Our Story

Downtown Dahlonega is one of Georgia’s foremost historic downtown centers, winning the Georgia Downtown Association’s 2010 Award for Excellence in Downtown Development. Shopping and dining choices are abundant with 90 retail stores and 20 restaurants. Downtown also features lodging facilities with 115 rooms, including the Smith House (a designated Historic Hotel of America) and many other charming inns, boutique hotels, guest suites, and B&Bs. Dahlonega’s downtown district is on the National Register of Historic Places. The downtown district is a designated National Main Street Program, and the city is a Preserve America community, a National Tree City, and a designated Appalachian Trail Community. Downtown Dahlonega is also the home of the University of North Georgia and the Dahlonega Gold Museum.

Dahlonega is one of 105 cities in Georgia and 1,800 cities nationwide that subscribe to the Main Street Program. The Main Street programs assist cities and neighborhoods in the development of their core commercial areas. Communities are expected to work within the context of historic preservation and the National Main Street Center’s Four-Point Approach to Downtown Revitalization: Organization, Design, Economic Restructuring and Promotion.

The Main Street Movement has transformed the way communities think about the revitalization and management of their commercial districts.  The Main Street Four-Point Approach is a community-driven, comprehensive strategy used to revitalize downtown and neighborhood business districts throughout the United States. It is a common-sense way to address the variety of issues and problems that challenge traditional business districts. 

For more information, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street website (www.preservationnation.org).

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