Jewtown, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jewtown, Georgia
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Country | United States |
State | Georgia |
County | Glynn |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Area code(s) | 912 |
GNIS feature ID | 332100 |
Jewtown is a small, historic community located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. It is known as an unincorporated community, which means it does not have its own local government like a city or town. Instead, it is managed by the larger county government.
A Look Back at Jewtown's History
Jewtown is one of three important African American communities on St. Simons Island. These communities were settled after the American Civil War by people who had been freed from slavery. They built new lives and communities in this area.
How Jewtown Got Its Name
The community of Jewtown received its name because of a store that opened there in the 1880s. This store was started by members of the Levison family, who were Jewish. Sometimes, the town was even called "Levisonton" because of this family.
After the American Civil War, a man named Anson Dodge and his company, the Georgia Land and Lumber Company, bought the Hamilton Plantation. This was in 1875, and they planned to build lumber mills at Gascoigne Bluff. There was a high demand for lumber around the world at that time.
Sig and Robert (Bob) Levison, who lived in nearby Brunswick, Georgia, decided to open a general store. This store was built about a mile east of the new lumber mills. It sold many different kinds of goods that people in the community needed. The store was an important part of the community for many years, but it eventually closed in 1921.