City of Roswell residents are blasting the city government for the loss of trees and wildlife at the historic Mimosa Hall & Gardens, an antebellum property the city purchased in 2017 for $2.95 million that is now the site of a redevelopment meant to connect greenspaces.
The site once included 15 gardens and hosted Presidents Jimmy Carter and Theodore Roosevelt. The city is in the midst of transforming the hall into a centerpiece for its “Founders Park” project, which seeks to create a path connecting 24 acres of parkland. The initiative also includes a path accessible for disabled persons, a special event facility, a catering kitchen, a stormwater basin and a parking lot at Mimosa Hall.
City officials hope the project will increase community engagement and tourism, surrounding visitors with Roswell’s history.
City contractors started clearing the site earlier this month, prompting outcry from residents who said they were not aware of the extent of tree removal plans until the bulldozers showed up.
“It’s just horrendous,” said Kelly Callen, who described herself as a Roswell community organizer.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Former Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, who was in office when the city purchased the property, said the historic setting of the site is ruined.
“It’s gonna take 150 years to replace these trees,” said Wood. “The historic gardens are gone, and the historic setting is gone.”
Built in 1841, Mimosa Hall was originally constructed for John Dunwoody, the head of one of six families who settled in Roswell and the man whose son eventually founded the city of Dunwoody. It was used as a hospital when the Union army occupied Roswell and purchased by prominent Atlanta architect J. Neel Reid in 1918.
A black walnut tree that is over a hundred years old still stands on the grounds — one of the last remaining in Roswell, according to a press release. The tree is also home to several different species of animals.
A petition to prevent the removal of the walnut tree went live on June 13 and garnered almost 1,500 signatures. On June 20, Roswell officials updated the city’s website to announce that the tree, alongside two others, will remain protected.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The city also plans to replace the trees that have been cut during construction with other native trees and shrubs, city spokesperson Julie Brechbill wrote in an email.
Simone du Boise, an architect who worked on designing solar panels for Mimosa Hall, said she is frustrated with the city’s lack of transparency regarding the property.
“As an architect, what I’ve learned is that there are many ways to accomplish one goal,” du Boise said. “One of the great ways that you do that is you listen to other people’s ideas. They didn’t do that.”
Brechbill said the city presented the project to the Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens on Sept. 12, 2024, adding that public comments regarding project details were accepted at city council meetings on Sept. 23 and Nov. 12.
The exact number of trees targeted for removal was not finalized until mid-April, according to Brechbill.
Residents say they plan to talk about the future of Mimosa Hall during an open forum at Roswell City Hall Monday at 7 p.m.
Construction is expected to be completed in early summer 2026.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
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