Bona Allen Shoe Factory
Built in 1919 by the Bona Allen Company, the brick shoe factory beside the Buford railroad tracks gave the town its nickname, "The Leather City," turning out hundreds of thousands of pairs a year and saddles for Hollywood cowboys. Local lore says the grind turned darker: one worker was found hanging from boot straps one summer morning, and a later fire reportedly killed several more men inside.
A weathered tombstone still rests beneath the exterior stairs, its occupant unexplained, and visitors whisper that the dead laborers never clocked out, working on into the night. The building later housed the Tannery Row Artist Colony and the Tannery Row Ale House, which leaned into the legend with an annual "Paranormal Party." The Ale House now appears closed, but the factory's haunted reputation endures.
📍 554 W. Main St., Buford, GA, Buford, GA · Get directions