Sardis, Georgia

Sardis, Georgia
City
Seal
Location in Burke County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°58′28″N81°45′31″W / 32.97444°N 81.75861°W / 32.97444; -81.75861
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Burke
Named for	Sardis, Turkey
Government
• Mayor	Roger Lane
Area [1]
• Total	1.56 sq mi (4.05 km2)
• Land	1.55 sq mi (4.01 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	240 ft (73 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	995
• Density	642.76/sq mi (248.13/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30456
Area code	478
FIPS code	13-68740 [2]
GNIS feature ID	0322525 [3]

Sardis is a city in Burke County, Georgia, United States. The population is 995 in 2020. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA).

History

Coal Chute in Sardis, Georgia

Around the turn of the 20th century, a small crossroads community called Frog Wallow was developing in southeast Burke County. With the construction of the Savannah & Atlanta Railway, the tiny town lay on the new railroad connecting the two large hubs. In 1912, the town was incorporated as Sardis by the Georgia Legislature, named after the Baptist church that had flourished in the town over the past decades. ^{[4] [5]} The church's name, in turn, is a transfer from Sardis, an ancient city in present-day Turkey. ^[6]

Sardis saw several decades of growth including a booming lumber industry. Then, in 1962, the owner of the railroad (Central of Georgia) abandoned the section of tracks between Waynesboro and Sylvania, which negatively affected the local economy. The tracks were subsequently removed in 1964. ^[7] Sardis still retains its old train station and coal tower.

Geography

Sardis is located in southeastern Burke County at 32°58′28″N81°45′31″W / 32.97444°N 81.75861°W / 32.97444; -81.75861 (32.974510, -81.758504). ^[8] It is 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Waynesboro, the Burke County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (4.0 km²), of which 0.015 square miles (0.04 km²), or 0.95%, is water.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	580		—
1940	667		15.0%
1950	695		4.2%
1960	829		19.3%
1970	643		−22.4%
1980	1,180		83.5%
1990	1,116		−5.4%
2000	1,171		4.9%
2010	999		−14.7%
2020	995		−0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [9] 1850-1870 [10] 1870-1880 [11] 1890-1910 [12] 1920-1930 [13] 1940 [14] 1950 [15] 1960 [16] 1970 [17] 1980 [18] 1990 [19] 2000 [20] 2010 [21]

Sardis racial composition as of 2020 ^[22]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	469	47.14%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	436	43.82%
Native American	3	0.3%
Asian	1	0.1%
Other/Mixed	74	7.44%
Hispanic or Latino	12	1.21%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 995 people, 328 households, and 198 families residing in the city.

See also

• State of Georgia portal

• Central Savannah River Area

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. "Sardis Baptist Church-History". Sardis Baptist Church. 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
5. "Sardis". State of Georgia. 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
6. Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 199. ISBN   0-915430-00-2.
7. "Savannah & Atlanta Railway". Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
9. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
10. "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1870.
11. "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
12. "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
13. "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930. pp. 251–256.
14. "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
15. "1950 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
16. "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1960.
17. "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1970.
18. "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
19. "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1990.
20. "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
21. "2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2010.
22. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 15, 2021.

External links

• Sardis Baptist Church historical marker