page_title: Villa Rica, Georgia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Villa Rica, Georgia / History
caption_attribution_description: Wicks Tavern (1830), the oldest commercial structure still standing in West Georgia, Christmas 2007
context_page_description: Villa Rica is a city in Carroll and Douglas counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located only an hour from downtown Atlanta, a decision to develop housing on a large tract of land led to a major population boom at the turn of the 21st century: the population was 4,134 at the 2000 census; it had grown by 238%, to 13,956, at the 2010 census; and is estimated at 16,058 in 2019, nearly quadrupling its population in just 19 years.
context_section_description: The location which was to become Villa Rica was originally settled in 1826 along what is now Dallas Highway. This land was ceded by the Creek people in 1825 with the second Treaty of Indian Springs signed by Chief William McIntosh. In 1826, farmers and gold miners arrived in the area from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware to what was then known as "Hixtown" (named after a local tavern operator, incorporated in 1830). One mile south was Chevestown, owned by Allison Cheeves. Hixtown and Cheevestown moved to Villa Rica's present location in 1882 when the railroad was built. Many of the original structures were physically moved to the new site (now known as the North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District) by rolling them on logs pulled by horses. The city was incorporated as Villa Rica in 1881. The name Villa Rica is derived from the Spanish for "rich village", and the city's name change was done to help promote the gold that had been found in the area.
caption: Still standing, Wicks Tavern was built in 1830 and was major competition for Hix Tavern.
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