Main Street Millen

Mission: To make Millen a place where people want to stay and live through improvement of its economic, cultural, aesthetic, and social aspects while maintaining its historic quality and small town atmosphere. Vision: To work together to enhance the quality of life and to retain the sense of community for the citizens of Millen and Jenkins County, those who live here, work here, and visit here

Historic Downtown Millen: The main commercial area of Millen is located on Cotton Avenue. Most of the buildings on this street along with some on side streets are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The centerpiece of Millen is the majestic Jenkins County Courthouse that sits on an entire city block. The Neoclassical Revival structure, completed in 1912, was designed by Lewis F. Goodrick of Augusta. It has been the center of county government since it opened. The building has just been extensively renovated. The Jenkins County Museum is located in one of the two railroad depots still in use in Millen. The museum contains local histories, Native American Indian artifacts, tools, and cotton mill equipment. Founded in 1905, Jenkins County is one of the smallest counties in Georgia with a population of about 9200. Millen, the county seat and only metropolitan area in the county, has a population of 3700. Millen grew into a town because of its proximity to major railroads. Cotton Avenue is is an excellent example of a railroad commercial district. The Central Railroad Company built a line between Savannah and Macon via Millen in the 1830’s; a north-south line from Millen to Augusta built by the Savannah Railroad in 1852 turned Millen into a major trade post. Two major depots located along Cotton Avenue indicate the significance of rail transportation in Millen. Both built in the early 1900’s, one is currently used by Norfolk Southern and the other houses the Millen-Jenkins County Museum and Chamber of Commerce. Railroad activity continues to be important in Millen. The terminal serves as a switch station where trains are reassembled. As many as fifteen trains pass through Millen daily. Train watching is an attraction; a train viewing platform is available for train enthusiasts.