Editing Grovetown, Georgia (section)

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2012}}
From the building of the [[Georgia Railroad and Banking Company|Georgia Railroad]], which travels through the city until at least the 1860s, the community was known as "Belair".<ref name="Georgia.gov">{{cite web |url=https://georgia.gov/cities-counties/grovetown |title=Grovetown |publisher=Georgia.gov |access-date=February 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110183641/https://georgia.gov/cities-counties/grovetown |archive-date=January 10, 2019 }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2018}} The city was chartered by the [[Georgia Legislature]] and officially incorporated on January 1, 1881.<ref name="Georgia.gov"/> 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.<ref name="City of Grovetown">{{cite web |url=https://cityofgrovetown.com/214/City-History |title=City History |publisher=Cityofgrovetown.com |access-date=February 11, 2018 }}</ref>

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.<ref name="City of Grovetown"/>

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 (architecture)|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.<ref name="City of Grovetown"/>

Several [[country store]]s 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"{{Clarify|date=March 2024|reason=''Philosophers' Bench'' is another name for a Bench or Table, sometimes Rocking Chairs, placed out in front of a Business where the Older Gentleman of the community would gather and talk about all the things happening in the Town. A communal gathering spot for the Menfolk .}} 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 broker]]s; 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.<ref name="City of Grovetown"/>

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 [[veteran|retired military]] saw the benefits of living in the small town and population began to grow and stabilize.<ref name="City of Grovetown"/>

[[Annexation]] and multi-housing construction has increased the population of the formerly quiet town. Currently, Grovetown has a population of approximately 15,000,<ref name=Census/> 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 [[recreation]]al facilities, a [[public safety department]], two [[fire station]]s, [[Water service|water]] and [[sewage disposal|sewer services]], a [[senior center]], and museum.<ref name="City of Grovetown"/>