Grovetown, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Grovetown, Georgia is a city in Columbia County
, in the United States
state of Georgia
. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area as well as the Central Savannah River Area
. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,216. The mayor of Grovetown is George W. James III
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.9 square miles. (7.5 km²) 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of Grovetown is land and 0.35% is water.
of 2000, there were 6,089 people, 2,159 households, and 1,597 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,111.9 people per square mile (816.3/km²). There were 2,473 housing units at an average density of 857.7 per square mile (331.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.95% White, 19.94% African American, 0.56% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 3.05% from other races
, and 3.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.25% of the population.
There were 2,159 households out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples
living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.6% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 14.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,382, and the median income for a family was $32,546. Males had a median income of $28,432 versus $21,489 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,256. About 16.3% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
Rosa Lee Owens, who was a teacher, and a city resident, asked permission to address the issue. She related that the historic building was part of the Grovetown history and the building should be preserved rather than destroyed. She proposed having the building relocated on the property and restored for a Grovetown City Museum to preserve the past for future generations. After some discussion both pro and con the Mayor and Council decided to accept her proposal.
The city budget did not include restoration funds for the historical home to become a city museum. Consequently Mayor Dennis Trudeau was determined to move forward as he applied for and received a grant to establish THE FIRST MUSEUM IN COLUMBIA COUNTY in Grovetown. Seemingly the tough part had just begun for someone to design and provide exhibit cases for displays. Rosa Lee again persevered as she contacted the Fort Gordon museum curator for advice to design floor plans for exhibits. She then contacted the Harlem High School Construction Department to implement a project to build exhibit cases. She voluntarily paid for all necessary supplies for nine cases. That wasn't enough so instead of purchasing locks and handles for the cases screws were used to hold the case doors. She then bargained with Montgomery Ward to buy unfinished cases and was able to use the local police department's community service individuals for putting them together.
By this time a number of citizens offered support. Charles Lord a local historian began collecting and organizing exhibits. Others volunteered their time and effort to prepare for the grand opening in March 2000. City officials organized a Grovetown Museum Board with By Laws for operating the facility. Volunteers served as weekend tour guides originally. Later the Museum was included in the City Budget.
, moved to Copse Hill (in the Parham Road area) in the 1860s. As a man of letters (author, poet, and editor), Hayne solicited the postal service to establish the Grovetown post office. The first U.S. mail service was inaugurated in Grovetown on September 28, 1877 with Charles Clifford as postmaster. Mr. Clifford was also the train depot agent and the owner of the corner store.
The first railroad depot was a small structure built in 1878-79. The last depot, that many older residents remember, was an ornate structure built in 1891 at a cost of $5,041.74. It served the citizens of Grovetown until 1970 when passenger trains no longer ran the Augusta¬Atlanta line. It was demolished in 1973.
Many wealthy and influential Augusta residents had summer homes in Grovetown, escaping the heat and disease of the city in the swampy river area. They commuted on the old "Picayune" train, relying on its frequent service. The old Rosland Hotel, later known as the "Eagle," was built in the 1880s. Its huge rotunda was frequently used for church gatherings, suppers, parties, and dances. The hotel later became a boarding house and burned in the 1970s. The Church of Christ is now located on that site.
Several country stores were established on Old Wrightsboro Road near the railroad crossing. The last of these was S. F. Poole's store, where the gazebo now stands, with the "philosophers' bench" by the door. During the early days, many famous residents have lived in the Grovetown area: Hayne, the literary figure; Stewart Phinizy and James Tobin, cotton brokers; Charles Phinizy, banker and railroad president; Dr. H.H. Steiner, prominent physician; and John Dodge, pharmacist and harness racing enthusiast. Mr. Dodge brought his stable from Ohio, built a large home and race track on Dodge Lane.
With the construction of Camp Gordon in 1942, Grovetown experienced rapid growth; no longer the small agricultural town. Camp Gordon, later Fort Gordon, took advantage of the railroad and many military families looked to Grovetown for housing. Gradually more and more retired military saw the benefits of living in this small town, and population began to grow and stabilize.
