Historical Facts about the Community

  • In the 1930’s, Hugh Spalding amassed 1000 acres of small farms around the north side of the Chattahoochee, east of Sope Creek, here in Cobb County into a huge farm (plantation).   He grew beans and vegetables and cattle on the farm. Vegetables were sold from trucks on what is now Columns Drive but was called Bean Farm Road.  The farm was adjacent to the farm of John Sibley.  In those days, the area was considered the sticks by Atlantans, since it was “far away.” In fact, Atlantans came out to the area for vacations.
  • The center of the farm was the area now called McFarlane Park.  Spalding had the house built for his farm manager, Floyd Spruill, in 1941.  It was designed by a noted architect.
  • In 1954, the land was bought by the Corkin brothers from Boston. They developed Sherwood Lane and built two houses on Sherwood. 
  • The land was sold after the brothers had some difficulty completing their project to Fred Brown and Phoenix Investment in 1956. They gave the area the name Chattahoochee Plantation Estates. The lots were huge, and the name indicated that they were large. I would suspect the builder felt that Chattahoochee Plantation Estates sounded more sophisticated than Chattahoochee Bean Farm.
  • In 1959, Clyde King and Bill Ward bought the property and began to build the Chattahoochee Plantation Club. Paper Mill was paved and water was brought in during 1959.
  • The first house was built in Chattahoochee Plantation Estates in 1960.  
  • In April 1961, Georgia House bill 631 incorporated the City of Chattahoochee Plantation, GA. complete with a Mayor and a five-man Council.  Richard Simms became the first Mayor.  The five City Council members were Herman Warren, Bill McFarlane, Clyde King, Jr., Fred N. Brown, and William A. Ward.
  • By 1964, there were 44 houses in Chattahoochee Plantation.
  • Residents formed the Chattahoochee Plantation Community Association in 1964.
  • The rest of the land and 280 acres bought from John Sibley were purchased by Atlanta Country Club, in 1964, which built the golf course and developed the area. Fred N. Brown and Associates bought the remaining land in 1971 and named it the Columns.
  • The City of Chattahoochee Plantation was added onto in 1968-House Bill No. 1610, through a bill presented by Cobb Representative Hugh Lee McDonald.  An area of land from Fulton County to Cherokee along the Chattahoochee River comprised this new addition.  This new area was 10 feet wide and was added to stop Atlanta from annexing the City of Chattahoochee Plantation.
  • Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen had been annexing land north of Atlanta, including Wards 7, 8, and 9 to add to his tax base. He was Mayor from 1962-1970. The new section of Chattahoochee Plantation was added in an effort to “Stop Atlanta”.
  • In 1970, the Chattahoochee Plantation Garden Club was formed. Lettie Nixon was the first President. The ladies planted flowers in the neighborhood, created a stone entryway at the intersection of Paper Mill and Johnson Ferry that said “Chattahoochee Plantation”.  They worked with the neighborhood association and had craft sales to make money for charity. 
  • In 1994, the City of Chattahoochee Plantation lost its status of incorporation through a bill created by then-Governor Zell Miller.  It was then to be governed by Cobb County.