Carrollton was incorporated December 22, 1829, and named in honor of Charles Carroll, last living signer of the Declaration of Independence. 

In 1827, the Carroll Courthouse justices purchased the present site of the Downtown Square from Henry Curtis for $150.  The first city commissioners sold business lots for the new town square at public auction on the first Tuesday in February of 1830.  Sanford Kingsbury was Carrollton’s first merchant. Early Carrollton was essentially a Wild West-like town filled with trading posts, taverns, pioneers and horse thieves. In 1854, Dr. William Edgar Johnson opened Johnson’s Drug Co., an apothecary shop. He traded with the local Creek Indians to obtain roots and medical plants. It was in business for 117 years until 1972.    

During the War Between the States there were four raids on the town. In 1865, Union troops set the NW quadrant ablaze and held local citizens at bay. The railroad arrived in 1874, and Carrollton became a center for cotton trading. Farmers filled the square with wagons loaded with cotton for sale. First Tuesday became known as trading day in Carrollton. Wagon yards, mule barns, and cotton warehouses were located behind the buildings on the square.  Patterson G. Garrison built the first masonry structure on the corner of Rome Street in 1873.  L. C. Mandeville later purchased this building for a general merchandise store. Horton’s bookstore opened in 1892 and is the oldest bookstore in Georgia. Around 1900, there were three silent movie theaters located on the square, the Bonita, Vaudette, and the Strand. Hollywood Actress Susan Hayward lived in Carrollton from 1957-1966.  She is buried in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church Cemetery. Through the years, the Carrollton Square has played host to many large gatherings, festivals, and events, including the passing of the Torch for the 1996 Centennial Olympics in Atlanta.  Today, Downtown Carrollton consists of unique retail shops, coffee shops, restaurants and delis featuring varied menus, live entertainment, and eclectic art galleries.