Dekalb History Center050

The DeKalb History Center collects, preserves, and shares the history of DeKalb County, Georgia. Archives and Museum are located inside the historic Old Courthouse on the Square in downtown Decatur. Open to the public, you can research many local history topics including genealogy and family history, cemeteries, historic homes and properties, the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement and DeKalb cities, including Stone Mountain, Tucker, and Dunwoody. The Center hosts children's programs throughout the year. The Courthouse is available for rent.

The Museum tour is available by reservation.

The Swanton House, circa 1825, is the oldest building in Decatur and is included on the National Register of Historic Places. The house gets its name from Benjamin Franklin Swanton, who came to Decatur by way of Dahlonega and the Gold Rush of 1828.

The Biffle Cabin, built between 1825 and 1840, was originally located on a knoll overlooking Barbashela Creek. This cabin was built by Revolutionary War veteran John Biffle, who was a native of Germany. The Thomas-Barber Cabin, which once served as a stagecoach stop on the Old McDonough Road in South DeKalb, was built by Hayden Thomas and his wife Sarah Margaret Staples Thomas, who moved here from South Carolina.