Currently, Grovetown has a population of approximately 7000, up from the 1990 census figure of 3,596. It is one of two chartered cities in Columbia County. Current annexation and multi-housing construction has increased the population potential of the former quiet town. A variety of stores, dining establishments, expanded schools, and churches add to the town's culture. City services have increased with recreational facilities, increased public safety department, two fire stations, water and sewer services, a new city hall, senior center, and the Grovetown Museum.
The City of Grovetown
From the building of the Georgia Railroad
which passes through town until at least the 1860s, it was known as "Belair, Georgia". Grovetown was incorporated in 1881. Georgia.gov - City of Grovetown
1. Grovetown was organized and chartered as a city in 1881 as Groveton.
2. Dr. Joseph Hatton, Charles Clifford, Ulysses Brooks, Charner McDonald & John Fisk were the first officials who chartered the city.
3. Four mayors: Leon Davidson, Dennis and Maryann Trudeau & George James, lived on Williams Street.
4. Camp (and later Fort) Gordon was named for Confederate Lieutenant General John Brown Gordon.
5. Grovetown purchased their first fire truck in 1955.
6. Grovetown established the sewer system in April 1988.
7. John Dodge wintered in Grovetown for 30 years. Every winter he brought horses with him by train.
8. Goodale Park is named for Vietnam hero, Cpl. Joseph Daniel "Danny" Goodale Jr. He was only 20 when he was killed in the Vietnam War in March 1969.
9. Born in Minnesota, Mayor Dennis Trudeau enlisted in the Canadian Army in October 1942 because his family was living in Canada when the war started. He served in the 1 sl Canadian Parachute Battalion, attached to the 6th British Airborne Division. He dropped into Normandy on June 6, 1944, was captured by the Germans and was a POW for 10 months.
10. Grovetown has 5 welcome signs from every direction. They each say something different: Come Grow With Us, Home of Teri Gibbs, A Friendly Little City, A Community that Cares, and Come Grow With Us
11. Rosalind Hotel later called "The Eagle" had a roller skating rink on the second story mezzanine.
12. Euchee Creek Library Opened May 1994.
13. James Street in Grovetown is named after the current mayor's grandfather.
14. Four Grovetown Elementary Schools are addressed Grovetown: Lewiston, Cedar Ridge Euchee Creek
15. There are 4 City Council members; Sonny McDowell, Bruce Stoddard, and Robert Newman, Barry Davis
16. There is not another Grovetown in the US. There are three (3) Groveton's: VA, NH, TX and a Grovertown IN.
17. The Veterans Memorial Wall is the largest monument in Grovetown.
18. Dr. Joseph Hatton in 1882 was our first Mayor elected.
19. The Grovetown Museum opened in 2000.
20. Charles Clifford was made the town's first postmaster on Sept 28, 1877, and served until 1934, when he died as one of the nation's oldest postmasters in tenure. He was also a Georgia Railroad Agent and a town official at incorporation. He managed a country store for a number of years, where telephone service appeared from in 1905.
21. James A. Garfield was president when the City of Grovetown was organized and Chartered.
22. The first public water system was proposed for Grovetown during Mayor E.B. Trigg's term in 1951. The following year in 1952 under Mayor R. T. Hardy, it was unveiled at a cost of $63,183.45 W.B. Dorn donated the land.
23. For a period of approximately 33 yrs. Grovetown did not have a mayor. 1916 - 1949
Columbia County, Georgia
Columbia County is a county located in the US state of Georgia along the Savannah River. As of 2010 the population was 124,054 a growth of 39% from the 2000 census figure of 89,288. The de jure county seat is Appling. Appling is an unincorporated area, making Columbia one of only three counties...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area as well as the Central Savannah River Area
Central Savannah River Area
The Central Savannah River Area is a 13-county region in the U.S. state of Georgia, and is also considered to include five to eight counties in South Carolina. The term was coined in 1950 by C.C. McCollum, the winner of a $250 contest held by The Augusta Chronicle to generate the best name for the...
. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,216. The mayor of Grovetown is George W. James III
Geography
Grovetown is located at 33°26′58"N 82°11′49"W (33.449324, -82.196972).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.9 square miles. (7.5 km²) 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of Grovetown is land and 0.35% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,089 people, 2,159 households, and 1,597 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,111.9 people per square mile (816.3/km²). There were 2,473 housing units at an average density of 857.7 per square mile (331.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.95% White, 19.94% African American, 0.56% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 3.05% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.25% of the population.
