What do Georgia’s gold rush, a Connecticut businessman, and some of America’s oldest apartment buildings have in common??
It's Roswell!
A Connecticut banker follows the gold
Roswell King, the founder and namesake of Roswell, Georgia was born in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1765. Later he moved south for a job opportunity in banking. Around 1830, an investigative trip for the Bank of Darien (Georgia) brought him to North Georgia, where gold had recently been discovered.
Georgia’s gold rush took off in 1829 (local lore puts the first strike in 1828) and centered on present-day Lumpkin County, with finds in Habersham and White counties as well. It was the nation’s second significant gold rush (North Carolina’s came first, around 1799), and it soon overshadowed its predecessor. Dahlonega became its hub, and the U.S. Mint operated a branch there from 1838 until 1861.
Gold prompted the journey. Water decided the destination.
Along the way, Roswell King noticed something else: the rushing waters of Vickery Creek and their potential to power a textile mill. He came back in the mid-1830s to build it, and the Roswell Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1839.
The mill had a long and eventful life. Union troops burned it in 1864, and more than 400 mill workers, most of them women, were charged with treason and sent north. It was rebuilt and kept running under later owners, last as Southern Mills, until it closed in 1975, 136 years after its incorporation.
The Connecticut connection: Willis Ball and Barrington Hall
The Connecticut connection continued with Willis Ball, a builder and architect who was also from Windsor, Connecticut, and whom King brought to Roswell. Ball designed the stately Greek Revival home Barrington Hall, completed in 1842 for Roswell King’s son Barrington King, who co-founded the town with his father. It stands at Marietta Street and Barrington Drive, a short walk west of Roswell Town Square. Ball is also credited with Bulloch Hall and Roswell Presbyterian Church, both from 1839.
The founders built a town square, a company store, a mill village, a Presbyterian church, and an academy. As a Connecticut native, I can’t help seeing a New England village in that plan, and it’s a big part of the charm that still draws people to Historic Roswell today. That appeal shows up in the market, too: in the Summer 2026 Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Luxury Housing Market Ranking, metro Atlanta, which includes Roswell, climbed from #11 to #9. I broke down what that means in Atlanta Luxury Real Estate Is Surging.
The Bricks: some of America’s oldest apartments
Then there’s The Bricks, at the intersection of Sloan and Mill streets. Built in 1839 to house mill workers, they were an early version of apartment living. The state historical marker, erected in 1958, calls them the first apartments built in the South and says they are “believed to be the oldest in the United States.” Visit Roswell describes them as among the first apartments built in the U.S.
The original layout was simple: a combined kitchen and living area downstairs, with narrow, steep stairs leading to a single bedroom above. The buildings served briefly as a hospital for wounded Union soldiers in 1864. In 1955, the Roswell Library Association formed to buy and restore them as a library. More recently they were restored as townhomes that keep the character of their original era.
If your interest is piqued, check out the YouTube video I made on The Bricks a few years back.
Why this history matters to me
As someone who works in real estate and loves history, I appreciate how Roswell’s early buildings tell the story of both everyday life and architectural ambition, from practical housing near the mill to grand homes with New England influences. I’m originally from Connecticut and have been a Georgian for 32 years, so I feel a personal connection to that heritage. The historic homes lining the streets of old Roswell offer a glimpse of the town’s beginnings and, for me, a little reminder of home.
It gives a familiar walk through town a little more depth: a gold-related business trip, a creek with industrial potential, Connecticut influences, and an early answer to a housing need in a growing town.
The next time you pass The Bricks or stroll through Roswell Town Square, you’ll have another story to take along.
Did you know about Roswell’s Connecticut connection? Tell me in the comments. And if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in Historic Roswell, I’d be glad to talk, history included.
Quick facts about Historic Roswell
Who founded Roswell, Georgia?
Roswell King, a Windsor, Connecticut native born in 1765, founded Roswell with his son Barrington King in the 1830s. The town was incorporated in 1854 and named for him.
Why was Roswell built where it is?
Roswell King saw that Vickery Creek could power a textile mill. The Roswell Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1839.
What are The Bricks in Roswell?
Mill-worker housing built in 1839 at Sloan and Mill streets. The state historical marker calls them the first apartments built in the South and believed to be the oldest in the United States.
Who built Barrington Hall in Roswell?
Willis Ball, a builder from Windsor, Connecticut. The Greek Revival home was completed in 1842 for Barrington King.
When did the Roswell mill close?
In 1975, after operating as Southern Mills since 1947.
What is a great way to learn more about the history of Roswell?
It's the perfect time of year for the Roswell Ghost Tour, which is much more about the history of Roswell which also has contributed to the folklore of some of the stories about ghosts. https://roswellghosttour.com
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