Have you heard of the Eastern Continental Divide? It is an imaginary line that runs right through the Norcross Historic District... and all of the rivers and streams on one side of this line eventually flow into the Atlantic... on the other side, they flow into the Gulf of Mexico.
I knew a lot of things about Norcross... that wasn't one of them.
The site that is now Norcross, GA, sits along an old trail that ran from Fort Daniel (near Dacula ay Hog Mountain) to Peachtree Fort (near the confluence of Peachtree Creek and the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta). It was called the Peachtree Road. Parts of it are still called Old Peachtree Road in Gwinnett County.
Later, in 1856 a rail line was proposed by former Atlanta Mayor Jonathon Norcross. It wasn't until 1869 that the first 20 miles were completed... right to the site of downtown Norcross. John Thrasher bought the 250 acres around the site of the terminal, and named it for Jonathon Norcross. The Park that sits near the Terminal is named for John Thrasher.
Soon after, the Brunswick Hotel was built and Norcross became a fashionable escape for Atlantans. The City of Norcross was chartered in October, 1870.
Another tidbit that had previously escaped me was that between 1910 and 1950, Norcross had 16 players signed to professional baseball contracts. Per capita, it was the most successful baseball town in America. Hometown boy, Roy Calyle, hit a 618 foot homerun in Oakland, CA on July 4th, 1929... a record distance.
Before it was cool...
Norcross was one of the first cities in Gwinnett County to revitalize its "Old Town" area. There are a couple of reasons for that. To start with, Norcross was one of the first "luxury suburbs" of Atlanta. Because of the rail line and Norcross being seen as a fashionable place, there were a lot of large, beautiful homes built near Old Town. For at least the last 20 years, Peachtree Street in Norcross has had quaint shops and restaurants. More recently, the street lights and signs were "updated" to look more like they might have looked 100 years ago .
While you are hanging out in Old Town Norcross, stop into Norcross Station or Dominick's for a bite.
And you can live here too...
To see the latest market stats for Norcross, take a look here...
If you'd like to browse homes currently for sale in Norcross, check this out...
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