Americus, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Americus
City
Municipal Building in Americus
Flag Seal
Location in Sumter County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Sumter
Area
• Total	11.57 sq mi (29.96 km2)
• Land	11.35 sq mi (29.40 km2)
• Water	0.22 sq mi (0.57 km2)
Elevation	479 ft (146 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,230
• Density	1,429.96/sq mi (552.13/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	31709, 31710, 31719
Area code(s)	229
FIPS code	13-02116
GNIS feature ID	0331037

Americus is a city in Georgia, United States. It is the main city of Sumter County. In 2020, about 16,230 people lived there. Americus is also the center of a larger area called the Americus Micropolitan Statistical Area. This area includes Sumter and Schley counties.

Americus is home to the international headquarters of Habitat for Humanity. It also hosts The Fuller Center for Housing and Georgia Southwestern State University. The famous Windsor Hotel is located here. The city has a rich history. It is close to the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park and the Andersonville National Historic Site.

Exploring Americus History

Americus Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Windsor Hotel façade
Location	Irregular pattern along Lee St. with extensions to Dudley St., railroad tracks, Rees Park, and Glessner St. (original), E. Church St. and Oak Grove Cemetery (increase), Americus, Georgia
Built	1859 (increase)
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Classical Revival, Late Gothic Revival, Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	76000648 (original) 79003319 (increase)
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	January 1, 1976
Boundary increase	September 3, 1979

How Americus Started

Americus was founded by General John Americus Smith. He bought land in 1825 and started a large cotton farm. More people moved to the area, and the town of Americus was officially started in 1832. General Smith's farm helped the town grow and earn money.

For its first 20 years, Americus was a small town with a courthouse. In 1854, the railroad arrived, which helped the city grow a lot. By the early 1900s, Americus became the eighth largest city in Georgia. It was known as the "Metropolis of Southwest Georgia" because it was a big center for cotton.

In 1890, Georgia's first electric street car system began operating in Americus. One of these old street cars is now on display at the Lake Blackshear Regional Library.

Famous Buildings and People

Americus has many beautiful old buildings, including antebellum and Victorian architecture styles. The Windsor Hotel opened in 1892. It is a five-story building designed by a Swedish architect. Important people like Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall and future New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt gave speeches there.

The city center of Americus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it is a special place with important history.

Education and Aviation History

In the early 1900s, several important schools were started in Americus. The Americus Institute was founded in 1897. Booker T. Washington spoke there in 1908. The Third District Agricultural and Mechanical School opened in 1906. Today, this school is known as Georgia Southwestern State University.

Another school, the South Georgia Trade and Vocational School, opened in 1948. It is now called South Georgia Technical College. This college is on the site of an old airfield called Souther Field.

Souther Field was an important training facility during World War I and World War II. In 1923, Charles Lindbergh, the famous pilot, bought his first airplane and flew solo for the first time at Souther Field.

Americus and Civil Rights

Koinonia Farm, a Christian community where people of all races lived together, was started near Americus in 1942. The founders of Habitat for Humanity, Millard and Linda Fuller, were inspired by Koinonia Farm. They started Habitat for Humanity International there in 1976. Later, they moved its headquarters to Americus. In 2005, they also founded The Fuller Center for Housing in Americus.

The Civil Rights Movement brought many changes to Americus. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was held in the courthouse jail in 1961. In 1963, the "Sumter Movement" worked to end racial segregation in the city. As a result, two Georgia laws were found to be against the constitution.

In 1965, J.W. Jones and Henry L. Williams became the first black police officers in Americus. Ten years later, Lewis M. Lowe was elected as the first black city councilman. In 1995, Eloise R. Paschal and Eddie Rhea Walker became the first women elected to the city's governing body.

Where is Americus?

Americus is located at 32°4′31″N 84°13′36″W / 32.07528°N 84.22667°W / 32.07528; -84.22667.

The city covers about 10.7 square miles (27.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Americus Population

The population of Americus has changed over the years. Here's how it has grown:

In 2020, there were 16,230 people living in Americus. There were 6,162 households and 3,557 families.

Local Economy

Americus has several large employers that provide jobs for many people.

Top Employers in Americus

Here are some of the biggest employers in the area:

Schools and Learning

Americus has many schools for students of all ages.

Schools for Younger Students

The Sumter County School District manages schools from pre-school to twelfth grade. There are about 353 full-time teachers and over 5,774 students.

• Sumter County Primary School
• Sumter County Elementary School
• Sumter County Intermediate School

Schools for Older Students

• Sumter County Middle School
• Americus-Sumter Ninth Grade Academy
• Americus-Sumter County High School

There is also a K-12 charter school called Furlow Charter School. For private education, there is Southland Academy.

Colleges and Universities

• Georgia Southwestern State University
• South Georgia Technical College

All these schools and colleges are approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Public Libraries

Lake Blackshear Regional Library of the Lake Blackshear Regional Library System

The community has the Lake Blackshear Regional Library. It is part of the Lake Blackshear Regional Library System. The library was rebuilt after a tornado in 2007 and moved back to its original location around 2012.

Fun Places to Visit

Americus and the surrounding area offer several interesting places for visitors:

• Georgia Rural Telephone Museum - located in Leslie
• Georgia Veterans State Park - near Lake Blackshear
• Jimmy Carter National Historic Site - located in Plains
• Habitat for Humanity Global Village and Discovery Center - located in Americus

Baseball History

Americus has a history with minor league teams. Eight different teams have played in the city over 20 seasons, from 1906 to 2002. Many players from Americus teams later played in Major League Baseball.

Famous People from Americus

Many notable people have connections to Americus:

• Griffin Bell
• Mike Cheokas - politician
• Brent Cobb
• Howell Cobb
• Philip Cook
• Charles F. Crisp
• Charles R. Crisp
• Cassandra Pickett Durham
• Lonne Elder III
• Millard Fuller
• Chan Gailey
• Jimmy Garrison
• Victor Green
• Dr. Shirley Green-Reese
• Kent Hill
• George Hooks
• Alonzo Jackson
• Eddie Jackson
• Otis Leverette
• Angel Martino
• Joanna Moore
• Ruby Muhammad
• James Nabrit Jr.
• Leonard Pope
• Dan Reeves
• Mo Sanford
• Emma Lane - Inventor of the Lane Cake

Images for kids

• 

  The Russell Thomas, Jr. Public Safety Building houses the Americus police and fire departments.

See also

In Spanish: Americus (Georgia) para niños