Lovejoy, Georgia
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Lovejoy is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. During the American Civil War, it was the site of the Battle of Lovejoy's Station during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. Lovejoy was incorporated as a town on September 16, 1861.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2020, its population was 10,122. It has an African American majority.
Lovejoy is proposed by the Georgia Department of Transportation and MARTA to be the endpoint of metro Atlanta's first commuter rail line.
History
[edit]Around 1850, the location just north of Fosterville, Georgia was positioned along the new railway from Atlanta to Macon. The trainstop there was named for a prosperous local planter, James Lankford Lovejoy. On early maps, the location is called "Lovejoys."<ref>1863 Map</ref> It became known as Lovejoy's Station by 1864, where it was the setting of a civil war battle during Sherman's campaign through Georgia. James Lovejoy left the region and died in Clinch County, Georgia in 1877.
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Lovejoy as a town in 1891.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Lovejoy was the site of a cotton gin until 1932.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1979, Betty Talmadge, former first-lady of Georgia, purchased the remnants of the Hollywood set "Tara," the fictional plantation featured in Gone With the Wind, and brought them to Lovejoy.<ref>Tara from Gone With The Wind Tour and Lovejoy Plantation Archived from the original on 2015-09-09. Retrieved on 2023-02-23.</ref> The main road through Lovejoy is named "Tara Blvd." The remnants of Tara are available to be toured at the Lovejoy Plantation.
Geography
[edit]Lovejoy is located in southern Clayton County at Template:Coord (33.444164, -84.315105).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is bordered by Henry County to the south and the unincorporated community of Bonanza to the north. U.S. Routes 19 and 41 pass through the western part of Lovejoy, leading north Template:Convert to downtown Atlanta and south Template:Convert to Griffin.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert, or 0.91%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
[edit]| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 932 | 9.21% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,709 | 76.16% |
| Native American | 21 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 105 | 1.04% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 334 | 3.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,016 | 10.04% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,122 people, 1,756 households, and 1,272 families residing in the city.
Education
[edit]Clayton County Public Schools operates public schools. The schools in this area are: Lovejoy Middle School and Lovejoy High School.
In 1989, professional wrestler Jody Hamilton opened a school and training facility in Lovejoy. It was later moved to Atlanta and operated as the WCW Power Plant until 2001.<ref name=Hamilton>Template:Cite news</ref>
Infrastructure
[edit]Transit systems
[edit]MARTA serves the city. A planned commuter rail service is expected to terminate in the city.
Notable people
[edit]- Kokomo Arnold, Blues Singer and Guitarist
- Bub Means, wide receiver in the NFL<ref>https://triblive.com/sports/high-school-coachs-memories-of-pitts-bub-means-go-beyond-football/</ref>
- Jocasta Odom, Reality TV show personality and Minister
- Preston Williams, NFL Wide Receiver
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- City of Lovejoy official website
- Cavalry Action at Lovejoy's Station historical marker
- Georgia Militia at Lovejoy's Station historical marker