Rockdale County, Georgia

Rockdale County Education, Geography, and History

Rockdale County is a county located in the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 85,215. Rockdale County was created on October 18, 1870. The county seat is Conyers. The county is named in honor of Rockdale Church, which was so named for the subterranean bed of granite that underlies this region of the state.

Rockdale County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Rockdale County Name

The county is named after the Rockdale Church, as well as the vein of granite running beneath the county.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Rockdale County History

Rockdale County was created from parts of Henry and Newton counties. It was the 133rd county created, and was named after the Rockdale Church, as well as the vein of granite running beneath the county.

One of the first battles over Prohibition was fought in Rockdale County.

Conyers, the county seat and the only incorporated municipality in Rockdale County, was named for a local physician who donated a right-of-way for the first railroad and a lot in town for the railway depot.

Points of Interest

The Monastery of the Holy Ghost was founded in the county in 1944 by a group of monks who practice self-sufficiency, cultivating their own food. Visitors are welcomed at church services and in the greenhouse and gift shop, although some areas are off-limits to women.

The Panola Mountain State Conservation Park was Georgia's first conservation park. Near the center of the 617 acre park is a 100 acre granite monadnock often compared to Stone Mountain. The park has been designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.

Most of downtown Conyers, both the residential and business districts, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as the Dial Mill (1830) and the first Rockdale County Jail (1897).

The city of Conyers is also home to the Georgia International Horse Park, site of the 1996 Olympic Equestrian events.

Notable Citizens

Academy Award winning actress, Holly Hunter is from Conyers. Hunter's list of movies include Raising Arizona , The Piano and Fargo

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 132 square miles (340 km²), of which 130 square miles (340 km²) is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) (1.7%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Georgia by area.

 Rockdale county is located in north Georgia. The county is in the Ocmulgee River basin

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Gwinnett County
• Northeast: Walton County
• Southeast: Newton County
• Southwest: Henry County
• Northwest: DeKalb County

Education

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