Gainesville, Georgia

On the morning of April 6, 1936, a devastating tornado hit the Cooper Pants Factory, located in Gainesville, Georgia. The tornado, which received a rating of F4 on the Fujita scale, initiated a partial collapse of the factory, which sparked a fire that trapped up to 125 workers inside, killing over seventy of those who were trapped in the rubble. The collapse resulted in several work-related hearings, many of which ended with monetary compensation to victims. The collapse and resulting fire is the highest death toll in a single building ever hit by a tornado.

The Gladys Wyant Performing Arts Pavilion is a 6,300 sq. ft. multi-functional facility used for concerts and other performing arts events in Gainesville, Georgia, US. The venue is also used to host weddings, corporate events and dinners. The venue is located on The Arts Council's Smithgall Arts Center complex in downtown Gainesville. Actual groundbreaking was in early January, 2020. Ceremonial groundbreaking for this facility was on January 29, 2020 with community leaders, volunteers, arts patrons and Arts Council staff in attendance. Executive Director of The Arts Council, Gladys Wyant, and Gainesville Mayor, Danny Dunagan spoke to the crowd about the importance of The Arts Council and this new venue, stressing the importance of the organization's ability to serve Gainesville and the broader North Georgia community for both a cultural and economic impact. Also in attendance was Lessie Smithgall, who, with her late husband Charles A. Smithgall Jr, have been longtime patrons of the arts and The Arts Council, lending their name to the complex where the pavilion resides. Work completed on the venue early January 2021. The official ribbon cutting and dedication took place on April 16, 2021 and the venue was officially named after the Executive Director, Gladys Wyant, who had held that role for more than 37 years and was instrumental in the acquisition of the original property from CSX Transportation in 1992. the complete renovation and expansion that followed shortly after, as well as the addition of the new pavilion. Since opening, "The Gladys", as the venue is affectionately known by the local community, has hosted numerous acts like Banks & Shane, Northwards Symphonic Band, Back in Time, The Highwaymen Live, Riverstreet, Nashville Yacht Club Band, Mike Farris, Peabo Bryson, Jonathan Moody Band, Electric Avenue, Fly Betty, Tribute: A Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band, The Marcel Portilla Band and Mary Kate Farmer.The venue is the host to Gainesville's annual Oktoberfest celebration; a community event feature all day entertainment, beer, food and activities for all ages.

The Hall County Jail, on Bradford St. in Gainesville, Georgia, also known as the Old Hall County Jail, is an Art Deco-style building built in 1934–1935. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.It was designed by architect William J.J. Chase and was partially funded by the Federal Emergency Administration of the Public Works Administration.It was used as a jail until 1981.

The Dixie Hunt Hotel is a historic hotel building in Gainesville, Georgia. It was built in 1937 by Brenau University on the site of a former building donated to them by an alumna, the widow of businessman Jim Hunt. The university sold the building in 1969. It was designed in the Art Deco style by architect William J.J. Chase. The style is rare in Georgia; this is one of relatively few Art Deco buildings in the state. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 16, 1985.

Brenau Downtown Center is an event facility operated by Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. The facility was originally built as Georgia Mountains Center in 1980 by the City of Gainesville as a multi-purpose facility and featured an 18,000 square foot arena capable of seating up to 2,500 people. The arena had a 24' ceiling height and balcony seating along two walls. In the past it has hosted trade shows, conventions and several televised WCW matches among other social, business, and sporting events. In addition to box office and food service facilities, the Georgia Mountains Center included a 300-seat theater with a 16-foot proscenium and 36' by 27' stage with full fly loft and orchestra pit. Three meeting rooms of various sizes are located within the center, and can seat up to 375 people when utilized together. In 2013, the Georgia Mountains Center was converted into Brenau Downtown Center. The arena portion of the former Georgia Mountains Center was remodeled into a two-story facility that houses the university's graduate programs in the health sciences like physical therapy. The theater is still open for public use and continue to be a prominent venue for groups like the Georgia Theatre Alliance and the John Jarrard Foundation.

The Gainesville Commercial Historic District in Gainesville, Georgia is an 18-acre (7.3 ha) historic district which is roughly bounded by Broad St., Maple St., Academy St. and Green St. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.It included 50 contributing buildings, 18 non-contributing buildings, one contributing structure, one contributing site, and a contributing object.It includes: Imperial Pharmacy (1871), Hosch Building (c.1901), Logan Building (1929), separately listed on the National Register Dixie Hunt Hotel (1938), separately listed on the National Register Federal Building and Courthouse, separately listed on the National Register Jackson Building, separately listed on the National Register.

The Old Hall County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse in Gainesville, Georgia. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 8, 1995. It is located at the junction of Spring Street and Green Street. It was built in 1937 with an addition at the rear in 1975.The courthouse was designed by the Atlanta architecture firm of Daniell & Beutell in the Stripped Classical style. The courthouse was built after a previous county courthouse, built in 1884, was destroyed by a devastating 1936 tornado. The courthouse construction was partially funded by federal emergency relief for rebuilding. A new courthouse adjacent to the older courthouse was built in 2000-2002.

The Jackson Building is a historic building in Gainesville, Georgia. It was built in 1915 by Levi Prater for Felix Jackson, a businessman who also invested in railroads and steamships in Texas and Philadelphia. It was the tallest building in Gainesville upon its completion. It was designed in the Classical Revival style by S.D. Trowbridge. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since August 1, 1985.

Flat Creek is a stream in Georgia, and is a tributary of the Chattahoochee River in Lake Lanier. The creek is approximately 5.09 miles (8.19 km) long.

Gainesville station is a train station in Gainesville, Georgia, that is currently served by Amtrak's Crescent. The station was also known as the Gainesville Southern Railway Depot. Constructed for the Southern Railway in 1910, the red brick station was built to replace an earlier depot damaged by a tornado in 1903. Norfolk Southern, successor of Southern Railway, uses most of the building as office space. The passenger waiting area is open for an hour before and an hour after trains arrive. The station is currently also used by a local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

The Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is a historic building in Gainesville, Georgia, located at 126 Washington Street. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 24, 1974. Part of the building was constructed in 1910 and used as a post office. James Knox Taylor designed it. The courthouse was constructed behind this building in 1936. The post office building is marble and both buildings are Neoclassical designs.

The Hall County School District is a public school district in Hall County, Georgia, United States, based in Gainesville. Most of the county is in the Hall County School District; however, Portions in the city limits of Buford and Gainesville are in the Buford City School District and the Gainesville City School District, respectively. It serves the communities of Clermont, Flowery Branch, Oakwood, and Rest Haven. It also serves the Hall County portions of Braselton, Gillsville, and Lula, as well as Hall County's unincorporated area.The superintendent is Will Schofield. The chair of the Hall County Board of Education is Nath Morris, who also serves as the North Hall Representative. The four other board members are Craig Herrington, Vice-chairman and West Hall Representative; Sam Chapman, East Hall Representative; Bill Thompson, County At-Large Representative; and Mark Pettitt, South Hall Representative. In October 2009, Hall County Schools received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools with a grade of A.