mill towns across Georgia. Milstead had bungalows, not the common row houses, plus paved streets and sidewalks when downtown Conyers was still dirt.

When the mill ceased 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation in 1960 and finally shut its doors in 1961, some workers stayed and found jobs at Lithonia Lighting and other companies.

Today, the historic village -- with its updated mill houses -- has an active homeowners association and holds an annual spring festival.

Milstead celebrated its 100th birthday at a street festival in the summer of 2002.

Horse park area

Nature's presence is impressive throughout Rockdale County, especially near the Georgia International Horse Park, site of the 1996 Olympic equestrian and mountain biking events.

On its rolling, wooded terrain are creeks, open fields and granite outcrops. Rockdale County's name reflects the underlying granite that is prominent throughout the county.

The city of Conyers is planning a nature preserve at the horse park.

With its woodsy feel and winding roads, the area attracts move-up buyers and newcomers who like the executive-style homes on acre-plus lots off Costley Mill Road, the site of several early settlements.

Not far from the horse park is Hightower Trail, an ancient Indian trading route that cuts directly through the northern section of the county. In the early 1800s, the trail was a main route for white settlers moving inland after the American Revolution.

South of I-20

With the construction of I-20 through Rockdale County in the 1960s, the county, the second smallest in area in the state, started to change.

Development began to pop up and spread along roads such as Ga. 20 and Ga. 138. In this growing area, upscale homes and subdivisions have replaced sprawling farms and plantations.

Ask Rockdale residents where they live, and you'll hear the name of a subdivision -- perhaps Honey Creek, Deer Run, Fieldstone, Annsbrooke, St. Remy, Martha's Vineyard or Lochinver, across from Heritage High School.

Easy access to shopping, restaurants and I-20 make the south Rockdale area a top choice for local residents and commuters who work in Atlanta.