Editing Elberton, Georgia

{{Short description|City in the United States}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name            = Elberton, Georgia
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 = Granite Capital of the World
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|motto                    = <!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline            = Elberton_ga_heard_house.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = A home along Elberton's Heard Street
|image_flag               = 
|flag_size                = 
|image_seal               = Elberton_ga_seal.jpg
|seal_size                = 
|image_shield             = 
|shield_size              = 
|image_blank_emblem       = 
|blank_emblem_type        = 
|blank_emblem_size        = 
|image_map                = Elbert_County_Georgia_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Elberton_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Elbert County, Georgia|Elbert County]] and the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|pushpin_map              = <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = 
|pushpin_mapsize          = <!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Georgia (U.S. state)|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Elbert County, Georgia|Elbert]]
|subdivision_type3        = 
|subdivision_name3        = 
|subdivision_type4        = 
|subdivision_name4        = <!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = R. Daniel Graves
|leader_title1            = City Manager
|leader_name1             = Kevin Eavenson (interim)
|leader_title2            = 
|leader_name2             = 
|leader_title3            = 
|leader_name3             = 
|leader_title4            = 
|leader_name4             = 
|established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
|established_date         = 
|established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
|established_date2        = 
|established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
|established_date3        = <!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude           = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_13.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 18, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 11.85
|area_land_km2            = 11.76
|area_water_km2           = 0.09
|area_total_sq_mi         = 4.57
|area_land_sq_mi          = 4.54
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.03
|area_water_percent       = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
|area_urban_sq_mi         = 
|area_metro_km2           = 
|area_metro_sq_mi         = 
|area_blank1_title        = 
|area_blank1_km2          = 
|area_blank1_sq_mi        = <!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 4640
|population_density_km2   = 394.64
|population_density_sq_mi = 1022.03
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_metro_km2     = 
|population_density_metro_sq_mi   = 
|population_urban                 = 
|population_density_urban_km2     = 
|population_density_urban_sq_mi   = 
|population_blank1_title          = 
|population_blank1                = 
|population_density_blank1_km2    = 
|population_density_blank1_sq_mi  = <!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]]
|utc_offset               = −05:00
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −04:00
|coordinates              = {{coord|34|6|35|N|82|51|56|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m              = 214
|elevation_ft             = 702
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 30635
|area_code                = [[Area code 706|706]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 13-26616<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0355658<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|www.cityofelberton.net}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
'''Elberton''' is the largest city in [[Elbert County, Georgia|Elbert County]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States. The population was 4,653 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1326616| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Elberton city, Georgia| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=January 26, 2016| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213081959/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1326616| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> The city is the [[county seat]] of [[Elbert County, Georgia|Elbert County]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=2011-06-07 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712220218/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=2012-07-12 }}</ref>

Elberton is known as the "granite capital of the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egaonline.com/home/industry/elberton.shtml |title=Elberton Granite Association |access-date=2007-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012142804/http://egaonline.com/home/industry/elberton.shtml |archive-date=2007-10-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History==
Settled in the 1780s, Elbert was designated seat of the newly formed Elbert County in 1790. It was incorporated as a town in 1803 and as a city in 1896.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA229 | title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States | publisher=Routledge | date=May 13, 2013 | access-date=30 November 2013 | author=Hellmann, Paul T. | pages=229| isbn=978-1135948597 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/d.pdf | title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=71 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}}</ref> Like Elbert County, Elberton is named for [[Samuel Elbert]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n114 116]}}</ref>

==Geography==
Elberton is located near the center of Elbert County.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Elberton has a total area of {{convert|12.4|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|12.3|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.1|km2|order=flip|2}}, or 0.72%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1810= 122
|1840= 210
|1880= 927
|1890= 1572
|1900= 3834
|1910= 6483
|1920= 6475
|1930= 4650
|1940= 6188
|1950= 6772
|1960= 7107
|1970= 6438
|1980= 5686
|1990= 5682
|2000= 4743
|2010= 4653
|2020= 4640
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Elberton racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US1326616&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-07|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]
|2,244
|48.36%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]]
|1,860
|40.09%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|11
|0.24%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|57
|1.23%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/mixed]]
|148
|3.19%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|320
|6.9%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 4,640 people, 1,754 households, and 997 families residing in the city.

==Economy==
[[Image:Elberton ga night elbert theatre.jpg|thumb|250px|The historic Elbert Theatre]]

===Granite===
Elberton claims the title "granite capital of the world". The city's post-[[American Civil War|Civil War]] history has largely revolved around the industry, following the opening of the first commercial quarry and manufacturing plant by Nathaniel Long in 1889.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ouzts|first1=Clay|title='The Man Who Builded on a Rock Was Wise': The Genesis of Elberton's Granite Industry, 1882-1900|journal=Georgia Historical Quarterly|date=2002|volume=86|issue=4|page=587|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9425699&site=eds-live&scope=site|access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> 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.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

Several granite monuments, including the now-destructed [[Georgia Guidestones]], are located in or near Elberton.

Elberton's [[Granite Bowl]] seats 20,000 and formerly featured a retired [[Sanford Stadium]] ([[University of Georgia]]) scoreboard.

The city is home to the Elberton Granite Museum and Exhibit, with a notable exhibit being "''[[Dutchy (statue)|Dutchy]]"'', a Confederate monument made of granite that was removed from the town square due to its appearance.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elberton Granite Museum & Exhibit|url=https://www.exploregeorgia.org/elberton/arts-culture/cultural-trails-tours/elberton-granite-museum-exhibit|access-date=July 20, 2020|website=Explore Georgia|language=en}}</ref>

===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.

==Government==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2024}}
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.

