Explore Downtown LaGrange and the restored historic buildings our city center is carved around. Embracing our historic roots is evident in the homes, buildings and businesses that grace the city’s streets. Restored and reinvigorated, a vast majority of the buildings in use today have been restored to their former glory, providing visitors with a walk through LaGrange’s history and present day.
Lafayette Square
Address: Heart of Downtown LaGrange
About Lafayette Square:
Surrounded by history and modern day amenities sits Lafayette Square in the heart of historic downtown LaGrange. Atop fountain rests the statue of Marquis de Lafayette, an American Revolutionary War hero and French aristocrat who aided the U.S. in defeating the British military.
Lafayette’s valiance led him to LaGrange, where residents of what was then Troup County listened as he decreed that the area reminded him of Chateau de la Grange—his home outside of Paris. In his honor, “LaGrange” became the name of the county’s seat a few years later.
Visitor Center
Address: 206 Ridley Avenue, LaGrange GA 30240
About the Visitor Center:
Open daily, the Visitor Center is located in the heart of downtown as the homebase for travelers and visitors starting their journey in LaGrange. Available at the Visitor Center are maps, merchandise and eager staff ready to assist you in your adventures through the city!
Stop in for answers to your burning questions about the city of LaGrange and its offerings.
The Thread
Address: Nearby Haralson Street Trailhead on W Haralson Street
About The Thread:
The Thread is a 12-foot-wide, multipurpose trail system built to connect LaGrange’s attractions and parks. The Thread weaves through LaGrange and connects the North and South downtown areas of the city, making it a convenient option for viewing some of our favorite sites in LaGrange. An ongoing project with new sections added every year, The Thread will provide over 26 miles of safe, family-friendly paths.
Sweetland Amphitheatre at Boyd Park
Address: 110 Smith Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Sweetland Amphitheatre:
Established in 1935 as the City Park and pool, Sweetland Amphitheatre is built on community history and designed to preserve the memories of the historic “hangout spot.” Carved into the existing hillside on the North end of downtown, the venue’s name honors the city’s decades-old Sweet Land of Liberty Parade, a cherished LaGrange tradition that begins every year where the City Park’s memories still live today. Sweetland Amphitheatre features live concerts, winter ice skating and various community events throughout the year.
City Hall
Address: 200 Ridley Avenue, LaGrange, GA 30240
About City Hall:
Lockwood and Poundstone designed the only City Hall building that LaGrange has ever owned. Local Masons joined city leaders in laying the cornerstone in December 1926. The Neoclassical building sits on the site of the old city-county jail and operates during regular business hours today.
Colonial Building
Address: 119 Ridley Avenue, LaGrange, GA 30240
About the Colonial Building:
Sisters Anna, Lois & Ethel Young opened the Colonial Hotel in 1921. Over the years, the sisters hosted an array of travelers, including Franklin D. Roosevelt. The building now serves as office space for local businesses and a reminder of the city’s storied past.
Old Courthouse & War Memorial
Address: 208 Ridley Avenue, LaGrange, GA 30240
About the Old Courthouse:
Constructed with Georgia marble, this Art Deco building was erected in 1939 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places. Another sight to see in this area is the War Memorial located on the side of the new Troup County courthouse. The beautiful brick courtyard is a tribute to the Armed Forces of America.
LaGrange Art Museum
Address: 112 Lafayette Parkway, LaGrange, GA 30240
About LaGrange Art Museum:
LaGrange Art Museum once served as the county jail from its construction in 1892 until 1946. Renovated into an art museum in the early 1970s, in the Victorian building now hang pictures and paintings where criminals were once held. Open 9AM – 5PM every day of the week and hours on Saturday, LaGrange Art Museum boasts two-stories of art and rotating exhibitions.
Del’Avant
Address: 141 Main Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Del’Avant Event Center:
Originally a 1913 Art Deco Kress building and a commercial style five & dime store, this structure is now a multi-level event center, restaurant and condominiums. On your adventure through the city, admire the building’s original tile outside each main entrance, or take a closer look at the building’s restoration through the floor-to-ceiling windows and view Del’Avant Event Center’s gorgeous parlor, grand staircase and magnificent woodwork.
Taste of Lemon
Address: 204 Morgan Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Taste of Lemon:
St. John’s church was started by First Methodist women as an outreach to workers of what became Calumet Mill. Moved to this spot from nearby Hines Street, the old church now houses one of LaGrange’s favorite Southern restaurants, Taste of Lemon. Open only on weekdays, take a break as you sip on sweet tea and Southern favorites in the sanctuary of this historic building.
Legacy Museum on Main
Address: 136 Main Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Legacy Museum On Main:
Legacy Museum On Main occupies the historic 1917 LaGrange National Bank building. Designed by the Hoggson Brothers of New York, this Neoclassical-style building was home to many local businesses until the building was renovated in 1983. Following another major renovation, Legacy Museum opened and now features rotating galleries and a permanent exhibit on the history and development of West Georgia.
Wild Leap Brew Co.
