History

In the late 1800’s, three wine-making communities were founded in Haralson County. A local land developer, Ralph L. Spencer, invited about 200 Hungarian families to settle this region.

They named their largest community Budapest, in honor of the capital of their homeland. The village of Tokaj recalled the famous wine-making region of Hungary and Nitra (mainly comprised of Slovakians) was named after an ancient fort in the northern region of the country.

Homes, streets, shops, schools, churches, cemeteries and other municipal facilities were built. The wine industry flourished in this climate. In 1907, the passage of the Prohibition Act in Georgia spelled their doom. Most of the residents returned to the Pennsylvania coal mines they had left years before. The Hungarian settlements slowly depopulated and eventually ceased to exist. Today, only the BUDAPEST CEMETERY indicates that Hungarians once lived in this area.

“Budapest” Cemetery and The rectory (“Priest House”) are among the few remnants. The pioneering Hungarians who became part of the Georgia soil lie in the Budapest cemetery, many of the graves marked with names which sound foreign to these parts.

In 2022, the Budapest Cemetery became the property of the Hungarian Community Church of Georgia. The organization began the renovation of the deteriorated cemetery in 2022, which was completed in 2024. Now, a fully renovated historical site awaits the visitors.