The City of Elberton operates Elberton Utilities, a comprehensive utility system which includes electric, gas, water, sewer, cable television, and internet services.

The Elbert Theatre reopened in 2001 after extensive renovations.

==Education==

=== Elbert County School District ===
The city is served by the [[Elbert County School District]]. One learning center, one primary school, one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school are located within the city.<ref>[http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=111&PID=62&PTID=69&CountyId=652&T=0&FY=2009 Georgia Board of Education]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Retrieved June 8, 2010.</ref> The district has 194 full-time teachers and over 3,079 students.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Eads|first=Lena Groeger, Annie Waldman, David|title=Miseducation|url=https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation/district/1302010|access-date=2021-07-21|website=ProPublica|date=October 16, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> The school system is one of the county's largest employers.

===Private education===
Elberton Christian School was located on Rhodes Drive in the city, but has closed.

===Colleges and universities===
[[Athens Technical College]] operates a full satellite campus on the western end of the city, near the elementary school, middle school, and high school.

==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'' publishes a daily Northeast Georgia edition which covers the Elberton area.

The city is 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 1947. WSGC-FM 92.1 and WXKT-FM 100.1 play [[country music]] while WLVX-FM 105.1 specializes in [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]].

Elberton is in the [[Greenville, South Carolina|Greenville]]-[[Spartanburg, South Carolina|Spartanburg]]-[[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]] [[television market]], though local cable and satellite providers also carry stations from the [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]] market.

==Infrastructure==
[[File:The Seaboard Airline Depot in Elberton, (Elbert County) Georgia (image 3571).JPG|thumb|Elberton Depot]]

===Transportation===
====Highways====
Highways in Elberton include:
* [[Georgia State Route 17]]
* [[Georgia State Route 72]]
* [[Georgia State Route 77]]
* [[Interstate 85]]

====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.

====Railroad====

For many years, Elberton was an important passenger and freight 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 connects Elberton to a main line of the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] (formerly [[Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern Railway]]).

===Healthcare===
Elbert Memorial Hospital, founded in 1950,<ref>[http://www.emhcare.com/getpage.php?name=chronological History of Elbert Memorial Hospital]</ref> is a 25-bed acute care critical access hospital with emergency, surgical, and rehabilitation facilities.<ref>[http://www.emhcare.com/getpage.php?name=facilities EMH Facilities Proposals]</ref>

==Notable people==
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* [[Brent Adams]], [[NFL]] [[offensive lineman]] for [[Atlanta Falcons]] and [[Los Angeles Rams]]
* [[Amos T. Akerman]], [[U.S. Attorney General]] under [[Ulysses S. Grant]], fought railroad corruption and the [[Ku Klux Klan]]
* [[William Wyatt Bibb]], appointed first [[governor of Alabama]], [[U.S. senator]], 1813–1816
* [[Paul Brown (Georgia politician)|Paul Brown]], 14-term U.S. congressman, 1933–1961
* [[Clark Gaines]], [[NFL]] [[running back]] for [[New York Jets]]
* [[George Rockingham Gilmer]], two-term [[governor of Georgia]], U.S. congressman
* [[Derek Harper]], [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|University of Illinois]] and 16-year [[NBA]] [[point guard]]
* [[Corra May Harris]], early 20th century author, lived at Farm Hill
* [[Nancy Hart]], [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] heroine
* [[Stephen Heard]], [[governor of Georgia]], 1780–1781
* [[William H. Heard (ambassador)|William H. Heard]], former slave, clergyman and U.S. ambassador to [[Liberia]]
* [[Joseph Rucker Lamar]], former [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] justice
* [[Meriwether Lewis]], of the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]], lived in Elbert County
* [[Juanita Marsh]], third female judge in Georgia, 2020 [[Georgia Women of Achievement]] inductee<ref name="gwa-2020">{{cite web |title=Juanita Marsh |url=https://www.georgiawomen.org/marsh-juanita |website=Georgia Women of Achievement |access-date=31 January 2020 |archive-date=January 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131062508/https://www.georgiawomen.org/marsh-juanita |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Arnall Patz]], discovered cause of blindness in premature infants and helped develop laser treatment of diabetic retinopathy<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-09-06|title=Hall of Fame: Arnall Patz, MD|url=http://www.aph.org/hall_fame/bios/patz.html|access-date=2020-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906011055/http://www.aph.org/hall_fame/bios/patz.html|archive-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>
* [[Charles Tait (politician)|Charles Tait]], [[U.S. senator]], 1809–1819
* [[Wiley Thompson]], U.S. congressman and Indian agent, oversaw removal of [[Seminole]]s from Florida ([[Second Seminole War]])
* [[Daniel Tucker (minister)|Daniel Tucker]], preacher, possible subject of "[[Old Dan Tucker]]" song
* [[Chester Willis]], former [[National Football League|NFL]] [[halfback (American football)|halfback]]

==Sister cities==
Elberton has a [[sister cities|sister city]], [[Mure, Kagawa]], Japan, as designated by [[Sister Cities International]].<ref>[http://www.cityofelberton.net/sistercity/index.htm Elberton's Sister City Program] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901000045/http://www.cityofelberton.net/sistercity/index.htm |date=September 1, 2010 }}, Retrieved June 26, 2010.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Georgia–Carolina Memorial Bridge]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}} <!-- for current and future use if material is uploaded -->
* [http://www.cityofelberton.net City of Elberton official website]
* [http://www.city-data.com/city/Elberton-Georgia.html Elberton] at City-Data.com
* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1169 New Georgia Encyclopedia: Granite] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060628140032/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1169 |date=June 28, 2006 }}

{{Elbert County, Georgia}}
{{Georgia county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Elbert County, Georgia]]
[[Category:County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)]]