There were 2,159 households out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.6% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 14.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,382, and the median income for a family was $32,546. Males had a median income of $28,432 versus $21,489 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $13,256. About 16.3% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
Grovetown High School, Grovetown Middle School, Columbia Middle School, Grovetown Elementary School, Baker Place Elementary School, Brookwood Elementary School, Cedar Ridge Elementary School, Euchee Creek Elementary School,Columbia County Alternative School.Museum
Grovetown city officials were in the process of building a new City hall in 1997. The land was purchased but, a dilapidated historical home built in the late 19th century stood in the way. During a City Council meeting the mayor stated that they had decided to torch the building which would clear the area and give the city Fire Department experience for buildings burning in a close proximity.Rosa Lee Owens, who was a teacher, and a city resident, asked permission to address the issue. She related that the historic building was part of the Grovetown history and the building should be preserved rather than destroyed. She proposed having the building relocated on the property and restored for a Grovetown City Museum to preserve the past for future generations. After some discussion both pro and con the Mayor and Council decided to accept her proposal.
The city budget did not include restoration funds for the historical home to become a city museum. Consequently Mayor Dennis Trudeau was determined to move forward as he applied for and received a grant to establish THE FIRST MUSEUM IN COLUMBIA COUNTY in Grovetown. Seemingly the tough part had just begun for someone to design and provide exhibit cases for displays. Rosa Lee again persevered as she contacted the Fort Gordon museum curator for advice to design floor plans for exhibits. She then contacted the Harlem High School Construction Department to implement a project to build exhibit cases. She voluntarily paid for all necessary supplies for nine cases. That wasn't enough so instead of purchasing locks and handles for the cases screws were used to hold the case doors. She then bargained with Montgomery Ward to buy unfinished cases and was able to use the local police department's community service individuals for putting them together.
By this time a number of citizens offered support. Charles Lord a local historian began collecting and organizing exhibits. Others volunteered their time and effort to prepare for the grand opening in March 2000. City officials organized a Grovetown Museum Board with By Laws for operating the facility. Volunteers served as weekend tour guides originally. Later the Museum was included in the City Budget.
History
The City of Grovetown was chartered by the Georgia Legislature and officially incorporated in 1881. The name of the small village purportedly came from the old Grove Baptist Church that was founded in 1808. A southern poet famous in the post-Civil War era, Paul Hamilton HaynePaul Hamilton Hayne
Paul Hamilton Hayne was a nineteenth century Southern American poet, critic, and editor.-Biography:Paul Hamilton Hayne was born in Charleston, South Carolina on January 1, 1830. After losing his father as a young child, Hayne was reared by his mother in the home of his prosperous and prominent...
, moved to Copse Hill (in the Parham Road area) in the 1860s. As a man of letters (author, poet, and editor), Hayne solicited the postal service to establish the Grovetown post office. The first U.S. mail service was inaugurated in Grovetown on September 28, 1877 with Charles Clifford as postmaster. Mr. Clifford was also the train depot agent and the owner of the corner store.
The first railroad depot was a small structure built in 1878-79. The last depot, that many older residents remember, was an ornate structure built in 1891 at a cost of $5,041.74. It served the citizens of Grovetown until 1970 when passenger trains no longer ran the Augusta¬Atlanta line. It was demolished in 1973.
Many wealthy and influential Augusta residents had summer homes in Grovetown, escaping the heat and disease of the city in the swampy river area. They commuted on the old "Picayune" train, relying on its frequent service. The old Rosland Hotel, later known as the "Eagle," was built in the 1880s. Its huge rotunda was frequently used for church gatherings, suppers, parties, and dances. The hotel later became a boarding house and burned in the 1970s. The Church of Christ is now located on that site.
Several country stores were established on Old Wrightsboro Road near the railroad crossing. The last of these was S. F. Poole's store, where the gazebo now stands, with the "philosophers' bench" by the door. During the early days, many famous residents have lived in the Grovetown area: Hayne, the literary figure; Stewart Phinizy and James Tobin, cotton brokers; Charles Phinizy, banker and railroad president; Dr. H.H. Steiner, prominent physician; and John Dodge, pharmacist and harness racing enthusiast. Mr. Dodge brought his stable from Ohio, built a large home and race track on Dodge Lane.
