Grovetown, Georgia
City
Motto: 
A community that cares
Location in Columbia County and the state of Georgia
Location in Columbia County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°26′58″N 82°11′49″W / 33.44944°N 82.19694°W / 33.44944; -82.19694
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyColumbia
Government
 • MayorGary Jones[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total5.29 sq mi (13.69 km2)
 • Land5.27 sq mi (13.65 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation
482 ft (147 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total15,577
 • Density2,954.67/sq mi (1,140.81/km2)
 est.
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
30813
Area code706
FIPS code1335716[3]
GNIS feature ID356123[4]
WebsiteOfficial website

Grovetown is a city in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Augusta metropolitan area and the Central Savannah River Area. The 2019 population estimate was 15,152.[3] The mayor is Gary Jones.[1]

History

From the building of the Georgia Railroad, which travels through the city until at least the 1860s, the community was known as "Belair".[5] The city was chartered by the Georgia Legislature and officially incorporated on January 1, 1881.[5] The name of the small village purportedly came from the old Grove Baptist Church that was founded in 1808. A poet famous in the post-Civil War era, Paul Hamilton Hayne, moved to Copse Hill in the Parham Road area in the 1860s. He solicited the United States Postal Service to establish the Grovetown post office. The first U.S. mail service was inaugurated on September 28, 1877, with Charles Clifford as postmaster. Mr. Clifford was also the train depot agent and the owner of the corner store.[6]

The first railroad depot was a small structure built in 1878–79. The last depot 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 traveled on the Augusta–Atlanta line. It was demolished in 1973.[6]

Many wealthy and influential Augusta residents had summer homes in Grovetown, escaping the heat and disease of the city. They commuted on the old "Picayune" train, relying on its frequent service. The 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. It later became a boarding house and burned in the 1970s. The Church of Christ is now located on the site.[6]

Several country stores were established on Old Wrightsboro Road near the railroad crossing. One was S. F. Poole's store, where the gazebo now stands at the corner with Robinson Avenue, with a "philosophers' bench" by the door. During the early days, many famous residents 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, physician; and John Dodge, pharmacist and harness racing enthusiast. Dodge brought his stable from Ohio and built a large home and racetrack.[6]

With the construction of Camp Gordon in 1942, Grovetown experienced rapid growth; it was no longer a small agricultural town. Due to its close proximity to Fort Gordon (now Fort Eisenhower), Many military families looked to Grovetown for housing. Gradually, more and more retired military saw the benefits of living in the small town and population began to grow and stabilize.[6]

Annexation and multi-housing construction has increased the population of the formerly quiet town. Currently, Grovetown has a population of approximately 15,000,[3] up from the 1990 census figure of 3,596. A variety of stores, dining establishments, schools, and churches add to the town's culture. Services include recreational facilities, a public safety department, two fire stations, water and sewer services, a senior center, and museum.[6]

Geography

Grovetown is located in southern Columbia County. Downtown Augusta is 15 miles (24 km) east. The northern boundary of Fort Eisenhower is 2 miles (3 km) south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Grovetown has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.5 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.23%, is water.[7]

Climate and weather extremes

Grovetown has yet had some extreme weather. The strongest tornado was an EF2 on October 31, 2019. The highest temperature was 108 °F both on August 10, 2007, and on August 21, 1983. The coldest temperature was −1 °F set on January 21, 1985.

