Mableton, Georgia

Mableton is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. Voters of the unincorporated area of Mableton approved a referendum to incorporate on November 8, 2022, and six council members were elected on March 21, 2023, with Michael Owens elected as mayor of Mableton in the 2023 Mableton mayoral election. According to the 2020 census, the census-designated area Mableton had a population of 37,115; the city has more. Upon Brookhaven's cityhood in December 2012, Mableton was previously the largest unincorporated CDP in Metro Atlanta. With boundaries described in Appendix A of House Bill 839, Mableton is the largest city in Cobb County in terms of population and includes historical Mableton, along with the Six Flags area, areas of unincorporated Smyrna, and parts of unincorporated South Cobb.

Early history (1843–1912)
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, most of the land in present-day southern Cobb County belonged to the Cherokee and Creek. Two Native American villages were established near the area that will later become known as Mableton - the settlements of Sweet Water Town and Nickajack. Both tribes coinhabited the area peacefully, with one legend claiming that eventual ownership of the area by the Cherokee was settled via a ball game. One of the early known records of white Europeans being aware of the inhabitants is an 1839 map depicting a 'Nickajack Creek' converging with the Chattahoochee River south and west of the Standing Peachtree settlement. The town was named after Scottish immigrant Robert Mable (October 18, 1803 - July 7, 1885), who on September 11, 1843, bought 300 acres (approximately 120 hectares or 1.2 km2) of land in southern Cobb County from the Georgia Land Lottery of 1832. Mable was a millwright and farmer who grew cotton, corn, potatoes, and sorghum in the area; he owned between 11 and 48 slaves by 1860. According to oral interviews, Mable was a "fair and kind" enslaver who educated slave children alongside his own, and eventually also liberated his slaves before any government mandate ordered him to. The Robert Mable House and Cemetery, located off U.S. 78 on Floyd Road just north of Clay Road, now includes an amphitheater which hosts public events.

More white settlers moved into the northern edge of Mableton by Nickajack Creek, near Smyrna, in the mid-1800s. They formed a community initially known as Mill Grove and later Nickajack. The creek provided ample power to run grist, saw, cotton, and woolen mills. A covered bridge, originally built c. 1848–1850, traverses the stream and is now part of a historical district. It is one of the few remaining covered bridges in Georgia, and still highly active today after it was later buttressed to handle automobile traffic. A notable resident of the area during that period was John Gann, Cobb County's first state senator. His home, built in 1841, still stands today and is also part of the historical district.

During the Atlanta campaign of the Civil War, Union officers Walter Q. Gresham and Francis P. Blair Jr. of the XVII Corps reached Mableton on July 3, 1864, after the Union defeat at Kennesaw. Gresham replenished his troops' supplies and received medical care at Robert Mable's house, and camped for the night before advancing to Atlanta. The house was spared from the carnage of Sherman's March to the Sea. The Georgia Pacific Railway (later absorbed by Southern Railway and today known as the Norfolk Southern Railway) opened a railroad station in Mableton in December 1881. The chief engineer erected a sign displaying 'Mableton' upon completion of the station in honor of Robert. The first train from Atlanta arrived at the station just before Christmas. Shortly after, the post office was established on June 28, 1882. This replaced the post office in Bryantville, a former settlement about 2 mi southeast. The arrival of the railroad allowed Mableton to act as a commercial hub for then-rural Cobb County. Cotton export flourished throughout the county from the 1890s until the Great Depression.

Original incorporation (1912–1916)
On August 19, 1912, Mableton was incorporated as a town but was disincorporated on August 17, 1916. In that year, the town suffered from a heavy flood, resulting in an unexpected tax burden being placed upon the residents for repairs. But after locals successfully demanded that a tax on storm drains be shared by all of Cobb County instead, the town's charter was revoked and Mableton was disincorporated. Homer A. Glore, a medical doctor served as the first mayor of Mableton.

Restored municipality (2023–)
In 2020, a local initiative known as the South Cobb Alliance fostered a debate for cityhood. A feasibility study conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government stated that the potential city would generate $11.3 million in operating expenses and $14.6 million in revenue. Alternatively, nearby Smyrna considered annexing parts of Mableton. This move would have made Smyrna the largest city in Cobb County, surpassing the county seat of Marietta, and ultimately disrupt Mableton's cityhood efforts.

Following the 2022 midterm elections, a referendum on cityhood was passed, with 13,162 in favor of Mableton's cityhood and 11,675 rejecting it. It is the largest city in Cobb County in terms of population, with the new city incorporating about 47,000 residents. The city limits also include areas of unincorporated Smyrna and Austell.

The City of Mableton was approved by the voters in a referendum on the General Election Ballot on November 8, 2022.

The referendum was the result of the General Assembly's passage of House Bill (HB-839), which set the boundaries of the city, established city council districts, and laid out the powers of the Mayor and Council. The law also established March 21, 2023, as the date for a special election for the first council members and mayor of Mableton.

In 2023 Mableton mayoral election, Michael Owens defeated Aaron Carman in the runoff election and became the city's mayor.

Geography
Mableton is located at 33.81833°N, -84.57611°W (33.818333, -84.576111). The Chattahoochee River acts as the southeast border, separating Cobb County from west Fulton County — where the historic African-American neighborhood of Collier Heights and the former site of the Bankhead Courts housing project are nearby. Two suburban cities directly border Mableton: Austell in the west and Smyrna in the north. Lithia Springs, an unincorporated community, is directly southwest.