With the construction of Camp Gordon in 1942, Grovetown experienced rapid growth; no longer the small agricultural town. Camp Gordon, later Fort Gordon, took advantage of the railroad and many military families looked to Grovetown for housing. Gradually more and more retired military saw the benefits of living in this small town, and population began to grow and stabilize.
Currently, Grovetown has a population of approximately 7000, up from the 1990 census figure of 3,596. It is one of two chartered cities in Columbia County. Current annexation and multi-housing construction has increased the population potential of the former quiet town. A variety of stores, dining establishments, expanded schools, and churches add to the town's culture. City services have increased with recreational facilities, increased public safety department, two fire stations, water and sewer services, a new city hall, senior center, and the Grovetown Museum.
The City of Grovetown
From the building of the Georgia Railroad
Georgia Railroad and Banking Company
The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company is a historic railroad and banking company that operated in the U.S. state of Georgia.- History :It was originally chartered in 1833 in Augusta, Georgia. In 1835, the charter was amended to include banking...
which passes through town until at least the 1860s, it was known as "Belair, Georgia". Grovetown was incorporated in 1881. Georgia.gov - City of Grovetown
Fact Sheet
GA Cities Week Grovetown Fact Sheet1. Grovetown was organized and chartered as a city in 1881 as Groveton.
2. Dr. Joseph Hatton, Charles Clifford, Ulysses Brooks, Charner McDonald & John Fisk were the first officials who chartered the city.
3. Four mayors: Leon Davidson, Dennis and Maryann Trudeau & George James, lived on Williams Street.
4. Camp (and later Fort) Gordon was named for Confederate Lieutenant General John Brown Gordon.
5. Grovetown purchased their first fire truck in 1955.
6. Grovetown established the sewer system in April 1988.
7. John Dodge wintered in Grovetown for 30 years. Every winter he brought horses with him by train.
8. Goodale Park is named for Vietnam hero, Cpl. Joseph Daniel "Danny" Goodale Jr. He was only 20 when he was killed in the Vietnam War in March 1969.
9. Born in Minnesota, Mayor Dennis Trudeau enlisted in the Canadian Army in October 1942 because his family was living in Canada when the war started. He served in the 1 sl Canadian Parachute Battalion, attached to the 6th British Airborne Division. He dropped into Normandy on June 6, 1944, was captured by the Germans and was a POW for 10 months.
10. Grovetown has 5 welcome signs from every direction. They each say something different: Come Grow With Us, Home of Teri Gibbs, A Friendly Little City, A Community that Cares, and Come Grow With Us
11. Rosalind Hotel later called "The Eagle" had a roller skating rink on the second story mezzanine.
12. Euchee Creek Library Opened May 1994.
13. James Street in Grovetown is named after the current mayor's grandfather.
14. Four Grovetown Elementary Schools are addressed Grovetown: Lewiston, Cedar Ridge Euchee Creek
15. There are 4 City Council members; Sonny McDowell, Bruce Stoddard, and Robert Newman, Barry Davis
16. There is not another Grovetown in the US. There are three (3) Groveton's: VA, NH, TX and a Grovertown IN.
17. The Veterans Memorial Wall is the largest monument in Grovetown.
18. Dr. Joseph Hatton in 1882 was our first Mayor elected.
19. The Grovetown Museum opened in 2000.
20. Charles Clifford was made the town's first postmaster on Sept 28, 1877, and served until 1934, when he died as one of the nation's oldest postmasters in tenure. He was also a Georgia Railroad Agent and a town official at incorporation. He managed a country store for a number of years, where telephone service appeared from in 1905.
21. James A. Garfield was president when the City of Grovetown was organized and Chartered.
22. The first public water system was proposed for Grovetown during Mayor E.B. Trigg's term in 1951. The following year in 1952 under Mayor R. T. Hardy, it was unveiled at a cost of $63,183.45 W.B. Dorn donated the land.
23. For a period of approximately 33 yrs. Grovetown did not have a mayor. 1916 - 1949