Cobb County, GA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Designating body
- Historic Preservation Commission
- Review required
- Certificate of appropriateness
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Cobb County only
Summary
Cobb County's historic preservation commission can designate landmarks worthy of preservation for architectural, historic, or cultural significance, which then requires commission review before any material change to the property.
An historic landmark is a building, structure, site, work of art, including the adjacent area necessary for the proper appreciation or use thereof, deemed worthy of preservation by reason of value to the county, state or region for one or more of the following reasons:(1)It is an outstanding example of a structure representative of its era.(2)It is one of the few remaining examples of past architectural style.(3)It is a place or structure associated with an event or person of historic or cultural significance to the county, the state or the region.(b)Boundary description. Boundaries of historic landmarks shall be clearly defined for individual properties on tax maps and located on the official zoning map. (Ord. of 8-28-84, § 3; Code 1977, § 3-21-23(c); Amd. of 2-9-21)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
The historic preservation commission nominates buildings, structures, sites or works of art as local landmarks when they are outstanding examples of their era, rare surviving examples of a past architectural style, or tied to a historically or culturally significant event or person. Once the board of commissioners adopts a designation ordinance, owners must obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the commission before making any material change in appearance to the designated property. This applies only in unincorporated Cobb County.
Violations & Fines
Making a material change in appearance to a designated landmark without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness from the historic preservation commission violates Code § 66-81.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this landmark rule apply inside Marietta or Smyrna?
What qualifies a building as a Cobb County historic landmark?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia historic preservation overview
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