This is the original town: a county seat laid out after Forsyth County was created in 1832. Many of the buildings you see now are recent: the courthouse on the square burned twice. The pieces of the older town that survive are worth knowing by name.
The courthouse and its fires
- The county courthouse on the square burned in 1900, was rebuilt in 1905 and burned again in 1973. New Georgia Encyclopedia: Cumming
- The current Forsyth County Courthouse, at 101 E. Courthouse Square where Main Street meets Veterans Memorial Boulevard, opened for business on March 16, 2015. That was 37 years to the day after the previous courthouse across the street opened, on March 16, 1978. Appen Media, Mar. 16, 2015; Forsyth County News, Mar. 12, 2015
The bandstand
The Cumming Bandstand at Main and Dahlonega streets on the courthouse square was built in 1915 by John Robbs for concerts by the Cumming Brass Band. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 2002. (National Park Service NPGallery: Cumming Bandstand (NRIS 02000658); Historical Society of Forsyth County notice (GAGenWeb), checked 2026-10-17)
The National Register listing puts the bandstand at the junction of Main and Dahlonega streets. We have not found a 2026 source confirming it is still there, so look for it and tell us if it has moved.
City Hall
- Cumming City Hall, at 100 Main St., was completed in 2002. Its design borrows from the earlier courthouse that burned in the 1970s, with parapets, archways, red brick, white cast stone and a clock tower. A bronze statue of Hiram Parks Bell stands on the front lawn. City of Cumming: City Hall
- City Hall is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone (770) 781-2010. City of Cumming: Facilities (site footer)
The 1923 schoolhouse and the Playhouse
- The Cumming Public School was built in 1923. The City bought and restored it when it was slated for demolition in the late 1990s, and it was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. City of Cumming: Our Community
- Tam's School Street Playhouse (formerly the Cumming Playhouse) is at 101 School St. inside the 1923 schoolhouse. The City says it opened in 2004. The building also houses the Historical Society of Forsyth County, and Tam's Backstage provides the dining. School Street Playhouse; City of Cumming: Our Community
Older listings still call it the Cumming Playhouse. It is Tam’s School Street Playhouse now, and Tam’s Backstage, a restaurant, is in the same building.
The Sinclair station
The City bought and restored the downtown Sinclair Station, the county's first gas station with electric pumps, in 2011. Cumming Cigar Co. now leases it at 203 E. Main St. (City of Cumming: Our Community; Cumming Cigar Co., checked 2026-10-17)
A marker for 1912
A historical marker remembering Rob Edwards stands downtown at the corner of East Courthouse Square and West Maple Street, near where he was lynched. The Community Remembrance Project of Forsyth County placed it with the Equal Justice Initiative and dedicated it on Sept. 10, 2021, the 109th anniversary. (Equal Justice Initiative (updated Sept. 27, 2021), checked 2026-10-17)
The marker remembers the violence of 1912 and the expulsion of Forsyth County’s Black residents that followed. The history page sets out what happened, with sources.
Eat and drink on the square
Tam's Backstage
fine dining, cocktail bar
215 Ingram Avenue, Cumming, GA 30040
In the historic 1923 schoolhouse that also holds Tam's School Street Playhouse. Reservations: 678-455-8310.
Source: Tam's Backstage (business website), checked 2026-10-17
Beto's Tacos
Mexican street food
125 Tribble Gap Rd., Suites 101-102, Cumming, GA 30040
Source: Beto's Tacos (business website); Discover Forsyth County listing, checked 2026-10-17
Community Cup
coffee shop
125 Tribble Gap Rd., Suite 103, Cumming, GA
The coffee shop first opened on Tribble Gap Road in 2018. Forsyth County News reported a new owner in August 2026. Its website domain (communitycupga.com) currently shows a parked page, so check before you go.
Source: Forsyth County News, Aug. 19, 2026; Discover Forsyth County listing (address), checked 2026-10-17
Parking near the square
Forsyth County runs two decks downtown, on Mason Street and at Castleberry Road and Maple Street. The county has not published their current terms, so follow the signs. Details are on the parking page.
Everything on the square
Forsyth County Courthouse and historic square
courthouse square
101 E. Courthouse Square, Cumming, GA
The current courthouse opened March 16, 2015. Earlier courthouses on the square burned in 1900 and 1973.
