ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Residents and visitors to Alpharetta can now learn a bit about the city’s past through a new historical marker dedicated Feb. 27.The plaque marks the site of George “Hard” Bailey’s Blacksmith Shop at Citizen Soul restaurant on South Main Street. The marker recognizes Bailey, an African American, who owned and operated the shop in the early 1900s.Bailey was one of the earliest Black entrepreneurs in Alpharetta. He provided land from his farm on Kimball Bridge Road for construction of the Alpharetta Colored School. Community members later honored him by changing the school’s name to the Bailey-Johnson School. The school operated from 1950 to 1967, when segregation of public education ended in North Fulton County.Bailey’s historical marker is part of a joint effort of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society and City of Alpharetta to celebrate Black History Month.Historical Society President Pat Miller wrote the excerpt displayed on the plaque. “The main thing it does is it gives people a glimpse into what Alpharetta was like, because so many people that live in this area now have no long-term ties to the area,” Miller said.Miller said the markers around the city allow for the community to “run into history.”Little was known about Bailey, and Miller said she enjoyed learning about him while preparing for the Bailey-Johnson School & Community Exhibit and the historical marker unveiling.“I just keep researching and hopefully one day I’ll solve all these mysteries,” Miller said.Phillip Cooper, owner of Citizen Soul, 60 S. Main, honors Bailey with a hammer and anvil logo for the business. The historical marker adds to the aesthetic. “Once we kind of stumbled on his story, I just kind of ran with it, and it made a lot of sense,” Cooper said.Servers at the restaurant also wear blacksmith aprons to complement the theme.“It’s a tribute to how far we’ve come from then till now,” Cooper said.After years of talk about the plaque, Bailey’s granddaughter, Patricia Centers Martin, participated in the marker unveiling, alongside Linda Brown, Bailey’s great-grandniece.Martin thanked the crowd for their help and for thinking about her “granddaddy.”“I’m overwhelmed. I would have never dreamed of this,” Martin said. Martin said her favorite memories are when she went to visit her grandfather.“I just couldn’t wait,” she said.
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