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.^[4] One of the earliest 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.^[5]

Robert Mable

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.^[4] 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.^[6]

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.^[5]

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.^[7] The house was spared from the carnage of Sherman's March to the Sea.^[8]

The Mableton train depot, constructed 1881

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 two miles (3.2 km) southeast. The arrival of the railroad allowed Mableton to act as a commercial hub for then-rural Cobb County.^[9] Cotton export flourished throughout the county from the 1890s until the Great Depression.^[10]

Original incorporation (1912-1916)

Homer A. Glore and his wife in Mableton Drug Store and Post Office in 1925

On August 19, 1912, Mableton was incorporated as a town but was disincorporated on August 17, 1916.^[11] In that year, the town suffered from a heavy flood, resulting in an unexpected tax burden being placed upon the residents for repairs.^[8] 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.^[12] Homer A. Glore, a medical doctor served as the first mayor of Mableton.^[4][13]

Unincorporated area (1916-2023)

Restored municipality (2023-)

In 2020, a local initiative known as the South Cobb Alliance fostered a debate for cityhood.^[14] 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.^[15] 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.^[16]

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.^[17] It is the largest city in Cobb County in terms of population, with the new city incorporating about 78,000 residents.^[18] 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.^[19]

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.^[20]

2018 ACS

The 5-year estimates of the 2018 ACS^[23] state that 39.2% of the population was White, 48.5% African American, 0.2% Native American/Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 6.2% from some other race alone, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.0% of the population. Individuals who identified as White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, were 30.3% of the population.

2000 census

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 11,339 housing units at an average density of 550.8 per square mile (212.7/km²). 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.

1912–1916

2023–present

#	Image	Mayor	Term start	Term end	Terms		Party
1		Michael Owens	2023	Incumbent	1		Democratic

Trails

The Silver Comet Trail intersecting Floyd Road in Mableton

The Silver Comet Trail runs through Mableton.^[29] 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.

One of the Silver Comet Trail's connectors, located at South Hurt Road in Mableton and Smyrna

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.^[30]

Heritage Park in Mableton

Parks

• Lions Park
• Thompson Park
• Riverline Park
• Wallace Park

Community Garden

The Historic Mableton Community Garden is located at 5178 Floyd Road.^[31]

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.^[32]

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.

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, Cleveland Cavaliers 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;^[33][34] Lindley was previously occupied by the W. H. Barnes Education Center.^[35] 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.^[34]

Whitefield Academy, a Christ-centered college preparatory school in Smyrna, is near Mableton.^[36]

The SAE School is an "independent project-based learning school" for pre-school to 8th grade students located in Mableton.^[37]

Primrose Schools, a private school for early preschool children, is in the Providence neighborhood of Mableton.^[38]

Public library

• South Cobb Regional Library