Lawrenceville, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lawrenceville, Georgia
City
Gwinnett County Courthouse
Nickname(s):  The Crepe Myrtle City
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Gwinnett
Named for	James Lawrence
Government
• Type	Mayor-council government
Area
• Total	13.80 sq mi (35.73 km2)
• Land	13.69 sq mi (35.46 km2)
• Water	0.11 sq mi (0.28 km2)
Elevation	1,083 ft (330 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,629
• Density	2,237.33/sq mi (863.83/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	30042-30046, 30049
Area code(s)	404/678/770
FIPS code	13-45488
GNIS feature ID	2404897

Lawrenceville is a city in Georgia, United States. It is the main city, also known as the county seat, of Gwinnett County. Lawrenceville is a suburb of Atlanta, located about 30 miles (48 km) northeast of downtown Atlanta.

The city was officially created on December 15, 1821. In 2020, about 30,629 people lived in Lawrenceville.

History of Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville became an official city on December 15, 1821. This makes it the second oldest city in the greater Atlanta area. The city is named after Commodore James Lawrence. He was a naval officer during the War of 1812. Commodore Lawrence was famous for his last words, "Don't give up the ship!" William Maltbie, the first postmaster, suggested the name "Lawrenceville."

In 1821, a permanent spot for the county courthouse was chosen. Streets were planned around a central square, and a public well was dug. The first brick courthouse was built in 1823-1824. The courthouse you see on the square today was built in 1885.

Courtland Winn was mayor of Lawrenceville for two terms, starting in 1884 when he was only 21 years old.

Some famous people were born in Lawrenceville but became well-known elsewhere. Charles Henry Smith, born in 1826, moved away as a young man. During the Civil War, he wrote funny stories for Atlanta newspapers under the name Bill Arp. He was a very popular writer in the late 1800s.

Ezzard Charles, born in 1921, grew up in Cincinnati. He later became the World Heavyweight boxing champion. He won this title by beating Joe Louis in 1950.

Another famous person, Oliver Hardy, was a world-famous comedian. He was part of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. He lived in downtown Lawrenceville as a child around 1900. However, his family moved often, so he didn't stay long.

Since 1988, Lawrenceville has been the main office for the Presbyterian Church in America.

Geography and Climate

Lawrenceville is located in the middle of Gwinnett County. It is at coordinates 33°57′11″N 83°59′33″W. The city covers a total area of about 13.5 square miles (35.0 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Cities close to Lawrenceville include Dacula to the east and Buford to the north. Other nearby cities are Suwanee, Duluth, Norcross, Lilburn, Snellville, and Grayson.

Climate in Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

Population and People

Downtown Lawrenceville (as of June 2006)

In 2020, the city of Lawrenceville had 30,629 people. There were 10,524 households and 7,071 families living in the city.

Economy and Business

Lawrenceville is home to several businesses. Atlanta Biologicals is located here.

Peach State Federal Credit Union has its main office in Lawrenceville. This credit union helps over 39,800 members in several nearby counties.

KiK Consumer Products, which owns BioLab Inc., also has its headquarters in Lawrenceville.

Arts and Culture

The Aurora Theatre

Lawrenceville has many interesting places and activities. The Old Seminary Building, Isaac Adair House, and Gwinnett County Courthouse are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.

The Lawrenceville Arts Center (LAC) is the new home of the Aurora Theatre. It brings art and culture to the historic town square. The LAC has a large 500-seat theater, a smaller cabaret, an outdoor courtyard, and an art gallery. Another building, the Bobby Sikes Fine Arts Building, has two more theaters. The Lawrenceville Arts Center welcomes about 80,000 visitors each year.

The Lawrenceville Lawn is a city park with an outdoor stage, a playground, and volleyball courts. It also has a dog park and a walking path. Many concerts and community events happen here.

Rhodes Jordan Park, named after a former mayor, is a large 162-acre park. It features a fishing lake, a playground, and many sports facilities. There are also swimming areas, a paved walking trail, and the Lawrenceville Community Garden.

The Fallen Heroes Memorial & Armed Forces Monument honors all Gwinnett residents who died while serving in the military or public safety. It remembers about 700 individuals.

The Lawrenceville Heritage Trail is a path through downtown. It has special medallions that tell the stories of people who helped shape Lawrenceville's history.

The Gwinnett County Public Library has a branch in Lawrenceville. The library and the city are working to turn the Hooper-Renwick Historic School Site into a special themed library. It will show cultural and historical items, teaching the public about segregation and desegregation in Gwinnett.

The Lawrenceville Historic Cemetery is near the historic square. Many of the city's founders are buried there.

Freeman's Grist Mill is a Gwinnett County Park in Lawrenceville. It has a playground that looks like a gristmill, a picnic area, a multi-purpose trail, and the historic mill itself.

If you like spooky stories, Lawrenceville Ghost Tours are available every September and October.

The city also has many public murals, which are large paintings on walls. These were created by the Lawrenceville Arts Commission.

Lawrenceville hosts about 30 free community events in its historic downtown area each year.

The Arbor Day Foundation named Lawrenceville a "Tree City" in 2023. This means the city cares about its trees. Mayor David Still declared Lawrenceville a "Purple Heart City" in 2020. This honors military members who were wounded in combat.

The annual Polish Pierogi Festival takes place in August. It features food, music, and fun competitions.

Sports

Lawrenceville is home to the Gwinnett Stripers. They are a Triple-A Minor League Baseball team. They play in the International League at Coolray Field.

Education

Gwinnett County Public Schools manages the public schools in Lawrenceville.

Schools with a Lawrenceville Address

Here is a list of schools that have a Lawrenceville mailing address. The high school they feed into is listed in parentheses.

Elementary Schools

Middle Schools

High Schools

Other Schools

• Gwinnett Intervention Education (GIVE) Center East
• Hooper-Renwick School
• Sola Fide Academy

Colleges and Universities

Lawrenceville has several colleges:

• Gwinnett Technical College
• Georgia Gwinnett College
• Reformed University
• University of Georgia - Gwinnett Campus

City Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and Highways

Major roads in Lawrenceville include Georgia 316, U.S. 78 (Stone Mountain Freeway), US 29, GA 8, GA 20, and GA 120.

Public Transit

Buses from Xpress GA/RTA Commuter and Gwinnett County Transit serve the city.

Airport

Part of the Gwinnett County Airport is located in Lawrenceville.

Hospitals

Northside Hospital Gwinnett is a hospital located in Lawrenceville.

Biorepository

The CDC and ATSDR Specimen Packaging, Inventory and Repository (CASPIR) is a special storage facility in Lawrenceville. It holds over 6.5 million samples for scientific research.

Notable People from Lawrenceville

See also

In Spanish: Lawrenceville (Georgia) para niños