Elberton, Georgia

Elberton is the largest city in Elbert County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,743 at the 2000 census. However, the City of Elberton estimates its current population at 6,000. The city is the county seat of Elbert County^GR6 and serves as a hub for industry and small business in Northeast Georgia. Founded in 1803, Elberton is known around the globe as the "Granite Capital of the World."

1 Geography
2 Government
3 Demographics
4 Granite
5 Southeastern Power
6 Education
7 Local Media
8 Transportation
9 External links

[edit] Geography

Elberton is located at 34°6′35″N, 82°51′56″W (34.109628, -82.865669)^GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.4 km² (4.0 mi²). 10.3 km² (3.96 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.50%) is water.

[edit] Government

Elberton operates under a Council-Manager form of government. In this style of government, the city manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city, the five-person elected council serves as a board of directors, and the mayor performs more ceremonial duties and presides over council meetings, although Elberton mayors have traditionally taken a more active role in running the city.

The City of Elberton also operates Elberton Utilities, a comprehensive utility system which includes electric, gas, water, sewer, cable television, and internet services; Main Street Elberton, which promotes development in the downtown area; and the Elbert Theatre, which reopened in 2001 after extensive renovations and now hosts numerous productions throughout the year.

For over twenty years, Elberton has been the sister city of Mure, Kagawa, Japan. Students have the opportunity each year to participate in an exchange program sponsored by the two cities.

The Historic Elbert Theatre

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 4,743 people, 1,985 households, and 1,274 families residing in the city. The population density was 456.7/km² (1,183.4/mi²). There were 2,265 housing units at an average density of 218.1/km² (565.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.33% White, 37.99% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 1.33% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.21% of the population.

There were 1,985 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,246, and the median income for a family was $31,154. Males had a median income of $29,277 versus $19,470 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,486. About 21.3% of families and 24.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.3% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

Income statistics are somewhat skewed, however, by an odd distribution of wealth in Elberton and Elbert County. The granite industry creates a large upper-middle/upper class and a large lower class, with a relatively small middle class. Overall, Elbert County is fairly wealthy, though its per capita income is low and poverty level is high.

[edit] Granite

Elberton is known around the globe as the "Granite Capital of the World," annually producing more granite monuments than any other city in the world. The city's post-Civil War history has largely revolved around the industry, following the opening of the first commercial quarry and manufacturing plant by Dr. Nathaniel Long in 1889. As the industry grew in the early 1900s, so did Elberton's importance on the passenger and freight railroad lines, bringing many travelers and businessmen to the city and leading to its heyday.

Several granite monuments, including the Georgia Guidestones, are located in or near Elberton. For more information on the city's granite industry, see the Elberton Granite Association website.

Elberton's famed Granite Bowl has been recognized on multiple occasions as one of America's most unique high school football stadiums. The venue seats 20,000 and features the former Sanford Stadium (University of Georgia) scoreboard. The size of the venue, combined with the historical success of the Elbert County football program, creates an atmosphere like few others in high school football.

[edit] Southeastern Power

Since 1950, Elberton has served as the headquarters of the Southeastern Power Administration, a division of the United States Department of Energy. The authority markets power generated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers across the southern United States. The authority recently moved from its downtown headquarters in the former Samuel Elbert Hotel to a new building on Athens Tech Drive on the western end of the city.

[edit] Education

Public

The city is served by the Elbert County School District. Five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school are located within the city. The school system is one of the county's largest employers.

Private

Elberton Christian School, located on Rhodes Drive, provides a Christian-based education to students in the Elberton area.

Athens Christian School, located 30 miles west of the city, also provides bus service to Elberton.

Higher Education

Athens Technical College operates a full satellite campus on the western end of the city.

Colleges in nearby cities include the University of Georgia, Emmanuel College, Anderson University, Clemson University, and Gainesville College.

[edit] Local Media

Elberton is currently served by one newspaper, The Elberton Star, though several others (including the Elbert County Examiner and the Elbert Beacon, both of which merged with the Star) have covered the city over the years. The Star has been published since 1887.

The Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail also publishes a daily Northeast Georgia edition which covers the Elberton area.

The city is also served by four local radio stations. WSGC-AM 1400, which plays an oldies format, is one of Georgia's oldest, having been on the air since 1946. WSGC-FM 92.1 and WXKT-FM 100.1 play country music while WLVX-FM 105.1 specializes in R&B.

Elberton is in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville television market, though local cable and satellite providers also carry stations from the Atlanta market.

[edit] Transportation

Highways

Georgia State Routes 17, 72, 77 and 77 Connector pass through the city. Heard, Oliver, Church, and McIntosh Streets are the primary thoroughfares downtown while College Avenue and Elbert Street bypass the downtown area and serve as the major routes through the city.

Interstate 85 passes just 30 miles north of Elberton, while Interstate 20 is accessible 50 miles to the south. Both are reached via State Route 17. State Route 72 connects Elberton with Athens to the west and Abbeville, South Carolina to the east, while State Route 77 connects to Lexington and Hartwell. State Route 17 south connects to Washington, Georgia. State Route 368 begins just north of the city and links Elberton to Anderson, South Carolina.

Plans for the proposed Interstate 3 have the highway passing through Elberton.

Airports

Elberton and Elbert County are served locally by the Elbert County-Patz Field Airport, located just east of the city on State Route 72.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located 100 miles west of Elberton, while Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is located 75 miles to the east.

Regional air transportation is available in the nearby cities of Athens and Anderson, South Carolina.

Railroad

For many years, Elberton was an important passenger stop on the main line of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The line is now operated by CSX Transportation and remains in use for freight transportation. A spur line also connects Elberton to a main line of the Norfolk Southern Railway (formerly Southern Railway).