An Eyesore in Gainesville

Update: April 2025

Information from the original article on this Gainesville property (shown below) was discussed within a local Facebook group, which evidently got the attention of the Hall County School District (HCSD) Central Office staff. During the HCSD Board of Education meeting on March 10, 2024, Superintendent Will Schofield read the following statement. It is being recommended that the property located at 4 Stallworth Street, consisting of 2.41 acres, be listed as surplus in order to sell the property.

Once the superintendent's recommendation was approved, the grass was cut on the property and For Sale signs erected, but the buildings are in obvious disrepair.

Original Article:

The Hall County School District (HCSD) owns at least 72 properties, covering over 1,600 tax exempt acres in Hall County. One of these properties, located at 4 Stallworth Street, has become an eyesore for residents behind the old Gainesville Cotton Mill.

The Gainesville Cotton Mill, a school, a clinic, and residential homes were built in the early 1900s when the textile industry was established in the area. The property was owned by the Pacolet Manufacturing Company and was deeded to Milliken & Company on December 29, 1960. The original deed contained a restriction that this particular property could be only be used for public school purposes. However, the school burned in 1973 and was not rebuilt. Subsequently, the Gainesville Mill ceased operations in 1985.

Milliken & Co. sells Gainesville property to the HCSD

On August 25, 1987, Milliken & Company submitted a Quit-Claim Deed and a Removal of Restrictions to the Hall County Clerk of Courts. Milliken & Company sold this property to the Hall County Board of Education for a sum of $10.

A brief visit to this property, located at 4 Stallworth Street, revealed a 1.62 acre lot in utter disrepair. The Gainesville Mill Clinic has broken windows and debris littering the entrance. The second building has windows and doors boarded up with plywood. With no fencing or barriers, vandals have painted the brick walls with graffiti, while weeds are growing in any spot of dirt around the building and in the parking area.

HCSD Adds Classroom Building to Gainesville Property on Stallworth Street

There is a lone sign on the property in front of the one-story structure which indicated that the Lanier Technical College Adult Education center had been located on the property at some point, but had been moved to the college's property.

In reviewing the Parcel Information (00031 007001), there were building permits filed in 1999 and 2001 for new construction. Based on the age of the buildings, it appears that the one-story structure was erected in 2000 at a cost of $353,463. The current value of the buildings and property are listed as $558,356, as it has been for many years.

Given the condition of the property, it seems doubtful that the Board of Education has plans to use it in the future. Since the property is tax exempt, the HCSD appears to be under no obligation to maintain and care for the property. This is showing a disregard for the residents living in the area, as it is unkempt and attractive to vandals. Do the newest members of the Board even know the property is in the portfolio of the HCSD? What is the current value of the property? As homeowners are being pressed to fork over more and more of their income to fund the HCSD, would it not be beneficial to all for this property to be sold to a developer that might improve the area for the residents, allowing the HCSD uses these funds to give homeowners a break?

We are a local organization that is committed to reporting local news that is fair and unbiased. You don't always get that in the local news in the Northeast Georgia area. Especially in Gainesville and Hall County. We are a group that is not being paid, but have a belief that the people of the area deserve truth in reporting and should be able to come to their own conclusions. Please consider to donate to help our cause.