Sandy Springs history and landmarks

Last checked Oct. 5, 2026. Facts come from the City of Sandy Springs city history page, its Our Journey timeline, the Georgia historical marker as recorded by the Digital Library of Georgia, and the National Park Service’s National Register spreadsheet (listings through May 22, 2026).

Sandy Springs takes its name from a spring: water bubbling up through white sand in a meadow off what is now Sandy Springs Circle. The community around it grew for more than a century before residents spent 40 years fighting to become a city of their own, which they did on Dec. 1, 2005.

Where to see it

• The spring and the Williams-Payne farmhouse: Heritage Sandy Springs, 6075 Sandy Springs Circle; city info 770-730-5600
• Island Ford Lodge (Hewlett Lodge): 1978 Island Ford Parkway, visitor contact station open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
• City history display: the lobby of City Hall, 1 Galambos Way

The springs

The Georgia historical marker at Sandy Springs Circle and Hilderbrand Drive tells the early story. It reads, in part:

“This community is named for the natural springs bubbling up through clear white sand in the meadow below. The Springs were a Cherokee and Creek Indian campsite which became the property of the orphans of John Medows of Henry County in the 1821 Land Lottery.”

According to the marker, Wilson Spruill bought the property in 1842. He and his neighbors built a log cabin church on the ridge above in 1848, and Methodist camp meetings were held there for more than 100 years. The springs were also a resting point on a southeastern migration route. The city’s history page says the area began as a watering stop for Native Americans visiting the springs.

Becoming a city

The city’s history pages tell the story this way:

• 1966: efforts to incorporate began after the City of Atlanta tried to annex the area.
• 1976: resident Eva Galambos became convinced a city of its own was the way forward, and led the effort through groups such as the Committee for Sandy Springs.
• June 21, 2005: 94% of voters approved incorporation.
• Dec. 1, 2005: Sandy Springs became a city, the first new city in Georgia in nearly 50 years. Galambos was elected its first mayor.
• Dec. 19, 2006: the city’s own fire department was commissioned, replacing Fulton County fire service.

Sandy Springs began with a public-private partnership, contracting out most city services. It moved to several contractors in 2010 and 2011, and in 2019 began bringing many services in-house, according to the founding mayor page and timeline. The city says Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Chattahoochee Hills, Peachtree Corners, Milton, Johns Creek and South Fulton all formed after it.

Rusty Paul, who was elected to the founding City Council in 2005 and served alongside Galambos, succeeded her as mayor in January 2014. Galambos died April 19, 2015, at 87.

A downtown of its own

In 2012 the city approved a City Center Master Plan for a 6.9-acre site, and the former Target building at 235 Johnson Ferry Road was torn down to make way for it. City Springs, with the new City Hall and the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, opened with a community ribbon cutting on May 7, 2018, according to the city’s timeline.

National Register of Historic Places

The National Park Service’s list of National Register properties includes two with a Sandy Springs address:

Island Ford Lodge is better known as Hewlett Lodge. The city’s Island Ford page says it was the summer home of Georgia Superior Court Justice Samuel Hewlett, begun in the 1930s with timber from near the Okefenokee Swamp and stone from Stone Mountain, and took six years to build. It is now the Island Ford visitor contact station of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving and Dec. 25, according to the National Park Service. The Park Service charges a $5 standard pass for its river units.

The Isaac Roberts House is listed by address only; the Park Service list does not say whether it is open to visitors.

Historic sites to visit

• Heritage Sandy Springs, 6075 Sandy Springs Circle. A 5.2-acre historic site with the spring, the Williams-Payne farmhouse (about 1869, moved to the springs site in 1985, according to the marker), an amphitheater, a walking trail and a boardwalk, the city’s Heritage Sandy Springs page says.
• Lost Corner Preserve, 7300 Brandon Mill Road. A 24-acre farm property dating to the mid-1800s that the city says had only two owners after Native Americans lived on the land. Peggy Miles deeded it to the city in 2008.
• City Hall history display, 1 Galambos Way. The lobby display, curated by Kimberly M. Brigance, shows photographs, uniforms and memorabilia from the city’s early years, including the jacket of the first fire chief, Jack McElfish, according to the city’s exhibit page.

Frequently asked questions

When did Sandy Springs become a city? Sandy Springs was incorporated on Dec. 1, 2005, after 94% of voters approved cityhood on June 21, 2005. The city says it was the first new city in Georgia in nearly 50 years.

How did Sandy Springs get its name? From natural springs bubbling up through clear white sand in a meadow, according to the Georgia historical marker at Sandy Springs Circle and Hilderbrand Drive. The springs were a Cherokee and Creek campsite.

Who was the first mayor of Sandy Springs? Eva Galambos, who led the incorporation effort for decades and was elected the city’s first mayor in 2005. She died April 19, 2015, at 87.

What National Register sites are in Sandy Springs? The National Park Service lists two properties with a Sandy Springs address: the Isaac Roberts House, 9725 Roberts Drive, listed in 2008, and Island Ford Lodge, 1978 Island Ford Parkway, listed in 2016.

What this means for you

• See where the name came from: the spring and marker are at Heritage Sandy Springs.
• Visit Hewlett Lodge at Island Ford, open daily, on the river.
• Our population page shows how the city has grown since 2010.

Related: parks and trails and things to do this month.