Climate data for Augusta Daniel Field Airport, Georgia (1991–2020 normals,[lower-alpha 1] extremes 1871–present[lower-alpha 2])
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 84
(29)		 88
(31)		 93
(34)		 96
(36)		 101
(38)		 106
(41)		 107
(42)		 108
(42)		 106
(41)		 101
(38)		 90
(32)		 84
(29)		 108
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 76
(24)		 79
(26)		 85
(29)		 89
(32)		 94
(34)		 98.2
(36.8)		 100
(38)		 99
(37)		 95
(35)		 89
(32)		 82
(28)		 73
(23)		 101
(38)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 59.6
(15.3)		 63.5
(17.5)		 71.0
(21.7)		 78.5
(25.8)		 85.9
(29.9)		 91.3
(32.9)		 94.1
(34.5)		 92.6
(33.7)		 87.8
(31.0)		 79.0
(26.1)		 69.1
(20.6)		 61.5
(16.4)		 77.8
(25.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 47.4
(8.6)		 52.1
(11.2)		 57.5
(14.2)		 64.6
(18.1)		 72.7
(22.6)		 79.7
(26.5)		 80.9
(27.2)		 81.8
(27.7)		 76.4
(24.7)		 66.0
(18.9)		 55.6
(13.1)		 49.4
(9.7)		 65.4
(18.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 35.3
(1.8)		 38.1
(3.4)		 44.1
(6.7)		 50.1
(10.1)		 59.6
(15.3)		 70.3
(21.3)		 71.6
(22.0)		 71.0
(21.7)		 65.0
(18.3)		 53.1
(11.7)		 42.2
(5.7)		 37.3
(2.9)		 53.0
(11.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 18
(−8)		 21
(−6)		 26
(−3)		 34
(1)		 44
(7)		 60.2
(15.7)		 63
(17)		 61
(16)		 50
(10)		 35
(2)		 25
(−4)		 19
(−7)		 16
(−9)
Record low °F (°C) −1
(−18)		 3
(−16)		 12
(−11)		 26
(−3)		 35
(2)		 46
(8)		 54
(12)		 52
(11)		 36
(2)		 22
(−6)		 11
(−12)		 5
(−15)		 −1
(−18)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.84
(98)		 3.67
(93)		 4.08
(104)		 2.92
(74)		 3.05
(77)		 4.75
(121)		 3.99
(101)		 4.61
(117)		 3.60
(91)		 2.56
(65)		 2.66
(68)		 3.87
(98)		 44.09
(1,120)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.4
(1.0)		 0.3
(0.76)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0.8
(2.0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.9 10.2 8.6 7.6 7.9 11.1 8.3 11.1 7.9 6.4 7.0 9.4 107.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.5
Average relative humidity (%) 69.8 65.8 65.0 64.5 69.6 71.3 73.9 76.5 76.2 73.3 71.9 71.6 70.8
Source: NWS Climate Summaries

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900527—
19105585.9%
1920425−23.8%
1930267−37.2%
19601,396—
19703,169127.0%
19803,3846.8%
19903,5966.3%
20006,08969.3%
201011,21684.2%
202015,57738.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
Grovetown racial composition as of 2020[9]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 6,309 40.5%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 5,492 35.26%
Native American 36 0.23%
Asian 380 2.44%
Pacific Islander 42 0.27%
Other/Mixed 1,133 7.27%
Hispanic or Latino 2,185 14.03%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,577 people, 4,028 households, and 2,986 families residing in the city.

Parks and recreation

City parks include the Liberty Park Community Center,[10] and Goodale Park,[10] which is named after Joseph Daniel "Danny" Goodale Jr., a Vietnam veteran who died in 1969.[11][12]

Education

Grovetown Middle School, Grovetown Elementary School, and Cedar Ridge Elementary School are located in the city limits of Grovetown.[13] Grovetown High School, Columbia Middle School, Brookwood Elementary School, Euchee Creek Elementary School, and Baker Place Elementary School are located near the city.[13]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Grovetown is mainly served by Georgia State Route 223 (SR 223), locally known as Robinson Avenue from just northwest of Fort Eisenhower's Gate 2 to the intersection with Harlem–Grovetown Road and as Wrightsboro Road past this point. It is also served by SR 388 east of this intersection. Here, SR 388 takes on the Wrightsboro Road name until an intersection with Katherine Street. At this intersection, the state highway turns left onto Horizon South Parkway, while Wrightsboro Road continues toward Augusta. Harlem–Grovetown Road connects the city with Harlem.

There are railroad tracks of CSX Transportation that extend through Grovetown, used mostly by freight trains.

Notes

  1. ↑ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  2. ↑ Official records for Augusta were kept at downtown from February 1871 to March 1944, Daniel Field from April 1944 to June 1950, and at Daniel Field / Augusta Daniel Field since July 1950. For more information, see Threadex

See also

flag Georgia (U.S. state) portal

References

  1. 1 2 "Gary Jones". Cityofgrovetown.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "QuickFacts: Grovetown city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ "GNIS Detail – Grovetown". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Grovetown". Georgia.gov. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "City History". Cityofgrovetown.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Grovetown city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Parks and City Facilities". Cityofgrovetown.com. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Grovetown remembers fallen soldier". The Augusta Chronicle. May 26, 1997. Retrieved April 1, 2020 – via NewsBank.
  12. ↑ "Joseph D Goodale Jr –Army". Virtual Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Education". Cityofgrovetown.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
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