Summerville, Georgia

Not to be confused with Summerville (Augusta, Georgia).

Summerville, Georgia
City
Summerville City Hall
Seal
Location in Chattooga County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 34°28′47″N85°20′53″W / 34.47972°N 85.34806°W / 34.47972; -85.34806
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Chattooga
Area [1]
• Total	4.01 sq mi (10.40 km2)
• Land	4.01 sq mi (10.40 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	650 ft (198 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,435
• Density	1,104.88/sq mi (426.64/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30747
Area code(s)	706/762
FIPS code	13-74376 [2]
GNIS feature ID	0333158 [3]
Website	www.summervillega.org

Summerville is a city and the county seat of Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. ^[4] The population was 4,534 at the 2010 census.

History

Hollis and Hinton store on Commerce Street, circa 1911

Summerville was founded in 1838 as the seat of the newly formed Chattooga County. It was incorporated as a town in 1839 and as a city in 1909. ^[5] Summerville was named from the fact it was a popular summer resort. ^[6] The city thrived in the late 1880s with the construction of the Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus Railroad (later part of the Central of Georgia system). ^[7]

The Chattooga County Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was completed in 1909. ^[7] The Summerville Depot, completed by the Central of Georgia in 1918, is also listed on the National Register, and is home to several annual festivals. ^[8]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10 km²), all of it land. The city lies along the Chattooga River at the western base of the Taylor Ridge. U.S. Route 27 connects Summerville with Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the north, and Rome to the southeast. Georgia State Route 114 connects the city with Lyerly to the south, and Georgia State Route 48 connects the city with Menlo near the Alabama state line to the west.

Climate

Climate data for Summerville, Georgia, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2000–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	79 (26)	84 (29)	88 (31)	92 (33)	97 (36)	102 (39)	104 (40)	103 (39)	99 (37)	98 (37)	87 (31)	78 (26)	104 (40)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	70.3 (21.3)	73.7 (23.2)	81.0 (27.2)	85.9 (29.9)	90.1 (32.3)	94.9 (34.9)	96.1 (35.6)	95.7 (35.4)	93.5 (34.2)	87.0 (30.6)	77.3 (25.2)	71.4 (21.9)	98.1 (36.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	52.0 (11.1)	56.6 (13.7)	64.3 (17.9)	73.4 (23.0)	79.9 (26.6)	86.6 (30.3)	89.9 (32.2)	89.2 (31.8)	84.4 (29.1)	74.5 (23.6)	63.3 (17.4)	54.6 (12.6)	72.4 (22.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	40.5 (4.7)	44.0 (6.7)	50.8 (10.4)	59.0 (15.0)	67.3 (19.6)	75.0 (23.9)	78.5 (25.8)	77.6 (25.3)	71.7 (22.1)	60.6 (15.9)	49.4 (9.7)	43.4 (6.3)	59.8 (15.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	29.0 (−1.7)	31.4 (−0.3)	37.2 (2.9)	44.5 (6.9)	54.6 (12.6)	63.3 (17.4)	67.1 (19.5)	66.0 (18.9)	59.0 (15.0)	46.6 (8.1)	35.5 (1.9)	32.2 (0.1)	47.2 (8.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	11.9 (−11.2)	17.3 (−8.2)	22.1 (−5.5)	30.3 (−0.9)	39.2 (4.0)	53.7 (12.1)	57.5 (14.2)	57.1 (13.9)	45.9 (7.7)	30.2 (−1.0)	21.1 (−6.1)	18.4 (−7.6)	10.5 (−11.9)
Record low °F (°C)	3 (−16)	8 (−13)	17 (−8)	24 (−4)	34 (1)	48 (9)	50 (10)	50 (10)	39 (4)	24 (−4)	12 (−11)	8 (−13)	3 (−16)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	5.01 (127)	5.37 (136)	6.14 (156)	4.95 (126)	4.37 (111)	4.93 (125)	4.29 (109)	4.32 (110)	4.24 (108)	3.75 (95)	4.64 (118)	6.32 (161)	58.33 (1,482)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	0.1 (0.25)	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.25)	0.3 (0.75)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	9.5	9.3	9.5	7.9	8.8	9.9	9.2	8.8	6.1	6.5	7.5	9.4	102.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.3
Source 1: NOAA [9]
Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020) [10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	248		—
1860	350		41.1%
1870	281		−19.7%
1880	340		21.0%
1890	560		64.7%
1900	486		−13.2%
1910	657		35.2%
1920	1,003		52.7%
1930	933		−7.0%
1940	1,358		45.6%
1950	3,973		192.6%
1960	4,706		18.4%
1970	5,043		7.2%
1980	4,878		−3.3%
1990	5,025		3.0%
2000	4,556		−9.3%
2010	4,534		−0.5%
2020	4,435		−2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [11]

2020 census

Summerville racial composition ^[12]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	3,060	69.0%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	958	21.6%
Native American	6	0.14%
Asian	5	0.11%
Other/Mixed	270	6.09%
Hispanic or Latino	136	3.07%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,435 people, 1,769 households, and 997 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[2] of 2000, there were 4,556 people, 1,823 households, and 1,141 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,144.3 inhabitants per square mile (441.8/km²). There were 2,092 housing units at an average density of 525.4 per square mile (202.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.06% White, 25.31% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.90% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.

Summerville Depot

There were 1,823 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,911, and the median income for a family was $35,579. Males had a median income of $26,707 versus $20,222 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,090. About 18.1% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.5% of those under age 18 and 20.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in Summerville is administered by the Chattooga County School District. The district operates four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. ^[13] The district has 184 full-time teachers and over 2,834 students. ^[14]

• Leroy Massey Elementary School
• Lyerly Elementary School
• Menlo Elementary School
• Summerville Elementary School
• Summerville Middle School
• Chattooga County High School

Notable people

• Bobby Lee Cook, noted trial attorney
• Edna Cain Daniel, journalist and publisher
• Howard Finster, folk artist
• Brody Malone, artistic gymnast
• Senorise Perry, NFL player

See also

• J.R. Dick Dowdy Park
• Paradise Garden

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. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 248. ISBN   978-1135948597 . Retrieved November 30, 2013.
6. "Summerville". Calhoun Times. September 1, 2004. p. 37. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
7. Elizabeth Cooksey, "Chattooga County," New Georgia Encyclopedia, 2005.
8. Kenneth Thomas, Jr., National Register of Historic Places Inventory Form for Summerville Depot ^{[ dead link ]}, December 1991.
9. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Summerville, GA". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
10. "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Atlanta". National Weather Service. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
12. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
13. Georgia Board of Education ^{[ permanent dead link ]}, Retrieved June 3, 2010.
14. School Stats, Retrieved June 3, 2010.

External links

• Media related to Summerville, Georgia at Wikimedia Commons
• Official site