Helen, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helen, Georgia
City
Downtown Helen
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  "Star of the North"
Motto(s):  "Georgia‘s Alpine village"
Location in White County and the state of Georgia
Helen, Georgia Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	White
Incorporated	August 18, 1913 (1913-08-18)
Founded by	John E. Mitchell
Area
• Total	2.09 sq mi (5.43 km2)
• Land	2.09 sq mi (5.41 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	1,444 ft (440 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	531
• Density	254.19/sq mi (98.14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Code	30545
Area code(s)	706
FIPS code	13-37788
GNIS feature ID	0331948

Helen is a city in White County, Georgia, United States, located along the Chattahoochee River. The population was 531 at the 2020 census. The city has now been made over, as a tourist attraction, to look like an old-world Bavarian village. This idea was suggested by John Kollock, an Atlanta artist.

History

20th-century

Helen was laid out by John E. Mitchell of St. Louis during the years 1912 and 1913. When a name for the small settlement was being sought, a lumber official suggested the name of his daughter and there was little opposition. Called the "Star of the North," Helen was incorporated on August 18, 1913. Helen was built along the former route of the Unicoi Turnpike, a 1,000-year-old Native American trail connecting Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Formerly a logging town in decline, Helen resurrected itself by becoming a replica of a Bavarian alpine town, in the Appalachians instead of the Alps. This design is mandated through zoning first adopted in 1969, so that the classic southern German style is present on every building, even on the small number of national franchisees present. In 1975, Documerica photographer Al Stephenson documented the life, recreation, and economy of the Helen area before and during the reconstruction of the settlement.

21st-century

Tourism is a key economic activity in Helen, catering mostly to weekend visitors from the Atlanta area and also motorcyclists who enjoy riding the roads in Helen and its surrounding areas. Helen can be crowded in late October, when autumn leaves typically peak. It also hosts its own Oktoberfest during September, October and November. Events and festivals are held throughout the year, including the "Southern Worthersee", which is a stateside Volkswagen and Audi event that pays tribute to the Worthersee Tour in Austria. An annual hot-air balloon race is also held here on the first weekend in June.

The main road through town is north–south Georgia 75. The Helen stream gauge (HDCG1) is located on its bridge over the Chattahoochee in the middle of downtown. A parallel route to the west is labeled Georgia 75 Alt to identify it as a bypass route around the town and its traffic jams in the autumn and on some weekends.

Unicoi State Park and Lodge, spanning 1,050 acres (420 ha), is located immediately northeast of Helen on Georgia 356. The park encompasses Unicoi Lake, a 53-acre (21 ha) freshwater lake, offering outdoor activities for all seasons. Among these are a swimming beach, trout streams, wheelchair-accessible fishing docks, seasonal canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals, seven picnic shelters with charcoal grills, three playgrounds for children, spots for birding, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) of hiking within the park (with adjacent trails in the Chattahoochee National Forest), 8 miles (13 km) of mountain biking trails within the park, and a number of places to enjoy the natural environment of the lake and park. Unicoi State Park also offers lodging in several forms. Access to Anna Ruby Falls, part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, is through the park.

Hardman Farm State Historic Site is located near Helen.

Geography

Helen is located at 34°42′9″N 83°43′39″W / 34.70250°N 83.72750°W / 34.70250; -83.72750 (34.702396, -83.727508).

Georgia State Routes 17 and 75 are the main routes through the city, and run through the downtown area together as North Main Street. GA-17/75 lead north together 21 miles (34 km) to Hiawassee. The two highways split south of the city, with GA-17 leading southeast 15 miles (24 km) to Clarkesville and GA-75 leading south 9 miles (14 km) to Cleveland, the White County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all land.

Climate

Transportation

Major roads

Pedestrians and cycling

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 531 people, 271 households, and 161 families residing in the city. The total population figure is disputed by city officials, as it is triple what it was a decade earlier. The discrepancy may be due changes in Census Bureau counting methodology.

Sister city

• Füssen, Bavaria

Education

• Alpine Public Schools are part of the White County School District, which includes four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
• Dr. Laurie Burkett is the Superintendent of Schools (since 2018). The district has 233 full-time teachers and over 3,758 students.

Film and television

Smokey and the Bandit (1977) includes a scene filmed on Chimney Mountain Rd. just outside of Helen.

In the episode "Helen" from Season 2: Robbin' Season of the television series Atlanta, main characters Vanessa and Earn visit Helen for a Fastnacht celebration. The character Vanessa, played by Zazie Beetz, is fluent in German. The episode aired on March 22, 2018.

The Lifetime TV movie Christmas Love Letter was filmed in Helen and aired on December 21, 2019.

Gallery

• 

  Office of The Helen Mountain Eagle, July 1975

• 

  Entrance to Helen, May 1975

• 

  Dancing at Oktoberfest in Helen, 1975

• 

  Another view of Helen

• 

  Various stores in Helen

• 

  Panorama of the town.

• 

  Unicoi State Park lake

• 

  Anna Ruby Falls

• 

  Nacoochee Indian Mound occupied from 1350 to 1600

• 

  Brasstown Bald the highest peak in Georgia

See also

In Spanish: Helen (Georgia) para niños