Lovejoy, Georgia

Lovejoy, Georgia
City
Flag of Lovejoy, Georgia
Flag
Official seal of Lovejoy, Georgia
Seal
Motto(s): 
A great place to grow and prosper
Location in Clayton County and the state of Georgia
Location in Clayton County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°26′39″N 84°18′54″W / 33.44417°N 84.31500°W / 33.44417; -84.31500
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyClayton
Area
[1]
 • Total
2.94 sq mi (7.61 km2)
 • Land2.91 sq mi (7.54 km2)
 • Water0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation
951 ft (290 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
10,122
 • Density3,477.16/sq mi (1,342.38/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30250
Area code770
FIPS code13-47616[2]
GNIS feature ID0317440[3]
Websitewww.cityoflovejoy.com

Lovejoy is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. During the American Civil War, it was the site of the Battle of Lovejoy's Station during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. Lovejoy was incorporated as a town on September 16, 1861.[4] As of 2020, its population was 10,122. It has an African American majority.

Lovejoy is proposed by the Georgia Department of Transportation and MARTA to be the endpoint of metro Atlanta's first commuter rail line.

History

Around 1850, the location just north of Fosterville, Georgia was positioned along the new railway from Atlanta to Macon. The trainstop there was named for a prosperous local planter, James Lankford Lovejoy. On early maps, the location is called "Lovejoys."[5] It became known as Lovejoy's Station by 1864, where it was the setting of a civil war battle during Sherman's campaign through Georgia. James Lovejoy left the region and died in Clinch County, Georgia in 1877.

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Lovejoy as a town in 1891.[6]

Lovejoy was the site of a cotton gin until 1932.[7]

In 1979, Betty Talmadge, former first-lady of Georgia, purchased the remnants of the Hollywood set "Tara," the fictional plantation featured in Gone With the Wind, and brought them to Lovejoy.[8] The main road through Lovejoy is named "Tara Blvd." The remnants of Tara are available to be toured at the Lovejoy Plantation.

Geography

Lovejoy is located in southern Clayton County at 33°26′39″N 84°18′54″W / 33.44417°N 84.31500°W / 33.44417; -84.31500 (33.444164, -84.315105).[9] It is bordered by Henry County to the south and the unincorporated community of Bonanza to the north. U.S. Routes 19 and 41 pass through the western part of Lovejoy, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to downtown Atlanta and south 14 miles (23 km) to Griffin.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.8 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.91%, is water.[10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1910198—
192022111.6%
1930178−19.5%
1980205—
1990754267.8%
20002,495230.9%
20106,422157.4%
202010,12257.6%
2023 (est.)12,080[11]19.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
Lovejoy racial composition as of 2020[13]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 932 9.21%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 7,709 76.16%
Native American 21 0.21%
Asian 105 1.04%
Pacific Islander 5 0.05%
Other/Mixed 334 3.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1,016 10.04%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,122 people, 1,756 households, and 1,272 families residing in the city.

Education

Clayton County Public Schools operates public schools. The schools in this area are: Lovejoy Middle School and Lovejoy High School.

In 1989, professional wrestler Jody Hamilton opened a school and training facility in Lovejoy. It was later moved to Atlanta and operated as the WCW Power Plant until 2001.[14]

Infrastructure

Transit systems

MARTA serves the city. A planned commuter rail service is expected to terminate in the city.

Notable persons

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "About Us | Lovejoy, GA - Official Website". www.cityoflovejoy.com. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  5. ^ 1863 Map
  6. ^ Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia. J. Johnston. 1892. p. 806.
  7. ^ "About Us | Lovejoy, GA - Official Website". www.cityoflovejoy.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Tara from Gone With The Wind Tour and Lovejoy Plantation Archived from the original on 2015-09-09. Retrieved on 2023-02-23.
  9. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  10. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lovejoy city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  11. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau. May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  12. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  13. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  14. ^ Russo, Ric (October 13, 2000). "What ever happened to ... The Assassin". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  15. ^ https://triblive.com/sports/high-school-coachs-memories-of-pitts-bub-means-go-beyond-football/