Marker Recognizes Canton's Historic Stumptown Neighborhood

There’s a new historic marker commemorating Canton’s Stumptown neighborhood.

A ribbon cutting for the new marker is set for 10 a.m. July 22 in Burge Park on Crisler Street, History Cherokee and the city of Canton announced. The ceremony will be followed by a reception at Zion Baptist Church.

Earlier this year , History Cherokee staff asked city officials for funding for the project. History Cherokee developed the marker, and the city paid for it and installed it in Burge Park.

“This initiative came out of our Black History Committee, who has been working with us on exhibits in the History Center. Stumptown is one of the historic Black communities, and so they wanted to commemorate its history,” said History Cherokee Executive Director Stefanie Joyner. “We decided that a historic marker detailing the history of the community would be a good way to do that.”

The marker shares the history of Stumptown and its significance in the city’s history.

Stumptown is one of Cherokee County’s oldest predominately Black communities.

According to History Cherokee, the area was called Stumptown because many tree stumps were left under house foundations when it was developed in the 1920s. The community included Crisler, Burge, Teasley and Roy Streets, and Jefferson Circle.

Parking is available at the churches near Burge Park, but is limited. Carpooling is suggested.

More information about Stumptown can also be found via History Cherokee’s Black History Driving Tours, online at https://georgia-humanities.opentour.site/cherokee-county-black-history .

Joyner said that the Stumptown sign is the first of more to come.

“It’s hopefully one of many,” she said. “We’ve got a partnership agreement (with the city) in place that we’re going to be working on perhaps future signage around the city. We feel it’s important to recognize these historic communities, and we appreciate what the Black History Committee has done to help us move this forward.”