Piedmont College purchases Land near Demorest Campus

Piedmont College has completed the acquisition of 80 acres contiguous to the Demorest campus from longtime friends of the college.  The site, property of the Rohletter family since the early 1900s, once served as a farm managed by Mary and the late Ray Rohletter. South of campus, the property is partly bordered by Camp Creek and U.S. 441. In 2002, the Rohletters, longtime fixtures of the Demorest community, gifted approximately 11 acres of their farm to Piedmont for incorporation into the wetlands conversion of the former lake.  “We are deeply grateful to the Rohletter family, in particular, Ray and Mary’s children Joel Rohletter, Jennifer Rohletter Chambers, and Amanda Rohletter Powell, for their commitment to our students by enabling the transfer of this unique asset,” said Piedmont President James F. Mellichamp. To honor the family, the college has named the area the “Mary and Ray Rohletter Farm Campus.” A future access road through the property will be named “Rohletter Farm Drive.”  With the acquisition, completed July 12, Piedmont’s property holdings are more than 400 acres in Demorest. The college also operates a four-acre campus in Athens.  Mellichamp said civil engineers are preparing preliminary designs for the road placement. The college has not determined how the property will be developed. “This acquisition increases our landholdings in Demorest by nearly 25%,” said Mellichamp. “We are a thriving institution that is growing. This land will provide room for future development.”