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Homerville, Georgia

Coordinates: 31°2′13″N 82°45′5″W / 31.03694°N 82.75139°W / 31.03694; -82.75139
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Homerville, Georgia
Homerville City Hall in 2012
Homerville City Hall in 2012
Official logo of Homerville, Georgia
Location in Clinch County and the state of Georgia
Location in Clinch County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°2′13″N 82°45′5″W / 31.03694°N 82.75139°W / 31.03694; -82.75139
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyClinch
Area
 • Total
3.51 sq mi (9.09 km2)
 • Land3.49 sq mi (9.05 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation
177 ft (54 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
2,344
 • Density671.06/sq mi (259.10/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31634
Area code912
FIPS code13-39748[2]
GNIS feature ID0356319[3]
Websitecityofhomerville.com

Homerville is a city and the county seat of Clinch County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 2,456 at the 2010 census,[4] a decrease of 12.38% from 2,803 in 2000.[5] It was incorporated February 15, 1869.

History

[edit]

Clinch County was created on February 14, 1850, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, and was named for General Duncan Lamont Clinch, a decorated United States brigadier general and Georgia congressman who had recently died. Clinch, Georgia's 95th county, was formed from land originally inhabited by the Oconee people and consolidated portions of Ware County and Lowndes County. The act creating the county named Elijah Mattox, Simon W. Nichol, Timothy Kirkland, Benjamin Sirmans, and John J. Johnson as commissioners charged with selecting a county seat and constructing a courthouse.

The designated commissioners quickly settled on a site just southwest of the present-day Homerville, and in memory of President James K. Polk decided to name the county seat "Polk". Two years later, however, the Georgia General Assembly inexplicably changed the name of the county seat to "Magnolia", just as the county's first courthouse was completed. The first courthouse was quite small and was destroyed in 1856 when a citizen, presumably dissatisfied with legal proceedings brought against him, decided to destroy the courthouse by fire.

In February 1853, Dr. John Homer Mattox and his family moved from their former home on the Suwannee River and settled on a tract of land adjacent to the Magnolia stage route. In recognition of his family name, he called the settlement Homersville. Shortly thereafter the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad expansion replaced the stage route, and Mattox's settlement was simply known as "Station No.11".

Over time the settlement grew, and in 1860 approximately 275 citizens of Clinch County petitioned the Georgia General Assembly to move the county seat from the nearby Magnolia to Mattox's settlement. Later the same year, the legislature relented and officially named Station No. 11 the county seat of Clinch County. By 1863, the town of Homersville was known as Forest. It would take approximately nine more years for the legislature to officially recognize the name Homerville and incorporate the city; however, Homerville shows up as the name of the county seat in newspapers by March 1864.

Dr. John Homer Mattox's original dwelling is now the home of the Clinch County Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center. The home recently underwent an extensive restoration that not only restored many of the rooms to their former glory but also added modern plumbing and central heat and air for the convenience of visitors. The structure now holds the administrative offices of the chamber and a museum dedicated to the early days of Clinch County.

Geography

[edit]

Homerville is located in north-central Clinch County at 31°2′13″N 82°45′5″W / 31.03694°N 82.75139°W / 31.03694; -82.75139 (31.036832, -82.751302).[6] U.S. Routes 84 and 441 cross in the center of town. US 84 leads east 27 miles (43 km) to Waycross and west 35 miles (56 km) to Valdosta, while US 441 leads north 35 miles (56 km) to Douglas, Georgia, and south 67 miles (108 km) to Lake City, Florida.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.50%, is water.[4] Wooded areas and swampy marshes surround the city.

Climate data for Homerville, Georgia
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 82
(28)
84
(29)
88
(31)
91
(33)
99
(37)
104
(40)
101
(38)
100
(38)
98
(37)
94
(34)
85
(29)
80
(27)
104
(40)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 61.4
(16.3)
65.4
(18.6)
71.8
(22.1)
78.8
(26.0)
85.8
(29.9)
90.4
(32.4)
92.3
(33.5)
91
(33)
86.9
(30.5)
79.2
(26.2)
71.2
(21.8)
63.3
(17.4)
92.3
(33.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 48.8
(9.3)
52.3
(11.3)
58.2
(14.6)
64.5
(18.1)
72
(22)
78.2
(25.7)
80.6
(27.0)
80
(27)
76
(24)
66.8
(19.3)
58.1
(14.5)
50.7
(10.4)
65.6
(18.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 36.2
(2.3)
39.2
(4.0)
44.7
(7.1)
50.3
(10.2)
58.2
(14.6)
66.1
(18.9)
68.8
(20.4)
69
(21)
65.1
(18.4)
54.4
(12.4)
45.1
(7.3)
38.2
(3.4)
36.2
(2.3)
Record low °F (°C) 21
(−6)
18
(−8)
25
(−4)
39
(4)
47
(8)
55
(13)
66
(19)
64
(18)
56
(13)
34
(1)
23
(−5)
22
(−6)
18
(−8)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.7
(120)
4
(100)
4.6
(120)
2.9
(74)
2.6
(66)
6
(150)
6.3
(160)
6.1
(150)
4.4
(110)
2.9
(74)
2.7
(69)
3.3
(84)
50.3
(1,280)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 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)
0.1
(0.25)
Average precipitation days 9.9 9.1 8.8 6 7.1 12.9 13.9 12.4 9.5 6.8 6.8 8.3 111.5
Source: Weatherbase [7]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1880201
1900434
19104370.7%
192062743.5%
19301,15083.4%
19401,52232.3%
19501,78717.4%
19602,63447.4%
19703,02514.8%
19803,1122.9%
19902,560−17.7%
20002,8039.5%
20102,456−12.4%
20202,344−4.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
Homerville racial composition as of 2020[9]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 1,067 45.52%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,086 46.33%
Native American 11 0.47%
Asian 17 0.73%
Pacific Islander 4 0.17%
Other/Mixed 81 3.46%
Hispanic or Latino 78 3.33%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,344 people, 983 households, and 610 families residing in the city.

Education

[edit]

Clinch County School District

[edit]

The Clinch County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a headstart, elementary/middle school, and a high school.

The district has 96 full-time teachers and over 1,499 students.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Homerville city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. ^ "Historical Weather for Homerville, Georgia, United States". Weatherbase. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  8. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  10. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 4, 2010.