Vinings, Georgia

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Vinings, Georgia
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°51′41″N 84°28′13″W / 33.86139, -84.47028
Country United States
State Georgia
County Cobb
Area
 - Total 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km²)
 - Land 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km²)
 - Water 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
Elevation 915 ft (279 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 9,677
 - Density 2,932.4/sq mi (1,138.5/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 30339
Area code(s) 770
FIPS code 13-79612[1]
GNIS feature ID 0356615[2]
Website: http://www.viningsga.org/
Vining's municipal center at night
Vining's municipal center at night

Vinings is a census-designated place and an unincorporated town in Cobb County, Georgia, just across the Chattahoochee River from Atlanta. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 9,677. The United States Postal Service uses "Atlanta" for all Vinings addresses, although "Vinings" is still acceptable. Vinings, Georgia is located between the affluent West Paces Ferry section of Buckhead in Atlanta, along with Cumberland and Smyrna, Georgia in Cobb County.

Home Depot is headquartered just outside Vinings.

Contents

[edit] History

Early on, Vinings was known as Crossroads, and then Paces, after Hardy Pace around 1830. He operated Pace's Ferry across the Chattahoochee River, in this area between Atlanta, Buckhead, and Smyrna. Paces Ferry Road is still the main east-west road through town. The Western and Atlantic Railroad laid tracks from Atlanta, northwest to Chattanooga in the 1840s. Vinings became a construction station for the railroad, and was reportedly named for a civil engineer who helped to lay the tracks through the area. The railroad is still state-owned as it was from the beginning, and is now leased to CSX.

General William T. Sherman liberated the Vinings area during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War in 1864 on his March to the Sea. Unfortunately, Pace's home which had been used as a hospital for American (Union) troops was destroyed in the process. Vinings recovered after the war as Governor Brown leased the railroad to Vinings to bring passengers to the springs and pavilions built to encourage a respite from the reconstruction of Atlanta.

The Vinings Historic Preservation Society seeks to keep the town's history alive. [1]

[edit] Geography

Vinings is located at 33°51′41″N, 84°28′13″W (33.861504, -84.470267)[3]. Vinings lies at approximately the same latitude as Los Angeles, Phoenix and Casablanca.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (3.34%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 9,677 people, 5,227 households, and 1,740 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,039.2 people per square mile (1,174.9/km²). There were 5,670 housing units at an average density of 1,780.8/sq mi (688.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 81.97% White, 12.09% African American, 0.19% Native American, 3.69% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.26% of the population.

There were 5,227 households out of which 11.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.3% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 66.7% were non-families. 43.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.61.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 10.8% under the age of 18, 15.5% from 18 to 24, 50.9% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $58,876, and the median income for a family was $85,121. Males had a median income of $48,685 versus $36,315 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $45,068. About 4.3% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

Vinings residents attend schools in the Cobb County School District. Residents are zoned to Teasley Elementary School, Campbell Middle School, and Campbell High School.

Vinings is unincorporated, and is therefore under the jurisdiction of Cobb's county commission and other public services. After the success of Sandy Springs, there was discussion and at least one public meeting on whether the town should also incorporate as a "city" (the only type of municipality in Georgia). With residents evenly split, there was no consensus, and the idea was shelved mainly due to concerns about potential property tax increases.

However, some expressed optimism that the Georgia Township Act might allow it to become a "township", equivalent in function to a village in many other U.S. states. This would allow it control of zoning, including burying unsightly utility line clutter in historic Vinings, and other land use (the major dispute with the county), and as written would cap additional property taxes at a half mill (0.5 per mille, or 50¢ per 1000$ annually). The bill is expected to be reintroduced in the 2008 session on the Georgia General Assembly.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links