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Ludowici, Georgia
Location in Long County and the state of Georgia
Location in Long County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Long
Area
 • Total 2.88 sq mi (7.47 km2)
 • Land 2.87 sq mi (7.44 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation
66 ft (20 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,590
 • Density 553.81/sq mi (213.82/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31316
Area code(s) 912 Exchange: 545
FIPS code 13-47784
GNIS feature ID 0356371

Ludowici is a city in Long County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,703 at the 2010 census and an estimated 2,221 in 2018. The city is the county seat of Long County. It is a part of the Hinesville-Fort Stewart metropolitan statistical area.

The town, which was originally called Johnston Station, had its beginnings in the 1840s when the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad established a stop referred to as "Four and a Half". The station was constructed across from the house of a landowner named Allen Johnston.

The Long County Courthouse and Ludowici Well Pavilion are listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Long County, Georgia.

History

In 1904, German entrepreneur Carl Ludowici built the “Dixie” plant for the Ludowici Roofing Tile Co., in Johnson Station. In 1905, when the town erected a new high school, the Ludowici family donated towards its construction costs and provided the roofing tile. In return, on August 23, 1905 the town was renamed and incorporated as Ludowici.

The Ludowici Dixie Plant in its heyday covered more than 1,100 acres and employed most people who resided in Long County. Tiles manufactured from this plant were stamped "Ludowici Dixie”. "Dixie" tile can still be found throughout Georgia and Florida, on such prominent buildings as the U.S. Federal Building in Savannah and Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, as well as numerous homes in Ludowici and the surrounding communities. The plant closed in 1914. The Ludowici Roof Tile Company stills exists but the company's plant is in New Lexington, Ohio.

Before interstate highways were constructed, all motorists traveled on regular U.S. highways. Ludowici was at the crossroads of three U.S. highways, Routes 25, 82 and 301.

The city gained notoriety during the 1950s and 1960s for its aggressive traffic enforcement policies. The AAA went so far as to specifically label Ludowici as a speed trap. Members of the local police force were allegedly engaging in manipulation of the timing of the traffic signal downtown, so as to catch unsuspecting out-of-area motorists 'running' a suddenly changed red light. The switch for the stop light was located in the barber shop. The traffic light was at an intersection that was bypassed by a shortcut (Main Street - see a local map) so that local residents would not even come to the light when making the turn at the light. Thus, all the tickets went to nonresidents without the police having to be selective since no locals would be at the light.

This activity subsequently came to an end, when then-Governor Lester Maddox stated that the practices of the Ludowici police were giving the entire state a bad reputation. Word of mouth and media exposure caused many motorists to detour around Ludowici. A 1970 TIME article said that Ludowici was "one of the last remaining speed traps in the country."

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ludowici has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²), of which 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) is land and 0.45% is water.

Ludowici, in southeast Georgia, is located 30 miles (48 km) from the coast and is nestled between the Georgia towns of Jesup, Darien, Hinesville/Ft. Stewart, and Glennville.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 541
1920 515 −4.8%
1930 615 19.4%
1940 866 40.8%
1950 1,332 53.8%
1960 1,578 18.5%
1970 1,419 −10.1%
1980 1,286 −9.4%
1990 1,291 0.4%
2000 1,440 11.5%
2010 1,703 18.3%
2020 1,590 −6.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Ludowici racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 918 57.74%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 495 31.13%
Asian 4 0.25%
Pacific Islander 1 0.06%
Other/Mixed 92 5.79%
Hispanic or Latino 80 5.03%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,590 people, 763 households, and 573 families residing in the city.

Education

Long County Board of Education
Long County Board of Education building

Long County School District

The Long County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 119 full-time teachers and over 3,285 students.

  • Smiley Elementary School
  • McClelland Elementary School
  • Long County Middle School
  • Long County High School

Private education

  • Faith Baptist Christian School

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ludowici (Georgia) para niños

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