Experience Buford GA | Historic District

buford ga historic downtown homes for sale

Written in Collaboration with The Cognitive Creative

When Hamilton Mill turns into Hill St. you’ve gone back in time. Historic downtown Buford GA is a technicolor visage of a moment in time. Before the world was connected by information highways, it was connected by railways.

Founded in 1872, Buford, GA was the proverbial railroad town. Named for Algernon Sidney Buford, the president of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railroad, the “Town of Buford” was incorporated by an act of the legislature. Years later, in 1896, the name was changed to “City of Buford”.

Buford’s early attention to education helped the city rise above its sleepier counterparts. Citizens were business-minded and future-focused. In 1902, a News-Herald article referred to Buford as the “New York of Gwinnett” due to its numerous factories and bustling business district. In fact, the first bank in Gwinnett County was located in Buford.

The city’s rare focus on education, as well as the job market, drew new residents with families to support. A number of notable, and nationally recognized businesses headquartered in Buford and the city’s enterprise history is rich and prolific.

Today, downtown Buford is revitalized and its historic buildings contain artisan shops, independent restaurants, and art galleries. Situated along the railroad tracks that brought the city out of the ground, the historic downtown is easily walkable and quaint in spite of its robust entrepreneurial ledgers.