Oxford, Georgia

Oxford, Georgia
City
Young J. Allen Memorial Church, Oxford Historic District
Location in Newton County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°37′27″N83°52′12″W / 33.62417°N 83.87000°W / 33.62417; -83.87000
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Newton
Area [1]
• Total	2.18 sq mi (5.64 km2)
• Land	2.15 sq mi (5.58 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	761 ft (232 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,308
• Density	1,071.99/sq mi (413.81/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30054
Area code	470/678/770
FIPS code	13-58744 [2]
GNIS feature ID	0332587 [3]
Website	oxfordgeorgia.org

Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,308 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. Much of the city is part of the Oxford Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Oxford was established as a town by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1839 as the birthplace of Oxford College of Emory University and incorporated as a city in 1914. ^{[4] [5]} The town was named after Oxford University, the alma mater of the founders of Oxford College. ^[6] The entire town is also designated as a shrine of the United Methodist Church. Additionally, Confederate soldiers are buried in a small cemetery on the grounds of Oxford College.

Properties in Oxford listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the Oxford Historic District and the Orna Villa, a mansion, which was built in 1825, which was used as a hospital during the American Civil War.

The Dukes of Hazzard filmed a car-jump scene on the grounds of the college, and other scenes around the town. ^[7]

Geography

Oxford is located at 33°37′27″N83°52′12″W / 33.62417°N 83.87000°W / 33.62417; -83.87000 (33.624210, -83.869885). ^[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	665		—
1880	554		−16.7%
1890	791		42.8%
1900	800		1.1%
1910	655		−18.1%
1920	698		6.6%
1930	537		−23.1%
1940	616		14.7%
1950	817		32.6%
1960	1,047		28.2%
1970	1,373		31.1%
1980	1,750		27.5%
1990	1,945		11.1%
2000	1,892		−2.7%
2010	2,134		12.8%
2020	2,308		8.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

Oxford racial composition as of 2020 ^[10]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	878	38.04%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,141	49.44%
Native American	4	0.17%
Asian	24	1.04%
Other/Mixed	97	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	164	7.11%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,308 people, 682 households, and 438 families residing in the city.

Notable people

• Heck Thomas, frontier lawman
• Cora Mae Bryant, blues musician ^[11]
• Sarah Branham Matthews, microbiologist

References

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. "Oxford, GA - Official City Website". Oxfordgeorgia.org. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
5. Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 242. ISBN   978-1135948597 . Retrieved November 30, 2013.
6. "Oxford Historic District, Newton County, Georgia". National Register of Historic Places. August 27, 2012.
7. "The Dukes of Hazzard 40th Anniversary Filming Locations Lookback, Part One: One Armed Bandits". Horsepower Memories. December 19, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2020. The Duke boys are flying high as they soar across the sky in front of Seney Hall at Oxford College.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
11. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 274. ISBN   978-0313344237.