Address: 308 Main Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Wild Leap:
Located in the restored 1940’s Westbrook Tire & Service Co. lives Wild Leap, USA Today’s Best New Brewery of 2019. Seeking a storied structure to open up shop, Wild Leap restored and preserved the original charm of the building in 2016. Wild Leap’s restoration of the Old Westbrook Tire & Service Co. building earned the founders an award for Excellence in Rehabilitation on behalf of The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. See evidence of the building’s history in the taproom’s 7-foot-tall exposed steel trusses, exposed brick, reclaimed wood and old signage as decor.
Southbend Park
Address: South Side of Downtown LaGrange, GA 30240
About Southbend Park:
Located on the South side of downtown LaGrange, Southbend Park hosts an impressive playground, plenty of green space and a world-class skatepark. A prime destination for outdoor fun, spend an entertaining afternoon at this popular hangout while visiting LaGrange! Bring your bike, skateboard or scooter and enjoy the mix of street and transition-style terrain at this state-of-the-art skate park, or grab a bite from a local restaurant and enjoy a restful picnic in the park!
Merchant District
Address: Downtown LaGrange, GA 30240
About the Merchant District:
The Merchant District in downtown LaGrange surrounds Lafayette Square and features a variety of vibrant, locally-owned shops and restaurants. Peruse boutiques, antique stores, specialty shops and more, all within walking distance. Neighboring downtown restaurants housed in preserved historic buildings serve unique dishes and dining experiences found only in LaGrange.
Temple Beth-El
Address: 210 Church Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Temple Beth-El:
Built as St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in 1893, the local Jewish population bought the Victorian structure in 1945, but shared it with the Episcopalians until 1949. Troup County’s Jewish population dates to the 1840s, with German immigrants and another wave from Russia in the early 1900s.
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Address: 118 Church Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Covenant Presbyterian Church:
Benjamin H. Cameron built this church, with his signature plastered Doric columns, for the First Presbyterians in 1844 and it served them until 1921. The Georgia Synod held heresy trials here for Rev. Dr. James Woodrow, uncle of President Woodrow Wilson, in 1885 where he was found guilty of teaching evolution. Today, the church is home to a local bookstore.
First Presbyterian Church
Address: 129 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About First Presbyterian Church:
First Presbyterian Church, built in 1921, features a Jacobean Tudor style. Following a 1951 fire, renovations included a Gothic vestibule of limestone, designed by Atlanta architect Otis C. Poundstone.
First Baptist Church
Address: Corner of Broad and Church Street, Downtown LaGrange, GA 30240
About First Baptist Church:
Designed as a state-of-the-art, 21st-century meeting house, the First Baptist Church sanctuary remains on Lafayette Square and preserves most of the classical architecture of the 19th century. Later historic features to note are the 1922 stained glass windows and the oldest Skinner organ in Georgia. Today, First Baptist Church is a popular wedding venue, community meeting center and hosts one of the largest church congregations in the city of LaGrange.
Coca-Cola Building
Address: 115 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About the Coca-Cola Building:
By the 1930’s, business for Coca-Cola was booming in LaGrange and in 1940, George S. Cobb Sr. built the Art Moderne-style Coca-Cola Bottling Company at 115 Broad Street. Noted architect Otis C. Poundstone designed the structure to serve as offices, social hall, bottling plant and distribution center for the local franchise. The architecture of the LaGrange Coca-Cola building is well-preserved and the original marble floors are still visible in select parts of the building now used as office and retail space for businesses.
Truitt Vanderbilt Club
Address: 306 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Truitt Vanderbilt Club:
C.V. Truitt had P. Thornton Marye design this Neoclassical home in 1914. Marye also designed Sunny Gables and assisted with the design of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Nasor Mansour, who owned a department store on Lafayette Square, acquired the Truitt-Mansour home in 1939. The beautiful Mansour house is in a prime location only 1,100 feet away from the Square with The Thread running in front and behind the property.
First United Methodist Church
Address: 401 Broad St, LaGrange, GA 30240
About First United Methodist Church:
Although the current house of worship was built in the 1960’s, this congregation has been gathering since 1828, and they are also the only 19th Century institution in LaGrange to hold continued occupancy in its original location. Stained glass windows from the original church were relocated to the nearby LaGrange College, a beautiful addition to the campus chapel.
Broad Street Apartments
Address: 301 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Broad Street Apartments:
Built in 1936, the Broad Street Apartments are a part of LaGrange’s Broad Street Historic District. Designed by the Atlanta architectural firm of Ivey & Crook for the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, the Tudor-style apartment complex was renovated in 2012 for use by LaGrange College.
Dallis House
Address: 205 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Dallis House:
Leslie W. Dallis completed this Queen Anne Victorian style home in 1896. It was later converted into a restaurant, In Clover, which operated from 1975 until 1994. Today, the building serves as an office space for local businesses.
Bailey-Heard Dallis House
Address: 206 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240
About Dallis House:
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bailey-Heard Dallis house is believed to be the oldest residence in LaGrange, built circa 1827 by General Samuel A. Bailey. During the Creek Indian War of 1836, the original two-story Greek Revival style home served as General Bailey’s headquarters; renovations after the war would add four front rooms and exterior columns to the house.
During the Civil War, the house became the meeting place for the Nancy Harts, LaGrange’s infamous female militia. Boxwoods planted in 1861 by Martha Heard Bell, a later owner of the home, have been preserved by the Dallis family.
