Sylvania, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvania, Georgia
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| Nickname(s):
"The Welcome Station City"
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| Motto(s):
"The Azalea & Dogwood City"
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Location in Screven County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Screven |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.05 sq mi (13.08 km2) |
| • Land | 4.98 sq mi (12.89 km2) |
| • Water | 0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2) |
| Elevation | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,634 |
| • Density | 529.13/sq mi (204.31/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
30467
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| Area code(s) | 912 |
| FIPS code | 13-75160 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0323862 |
| Website | City of Sylvania Georgia |
Sylvania is a city in and the county seat of Screven County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,956 at the 2010 census.
Contents
History
The area was inhabited for thousands of years by various cultures of indigenous peoples. By the time of European encounter, it was occupied by the Yuchi peoples, but some Creeks, the Uchee's allies, moved into the area during Colonial times.
The European-American town of Sylvania was founded in 1790 by settlers' migrating to the area after the American Revolutionary War. The town took its name from the Latin term for "place in the woods."
Sylvania was part of the Black Belt of Georgia, developed for cultivation after the cotton gin made it easier to handle short-fiber cotton. Cotton was the most important commodity crop until late in the 19th century. Planters imported many enslaved African Americans to cultivate the crops. By 1830 the county was filled with people. The county seat was moved from Jacksonborough to Sylvania in 1847.
As part of the projects of the Works Progress Administration, federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department. In 1941, Caroline Speare Rohland painted a mural for the post office of Sylvania. The scene depicted was of a farming family and their African American farm hand. In the 1980s, complaints from the local NAACP chapter resulted in the removal of the mural. It was found in a closet of the post office in 1995 and restored. The mural is now on permanent loan from the federal government and is held by Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.
Sherman's army moved through the area during the Civil War.
Sylvania calls itself the "Azalea and Dogwood City" and the "Welcome Station City."
Geography
Sylvania is located at 32°45′01″N 81°38′23″W / 32.750151°N 81.639590°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), all land. Sylvania's elevation is 230 feet and is slightly higher than most of the land throughout Screven County.
The city's flora include pine, oak, and most notably, dogwood, thus the slogan "The Dogwood City." Although Spanish moss is not as prevalent as in nearby Savannah, it can still be seen in Sylvania and the surrounding countryside.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 314 | — | |
| 1890 | 338 | 7.6% | |
| 1900 | 545 | 61.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,400 | 156.9% | |
| 1920 | 1,413 | 0.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,781 | 26.0% | |
| 1940 | 2,531 | 42.1% | |
| 1950 | 2,939 | 16.1% | |
| 1960 | 3,469 | 18.0% | |
| 1970 | 3,199 | −7.8% | |
| 1980 | 3,352 | 4.8% | |
| 1990 | 2,871 | −14.3% | |
| 2000 | 2,675 | −6.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,956 | 10.5% | |
| 2020 | 2,634 | −10.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,254 | 47.61% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,175 | 44.61% |
| Native American | 4 | 0.15% |
| Asian | 36 | 1.37% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 98 | 3.72% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 66 | 2.51% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,634 people, 1,092 households, and 672 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 2,956 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 50.5% Black, 45.8% White, 0.1% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander and 1.0% from two or more races. 1.4% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Arts and culture
Annual events
Sylvania hosts an Annual Livestock Festival in April, and an Annual Air Exposition in September through October.
Education
The Screven County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school and a high school. The district has 186 full-time teachers and over 3,130 students. William Bland is the superintendent.
Notable people
- William Lovett Anderson, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and Navy Cross recipient
See also
In Spanish: Sylvania (Georgia) para niños
