History

Often called the "Queen City of the Highlands," LaFayette is the county seat of Walker County and boasts a rich Native American, Civil War and African American history.  

Nestled between Northwest Georgia's picturesque mountains, the city is two hours from Atlanta and Knoxville, Tenn., and about 30 miles from Chattanooga.  

The county, established in 1835 and named for former U.S. Sen. Freeman Walker, an attorney from Augusta, was formed from a portion of Murray County.  

After the U.S. government passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, the state opened the land for white settlement in a land lottery.   Cherokee Indians who previously inhabited the region were housed in series of camps in preparation for their forced removal on the Trail of Tears.   A monument marks the site of Fort Cumming in LaFayette, which was one of these camps.

Early settlements at LaFayette were called Chattooga and Benton. The city was renamed in 1836 after the Marquis de LaFayette, the French aristocrat who assisted American colonists during the Revolutionary War.   The city was incorporated on Sept. 30, 1835.

The city owns Chattooga Academy, one of the county's most cherished landmarks.   The structure, completed in 1836, is believed to be one of Georgia's oldest remaining brick school buildings and was later renamed John B. Gordon Hall after Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon, who attended the school as a child and also served as governor of Georgia.  Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg made the building his headquarters in September 1863.  Bragg sat under an oak tree in front of the school as he planned his attack on Union forces at Chickamauga.

Chattooga Academy is next to the Marsh House, an antebellum plantation.

Chattooga Academy, above, is next to the Marsh House, left, on North Main Street.  Both historic structures are undergoing restoration.  

Today 

LaFayette has nearly 7,000 residents.

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs designated the city as an official Main Street Community in 2007.  The city government and LaFayette Downtown Development Authority administer the Main Street program, which promotes downtown revitalization through historic preservation, promotional activities, business recruitment and retention, building improvements and organizational activities.   The program received national accreditation for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 by meeting National Trust for Historic Preservation standards.

The city is 30 minutes from Interstates 59, 24 and 75 and is served by the Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway Co., provides freight services over two rail lines, one from Chattanooga to Lyerly, Ga., and the other from Chattanooga to Hedges, Ga.

The city operates an airport that can accommodate general aircraft up to and including small business jets.  The city owns an industrial district, as well as water, sewerage, electric and natural gas utilities.

Hutcheson Medical Center operates an after-hours emergency medical care clinic in LaFayette.  The hospital, which is in Fort Oglethorpe, is 19 miles north of downtown LaFayette on U.S. 27.

Residents and outdoor enthusiasts enjoy many sites within a short distance of the city, including Rock City Gardens, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, Pigeon Mountain and Chattahoochee National Forest.

Several small businesses, professional offices, a fitness center and bank are on the Square in the heart of downtown on South Main Street.