Stockbridge, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stockbridge, Georgia
City
Stockbridge City Hall
Location in Henry County and the state of Georgia
Stockbridge, Georgia Location in Metro Atlanta
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Henry
Named for	Levi Stockbridge
Area
• Total	13.82 sq mi (35.79 km2)
• Land	13.70 sq mi (35.48 km2)
• Water	0.12 sq mi (0.31 km2)
Elevation	801 ft (244 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,973
• Density	2,114.97/sq mi (816.59/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30281
Area code(s)	770/678/470
FIPS code	13-73704
GNIS feature ID	0342357

Stockbridge is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 25,637, up from 9,853 in 2000.

Stockbridge is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

History

The area was settled in 1829 when Concord Methodist Church was organized near present today Old Stagecoach Road. It was granted a post office on April 5, 1847 named for a traveling Professor, Levi Stockbridge, who passed through the area many times before the Post Office was built. He was said to be well known and respected in his namesake community. Others contend that the city was named after Thomas Stock, who was State Surveyor and President of the Georgia State Senate in the 1820s.

In 1881, the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad was to pass through Stockbridge between Macon and Atlanta. The settlers who owned the land about Old Stockbridge asked so much for their land that two prominent Atlanta citizens, John W. Grant and George W. Adair, bought a tract about a mile south of Old Stockbridge and offered lots at a reasonable price. Here the railroad built their depot and many lots were sold. The depot was located about 600 feet (180 m) north of what is now North Henry Blvd but was destroyed by the Southern Railway in the early 1980s.

Stockbridge was incorporated as a town in 1895 and as a city August 6, 1920.

The Aaron and Margaret Parker Jr. House and Walden-Turner House in Stockbridge are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Naming mystery

On May 6, 1992, Mayor Rudy Kelley received a letter from Mr. John Stockbridge of South Carolina requesting a letter of "Greeting" from the City of Stockbridge to the attendees of the first reunion of the Stockbridge family. In his letter, he mentioned that he grew up in Georgia and had been told as a child that the City of Stockbridge was named after his great-great-grandfather Levi Stockbridge who traveled back and forth from the north to his property in Florida and stopped here on his journey.

Levi Stockbridge was born on March 13, 1820, and fits the time frame just prior to the Civil War. Levi would have been 27 years of age when Stockbridge was assigned a post office in 1847.

Until May 6, 1992, there had never been a name other than Professor Stockbridge. At that time, Levi Stockbridge was mentioned as the person for whom the city may have been named.

It is not certain that Levi Stockbridge was the individual for whom the citizens of the community named their post office and village. However, through John Stockbridge’s letters and many conversations with him, it is believed that this is the rightful Professor Stockbridge who had been unknown for 146 years.

Recent history

New City Hall

The fountain across from City Hall. (01 May 2010)

After February 2007 the city had new plans drawn up to build the new city hall. The plans call for the new city hall and park and green space to all be built around the Stockbridge Florist shop that started the now famous Eminent Domain lawsuit.

The city says that the new development will strengthen the old and worn down downtown business district. The Stockbridge City Manager Ted Strickland, said that the new city hall was absolutely necessary, because some current city employees are working out of closets and supply rooms.

During interviews with city workers, they complained that it was interesting how the city could "spend 2 million dollars on a water fountain" but could not give its employees a mere $0.50 raise. After being more than 1 million dollars over budget and 2 years behind on the project the new city hall was opened in August 2009.

Geography

Stockbridge is located at 33°32′3″N 84°13′52″W / 33.53417°N 84.23111°W / 33.53417; -84.23111 (33.534068, -84.231185).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (35 km²), of which, 13.3 square miles (34 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 25,636 people, 9,499 households, and 6,536 families in the city. The population density was 1,927.5 inhabitants per square mile (744.2/km²). There were 10,312 housing units at an average density of 775.4 per square mile (299.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 28.8% white, 55.7% black or African American, 7.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.8% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.5% of the population.

Of the 9,499 households, 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 26.6% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.29. The median age was 33.8 years.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 28,973 people, 10,244 households, and 7,549 families residing in the city.

Parks and recreation

• Clark Community Park.
• Gardner Park.
• Memorial Park.
• Monument Park at Eagle's Landing.
• Reeves Creek Trail.
• Eagles Landing Country Club.
• Bridgefest - held annually on the last weekend in September.
• Holiday Gala - held annually.
• Sounds of Summer concert series - held annually on City Hall lawn.
• Screen on the Green held annually - hosted by Stockbridge Main Street.

Education

Public schools

Stockbridge is served by the Henry County School District. Schools serving the Stockbridge area include:

• Cotton Indian Elementary School
• Dutchtown High, Middle and Elementary
• Eagles Landing Middle & High
• Flippen Elementary
• Pate's Creek Elementary School
• Pleasant Grove Elementary School
• Red Oak Elementary School
• Smith Barnes Elementary School
• Stockbridge Elementary School
• Stockbridge High School
• Stockbridge Middle School
• Woodland Elementary School
• Woodland High School
• Woodland Middle School

Private schools

• Community Christian School
• Mount Vernon Christian Academy
• Sunbrook Academy at Stockbridge

Infrastructure

Transportation

• Xpress GA provides local bus service.
• Berry Hill Airport is a private airport located east of town and has no scheduled air service.

Stockbridge is served by the following highways:

• Interstate 75
• Interstate 675
• U.S. Highway 23
• Georgia State Route 42
• Georgia State Route 138
• Georgia State Route 401
• Georgia State Route 413

Notable people

• Joey Clanton, race car driver
• Kyle Davies, professional baseball player
• Max Gresham, stock car racing driver
• Mark Hall, lead singer of contemporary Christian band Casting Crowns
• Bruce Irvin, NFL player, Seattle Seahawks
• Martin Luther King Sr., Baptist pastor, missionary, and early leader in the American Civil Rights Movement; father of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Phil McCullough, professional baseball player
• Lee H. Phillips, awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean War
• Dean Roland, Ed Roland, and Will Turpin of the alternative rock band Collective Soul
• Ricky Sanders, race car driver
• Ken Sagoes, Actor, writer
• Joycelyn Savage(R. Kelly's girlfriend)
• Jeffrey Dewberry, baker, appeared on Hells' Kitchen Season 1
• Kendrick Borst, Award-winning scholar

See also

In Spanish: Stockbridge (Georgia) para niños