The Public Square
When surveyors laid out the original village, this square was designated The Public Square. The center of the Square was reserved for the construction of a courthouse, completed on 1836. The Public Square embodies the rights guaranteed to the people in the Constitution of the United States, including Freedom of Speech and Peaceable Assembly. Independence Day and the Fourth of July are celebrated here each year. Throughout the year, there are gala celebrations and more somber observances, including Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day in November. The Gold Rush Days Festival each October recalls the Georgia Gold Rush of 1829 with the bittersweet echo of the forced removal of the Cherokees in 1838 along the trail of Tears.
By folk tradition, bridal couples circle the Square three times to guarantee good luck in the marriage. Some funeral processions circle the Square in final farewell to the community. The Public Square had continued to serve its original purpose as a place where the people assemble to exercise their Continual Rights. It is a legacy to the present generation from all of the people who have come before.
The Public Square is included in the National Register of Historic Places within the Dahlonega Historic Commercial District.
Presented to the city of Dahlonega, Georgia by the Lumpkin County Historical Society, Inc.
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.