Source: Appen Media, Mar. 16, 2015; New Georgia Encyclopedia: Cumming, checked 2026-10-17
Cumming Bandstand (1915)
historic bandstand (National Register, 2002)
Main and Dahlonega streets, courthouse square, Cumming, GA
Built in 1915 by John Robbs for the Cumming Brass Band. The NRHP listing (2002) puts it at the junction of Main and Dahlonega streets. No 2026 source was found confirming it is still on that spot.
Source: NPS NPGallery (NRIS 02000658); Historical Society of Forsyth County notice, checked 2026-10-17
Cumming City Hall
city hall (2002)
100 Main St., Cumming, GA 30040
The design echoes the courthouse that burned in the 1970s. A rotunda montage shows a century of city business owners, and a Hiram Parks Bell statue stands on the lawn. Open Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM.
Source: City of Cumming: City Hall, checked 2026-10-17
Rob Edwards historical marker
historical marker (Community Remembrance Project / Equal Justice Initiative, 2021)
East Courthouse Square at West Maple Street, Cumming, GA
Remembers Rob Edwards, a Black man lynched in downtown Cumming on Sept. 10, 1912, and the expulsion of the county's Black residents that followed.
Source: Equal Justice Initiative, checked 2026-10-17
Tam's School Street Playhouse
theater in the 1923 Cumming Public School (National Register, 2000)
101 School St., Cumming, GA 30040
Musicals, plays and tribute concerts; box office 770-781-9178. The Historical Society of Forsyth County is in the same building. No shows after Oct. 4, 2026 were posted on Oct. 17.
Source: School Street Playhouse; City of Cumming: Facilities, Our Community, checked 2026-10-17
Cumming Arts Center
community art center and gallery
111 Pilgrim Mill Road, Cumming, GA 30040
Open Wed–Sat 11 AM–3 PM per its site. It is run by the Sawnee Association of the Arts (sawneeart.org redirects here). The City leases the historic Brannon-Heard House to that group, but no source confirmed that 111 Pilgrim Mill Rd. is that house.
Source: Cumming Arts Center (website), checked 2026-10-17
Cumming Fairgrounds
City-owned fairgrounds and event venue
235 Castleberry Rd., Cumming, GA 30040
Home of the October Cumming Country Fair & Festival, the July 4 celebration and rodeos. The office is open Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM, phone 770-781-3491. Zone: about 0.8 km southwest of the square.
Source: Cumming Fairgrounds: Contact Us, checked 2026-10-17
Questions
Is the Cumming City Center the same as downtown Cumming?
No. Historic downtown is the courthouse square, with City Hall, the 1915 bandstand and the old schoolhouse that now holds the School Street Playhouse. The Cumming City Center is a separate district the City built at 423 Canton Road (State Route 20 West), about 1.5 miles west of downtown and behind Forsyth Central High School. It has shops, restaurants, the Lou Sobh Amphitheater and trails. Most visitors see both.
Source: Cumming City Center: Visit Us; City of Cumming: Cumming City Center
Where do I park near the historic courthouse square?
Forsyth County built two downtown decks with the 2015 courthouse. The five-level, 491-space Mason Street Parking Facility behind the County Administration Building opened free to the public in December 2014. The three-level, 222-space Castleberry Parking Facility at Castleberry Road and Maple Street opened that June. These details come from 2014 news reports, so check posted signs for current rules.
What is the School Street Playhouse?
Tam's School Street Playhouse, formerly the Cumming Playhouse, is a theater at 101 School St. inside the 1923 Cumming Public School, which was named to the National Register in 2000. The City owns the building, and the Historical Society of Forsyth County is also based there. The playhouse stages musicals, plays and tribute concerts, and Tam's Backstage provides the dining. Box office: 770-781-9178.
Source: School Street Playhouse; City of Cumming: Our Community
What can I see on the historic courthouse square?
The current Forsyth County Courthouse opened in 2015. The square also has Cumming City Hall (2002), with a Hiram Parks Bell statue on its lawn, and the 1915 Cumming Bandstand, listed on the National Register in 2002. Nearby are the restored Sinclair gas station, now Cumming Cigar Co. at 203 E. Main St., and a 2021 historical marker for Rob Edwards at East Courthouse Square and West Maple Street.
Source: City of Cumming: City Hall, Our Community; NPS NPGallery; Equal Justice Initiative; Appen Media
Where is Cumming City Hall and when is it open?
Cumming City Hall is at 100 Main St., Cumming, GA 30040, on the historic square. It is open Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM, and the phone number is (770) 781-2010. Finished in 2002, the building copies the style of the courthouse that burned in the 1970s, with parapets, archways, red brick and a clock tower. A rotunda montage shows a century of city business owners.
Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Cumming