Richmond Hill, Georgia: Difference between revisions

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Richmond Hill is a city in Bryan County, Georgia, United States. The population was 16,633 at the 2020 U.S. census, an increase of almost 80% from the 2010 population of 9,281.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> Richmond Hill is part of the Savannah metropolitan statistical area.

History

Richmond Hill has a historical connection to industrialist Henry Ford.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Ford used the town, formerly known as Ways Station, as a winter home and philanthropic social experiment, building the complex known as the Ford Farms along the Ogeechee River in the 1930s. After just one visit he chose this area as his winter home. Ford's dwelling was built on the site of Richmond Plantation, which was burned by elements of General William T. Sherman's army at the conclusion of the "March to the Sea". Ford's holdings eventually totaled Template:Convert of agricultural and timber lands, most of which is now owned by the State of Georgia or ITT Rayonier, a timber company. Ford was also responsible for the construction of a number of public buildings, including a kindergarten, which now houses the museum of the Richmond Hill Historical Society, and a chapel which now houses St. Anne's Catholic Church. Both are located on Georgia S.R. 144, also known as Ford Avenue within the Richmond Hill city limits. The Ford Plantation has now been redeveloped as a luxury resort, with vacation cottages, a clubhouse, tennis, and golf. When it was suggested that the town be renamed "Ford", he declined, and instead Ways Station was renamed "Richmond Hill" after the site of Ford's home on the banks of the Ogeechee River.

Another plantation, Myrtle Grove, has been used in several movie and television productions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Richmond Hill Plantation, Ford Mansion, East of Richmond Hill on Ford Neck Road, Richmond Hill vicinity (Bryan County, Georgia).jpg

Richmond Hill Plantation, Ford Mansion

Richmond Hill was incorporated as a city in 1962.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The current mayor is Russ Carpenter. The previous mayor, Richard Davis served in that capacity since 1989. The city is governed by a mayor and a four-member city council.

Richmond Hill was the location of the discovery in 2004 of Benjaman Kyle, a man who suffers from retrograde amnesia as a result of a severe beating. In 2015, he was identified as William Burgess Powell.

Development

Real estate development in Richmond Hill has generally followed trends represented in the United States as a whole. Post-Civil War populations remained relatively stable until the arrival of industrialist Henry Ford in the 1930s. In the early 1970s, subdivisions began to spring up, and began a settlement trend that has continued steadily until the present. Subdivisions of varying quality, ranging from starter homes to exclusive, gated golf communities, have emerged. Locals attribute population growth to the nearest military base, Fort Stewart.

Geography

Richmond Hill is located along the eastern border of Bryan County.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The Ogeechee River forms the eastern edge of the city (and the county line); an outlying portion of the city of Savannah is on the opposite side of the river.

U.S. Route 17 (Ocean Highway) passes through the city north of the original downtown. Interstate 95 passes through the western edge of the city, with access from Exit 87 (US 17) and Exit 90 (Georgia State Route 144/Ford Avenue). Downtown Savannah is Template:Convert to the north, and Brunswick is Template:Convert to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Richmond Hill has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, or 1.42%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

Demographics

Template:US Census population

Richmond Hill racial composition as of 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	10,072	60.55%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,936	17.65%
Native American	43	0.26%
Asian	665	4.0%
Pacific Islander	14	0.08%
Other/Mixed	1,095	6.58%
Hispanic or Latino	1,808	10.87%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,633 people, 4,334 households, and 3,431 families residing in the city.

Economy

Small businesses with fewer than 20 employees make up 93% of the employers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Major employers


#	Employer
1	Hobart Corporation
2	City of Richmond Hill
3	South State Bank
4	Allied Van Lines
5	Kroger
6	South Coast Medical
7	Publix

Education

Bryan County School District serves Richmond Hill. The town has seven public schools for students between the ages of five and 21 (21 in cases of challenged high-school students). They are Richmond Hill Primary School (RHPS), Richmond Hill Elementary School (RHES), George Washington Carver Upper Elementary School (GWCES), McAllister Elementary School (MES), France Meeks Elementary School (FMES) Richmond Hill Middle School (RHMS), and Richmond Hill High School (RHHS). Of the two high schools, Richmond Hill High has the highest scores in Bryan County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city is currently expanding its schools due to a large spike in the number of people migrating to the city during the last thirty years.Template:When Two new elementary and middle schools have been built recently. Richmond Hill is expected to grow exponentially in the next few years based on the trend of the increasing population since the early-1990s. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Healthcare

In 2011, Winn Army Community Hospital opened to serve the large military population in the area. It serves military retirees and their families only. For the general public, the nearest emergency room is located in Savannah at St. Joseph's Hospital, about Template:Convert away.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Community

Events

Richmond Hill hosts a number of community events at J.F. Gregory Park. Throughout the year the community comes together for supporting special events and causes, such as:

Annual Easter Extravaganza
Annual Memorial Day Observance
Annual First Day of Summer Prayer Breakfast
National Night Out
Old Time Family Fourth of July Festival & Fireworks
Annual Pumpkin Patch
Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival, with c. 35,000 attendees<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Annual Veterans Day Observance
Annual Chili Cook-off

Religion

File:GA Richmond Hill Martha-Mary Chapel01.jpg

The Martha Mary Chapel

While a small majority of citizens in Richmond Hill are non-religious, Christianity is the second largest. Christianity denominations include Protestant and Catholic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Richmond Hill is home to over 20 churches of various denominations.

Many church organizations participate cooperatively in outreach programs that benefit the community as a whole. The "Food for the Soul" soup kitchen, staffed by individuals from ten separate churches that rotate on a weekly basis, delivers hot meals to families in need within Richmond Hill. The Way Station, another multiple church outreach program, has been in operation for over twenty years providing food, clothing, and other items that enhance the lives of families in the community.