The Town of Carl was first incorporated in early 1800’s as Dillard’s Crossroads. William Dillard, born in Virginia about 1770, came from South Carolina to Gwinnett County in the 1820’s. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in Maryland in 1768. William and Elizabeth Dillard and their son Thomas (1795-1881) and his wife, Milly Ann Stone (1797-1875) came to Georgia together. They settled on the east side of Williamson Creek where it flows into the Apalachee River. In 1852, the Farm Owners Survey of Walton County showed Thomas Dillard owning 622 acres of land in the Georgia Militia District of Cut-off 449. Flanigan’s History of Gwinnett County, listed Thomas Dillard among the 1860 Plantation owners of 500 or more acres and 8 slaves. Thomas Dillard fought in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier after his son, Charner Dillard (1836-1860), hid in an abandoned well to avoid joining the Army. Both Thomas and Milly Ann are buried in the Dillard cemetery (later Omer Church cemetery).

The town received its official name of Carl from the Georgia legislature in 1893 in honor of Carl Pate, the infant son born to a prominent local man named Jesse Pate who was the town’s first postmaster.

The earliest news items mentioning Carl appeared August 17, 1894, in the Lawrenceville paper. The local scribe indicated the town was growing as “carpenters are in demand and the sound of the hammer and saw can be heard from morning until night.” Crops were good and there was a big turnout for the Democratic Primary. Jesse Pate went to Augusta to attend the Odd Fellow’s convention, so people were using the train that had so recently been introduced to the Auburn-Carl area in 1891 and 1892. Perry-Rainey College would open September 16, 1894, and “will excel any school in North Georgia.” Both Auburn and Carl were growing as people wanted to be near the railroad and the new college, and people came every day looking for houses to rent.

Perry-Rainey College opened with 107 students, 29 of whom were in the college. Vocal music was taught daily free to all students who bought the required books. A monthly series of lectures, free to all students, were delivered by distinguished gentlemen. Board was $7.00 per month, including light and fires, and tuition was $1.00 and $2.00 per month.

Built in 1903, the Carl House was the centerpiece and home to the Durham family who cultivated a large and thriving ornamental plant nursery. Momma Coral was the matriarch of the family, who with her husband raised five children in the town of Carl.

In the year 1906, Carl organized a baseball team and played Perry-Rainey. In their first game, Perry-Rainey won by a score of 8 to 5. The Carl line up was: G.S. Perry, catcher; W.E. Perry, first base; J.N. Foster, second base; J.L. Betts, third base; B.E. Lovin, right field; J.G. Brown, center field; Hoyt Daniel, left field; Thad Journey, short stop; Bee Dalton, pitcher. Later in the same month these two teams played again, and this time Carl won with a score of 5 to 2. The feature of this game was Bee Dalton’s pitching, as he struck out 18 men.

When Perry-Rainey was sold to the Christian Denomination, many people moved away. Both Carl and Auburn were Baptist communities, and people did not look kindly upon the Campbellites (as members of the Christian Church were often called) taking over “their” school. They were not about to send their children to a school run by the Christians! So began the decline of both towns. The coming of the boll weevil hastened the decline, leading the town of Carl past it’s golden years.  

The Carl House was purchased in 1986 by Thomas and Lynn Webb, along with their three young children, which Thomas then became the mayor of Carl soon after.

Today, the Town of Carl has 225 residents, and is a town in Barrow County, Georgia. It is within the Barrow County School System and the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, and it is only one square mile in size. The town is approximately 32 miles from Athens and 43 miles from Atlanta. David Brock currently serves as the town’s Mayor, Ken Lewis currently serves as the town’s Attorney, and Deana Davis currently serves as the town’s Clerk.

The Carl House’s original Southern Garden plan has been restored with the addition of an exquisite gazebo under which many of the best and most beautiful wedding ceremonies in the South have been held. The feel of Carl House has been described appropriately as ‘casually elegant’, never stuffy, and able to be transformed for all manner of personalized signature events and gatherings!