Mableton is approximately 15 miles west-northwest from the city of Atlanta, and approximately 20 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Demographics
Mableton appeared as an unincorporated place in the 1960 U.S. Census. It was not listed in the 1970 U.S. Census. It was listed as a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. Census.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,339 housing units at an average density of 550.8 /sqmi. There were 10,894 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.12.

Government
Mableton, Georgia was incorporated as a city on August 19, 1912, before being disincorporated on August 17, 1916 as a result of a flood overwhelming the city's sewer system. In November 2023, the city was reincorporated in an election.

The mayor is the highest elected official in the city and the current mayor is Michael Owens who was elected in the 2023 Mableton mayoral election.

Transportation
The public-use, general aviation Fulton County Airport (Brown Field) is adjacent to Mableton's southeast border with Fulton County. It includes two runways and handles approximately 65,000 operations annually.

Trails
The Silver Comet Trail runs through Mableton. It is a 61.5 mile paved trail with a 2% grade, beginning in Smyrna and ending at the Georgia-Alabama state line near Cedartown, GA. Heritage Park is a smaller trail running along Nickajack Creek that ultimately connects to the Comet. A notable landmark includes the ruins of a woolen mill built in the 1860s.

Parks

 * Lions Park
 * Thompson Park
 * Riverline Park
 * Wallace Park

Community Garden
The Historic Mableton Community Garden is located at 5178 Floyd Road.

Amphitheater
Governor Roy Barnes provided a state grant for construction of a 2,500-seat amphitheater shortly after his appointment in 2000, fulfilling residents' desire dating back from the 1970s. The Mable House Barnes Amphitheater is a $7 million state and local investment and attracts numerous high-profile acts.

Amusement park
Six Flags Over Georgia is located near Mableton's border with Austell, adjacent to I-20. The park is home to 11 roller coasters, the first "floorless" freefall tower ride in the world, and a fully-functional carousel from 1908 listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Education
The Cobb County School District operates several public schools in the area:

Elementary schools

 * Mableton Elementary School
 * Clay-Harmony Leland Elementary School
 * Bryant Elementary School
 * Riverside Elementary School
 * H.A.V.E.N. Academy at Skyview
 * Russell Elementary School

Middle schools

 * Floyd Middle School
 * Garret Middle School
 * Lindley Middle School
 * Betty Gray Middle School

High school

 * Pebblebrook High School – famous alumni include Glee actress Becca Tobin, Utah Jazz player Collin Sexton, and rapper Lil Yachty
 * South Cobb High School

Private schools
The Georgia Japanese Language School (GJLS; ジョージア日本語学校 Jōjia Nihongo Gakkō), a part-time supplementary Japanese school, holds its classes at the Lindley 6th Grade Academy in Mableton; Lindley was previously occupied by the W. H. Barnes Education Center. The GJLS originally opened with nine students in 1974 at Oglethorpe University, serving grades 1 through 9. The school moved to W.H. Barnes in 2002.

Whitefield Academy, a Christ-centered college preparatory school in Smyrna, is near Mableton.

The SAE School is an "independent project-based learning school" for pre-school to 8th grade students located in Mableton.

Primrose Schools, a private school for early preschool children, is in the Providence neighborhood of Mableton.

Public library

 * South Cobb Regional Library

Redevelopment
In the summer of 2010, more than a hundred residents, bureaucrats, politicians, architects, designers and traffic engineers spent a week designing a vision for a redeveloped downtown Mableton. It was then formalized by Duany Plater-Zyberk into a plan that was unanimously approved by Cobb County's Board of Commissioners in 2013. The establishment of the new Mableton Town Center (MTC) is part of the county's 2040 Comprehensive Plan. As of late 2020, Embry Development Company is in talks with the Cobb County Board of Commissioners to begin construction of a 31-acre mixed-use commercial/residential plaza at Mableton Parkway and Old Powder Springs Road. The development calls for 81 town homes, 46 "courtyard cottage" style houses, 21 detached single-family homes, and 13,500 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The particular area, in addition to establishments along Veterans Memorial Highway (U.S. 78), is largely dated and rundown, with some businesses failing to adhere to building codes.

Another company, Garner Group, is also redeveloping a nearly 40 year old strip mall along Floyd Road and East-West Connector into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly plaza. There will be 360 luxury apartments and 42 townhomes on the 60-acre site, with the entire development occupying about 720,000 square feet. Planning Commission Chair Galt Porter, proponent of the plan, stated of the recent growth in the area: "It's probably been 15 to 20 years since there's been a market rate development of apartments anywhere close to this...you have to go to Smyrna to get something, or you have to go out all the way into Powder Springs to get something. There's just nothing in this area." The project was approved by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners on October 21, 2020.

Notable people

 * Roy Barnes, 80th governor of Georgia from 1999 to 2003, the most recent Democrat to hold the office
 * Kenny Selmon, track and field athlete competing in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics
 * Lil Yachty, Grammy-nominated trap artist
 * Erica Thomas, Georgia state representative
 * Anna Benson, glamour model and ex-wife of baseball player Kris Benson
 * AR Fox, pro wrestler
 * T. J. Holmes, CNN news anchor
 * Kenny McKinley, former wide receiver for Denver Broncos
 * Michael King, television producer/reporter and commentator
 * Collin Sexton, basketball player for the Utah Jazz
 * Ronnie DeVoe, member of New Edition
 * Chloe Bailey, American actress and singer
 * Halle Bailey, American actress and singer