Waynesboro (/ˈweɪnzbʌroʊ/) is a city and the county seat of Burke County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,472 at the 2024 census.[5][6] It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.
Waynesboro, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Waynesboro, within the historic district | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: "The Bird Dog Capital of the World"[1] | |
 Location in Burke County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 33°5′26″N 82°0′55″W / 33.09056°N 82.01528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Burke |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.53 sq mi (14.31 km2) |
| • Land | 5.47 sq mi (14.17 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 295 ft (90 m) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 5,472 |
| • Density | 1,000.4/sq mi (386.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 30830 |
| Area code | 706 |
| FIPS code | 13-80984[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0347180[4] |
| Website | www |
Waynesboro is known as "The Bird Dog Capital of the World".[7] The Waynesboro Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
editWaynesboro is located in Burke County, one of the eight original counties of Georgia. The city was named after General Anthony Wayne, whose daring efforts during the Revolutionary War earned him the nickname "Mad Anthony Wayne".[8]
Although European Americans lived in the area before the Revolutionary War, the town was not laid out until 1783. The city was officially incorporated in 1883 as Waynesborough. The name was changed to Waynesboro sometime after.[9] It developed as the trading and government center of the county, and is the site of the county courthouse and jail.
President George Washington spent the night of May 17, 1791, in Waynesboro. A stone monument on Liberty Street marks the historical site; it stands in front of the Golden Pantry (formerly Kwik Stop).[10]
On December 4, 1864, the Civil War Battle of Waynesboro was fought just south of the town. Forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick prevented troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman's campaign to destroy a wide swathe of the South on his march to Savannah, Georgia, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Geography
editWaynesboro is located in the center of Burke County at 33°5′26″N 82°0′55″W / 33.09056°N 82.01528°W (33.090482, -82.015404).[11] U.S. Route 25 bypasses the city on the east side, while State Route 121 passes through the center as Liberty Street. To the north it is 28 miles (45 km) to downtown Augusta, and to the south it is 49 miles (79 km) to Statesboro.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Waynesboro has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km2), of which 5.4 square miles (14.0 km2) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.96%, is water.[5] The city's elevation is 295 feet (90 m) above sea level. Pine, oak, dogwood, and other trees found in the South are in Waynesboro.
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 196 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,008 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,711 | 69.7% | |
| 1900 | 2,030 | 18.6% | |
| 1910 | 2,729 | 34.4% | |
| 1920 | 3,311 | 21.3% | |
| 1930 | 3,922 | 18.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,793 | −3.3% | |
| 1950 | 4,461 | 17.6% | |
| 1960 | 5,359 | 20.1% | |
| 1970 | 5,530 | 3.2% | |
| 1980 | 5,760 | 4.2% | |
| 1990 | 5,701 | −1.0% | |
| 2000 | 5,813 | 2.0% | |
| 2010 | 5,766 | −0.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,799 | 0.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1850-1870[13] 1880[14] 1890-1910[15] 1920-1930[16] 1930-1940[17] 1940-1950[18] 1960-1980[19]1980-2000[20] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,603 | 27.64% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,861 | 66.58% |
| Native American | 9 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 32 | 0.55% |
| Other/Mixed | 157 | 2.71% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 137 | 2.36% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,799 people, 1,991 households, and 1,339 families residing in the city.
Economy
editNuclear power plant
editOn February 2, 2010, President Obama was expected to announce a total of $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees to build and operate a pair of nuclear reactors in Burke County by Southern Company, an Atlanta-based energy company.[22] The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) offered Southern Company's subsidiary, Georgia Power, a conditional commitment for loan guarantees for the construction of the nation's first nuclear power units in more than 30 years. The new units will be located at Plant Vogtle along the Savannah River 21 miles (34 km) east of Waynesboro, where the company already owns and operates two nuclear units. The conditional commitment is for loan guarantees that would apply to future borrowings related to the construction of Vogtle units 3 and 4.[citation needed]
Arts and culture
editThe Burke County Museum traces the area's history, from plantation life to the establishment of agribusiness.[23]
Education
editK-12 education
editK-12 public education in Waynesboro is managed by Burke County Public Schools, which covers all of Burke County.[24]
These two elementary schools are the district's elementary facilities in Waynesboro:
- Blakeney Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
- Waynesboro Primary School (Pre-Kindergarten through grade 2)
These are the district's secondary schools, relevant to all of Burke County:
- Burke County Middle School (6-8)
- Burke County High School (9-12)
- Burke County Alternative School (6-12)
There are three private schools which are in unincorporated areas outside of the Waynesboro city limits:[25]
- Faith Christian Academy (pre K-12)
- Edmund Burke Academy (Pre K-12)
- Waynesboro Mennonite School (1-12)
Burke County Bears
editWaynesboro is the home to the Burke County Bears high school sports teams. The Bears won the 2011 state football championship against the Trojans of Peach County. Back in the 1950s, the former Waynesboro High School team, the Purple Hurricanes, won the state championship, but the Bears had not won a state championship football game until 2011.
Higher education
edit- Augusta Technical College, Waynesboro campus
Notable people
edit- Jonathan Broxton, Major League Baseball player[26]
- Wycliffe Gordon, jazz trombonist
- Cornelius Washington, NFL player
- Robert Lee Scott, Jr., World War II fighter ace
- Beau Jack, born Sidney Walker, Boxing World Champion Boxer
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Waynesboro, Georgia". Waynesboro, Georgia. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Waynesboro city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Waynesboro". Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 249. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ^ [1], Burke Chamber of Commerce website
- ^ "TDGH - May 17". Archived from the original on November 3, 1999.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
- ^ "1870 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1870.
- ^ "1880 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1930.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1930. p. 253.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ "Obama Nuclear Plant: President To Announce Loan Guarantee For More Than $8 Billion". Huffington Post. February 16, 2010.
- ^ "Waynesboro". Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Burke County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2024. - Text list
- ^ "General Highway Map Burke County Georgia" (PDF). Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- ^ Crasnick, Jerry. "Royals, Jonathan Broxton agree to deal." ESPN, Nov. 29, 2011. Accessed Nov. 29, 2011. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/7293835/los-angeles-dodgers-free-agent-jonathan-broxton-reaches-deal-kansas-city-royals
External links
edit
- City of Waynesboro official website
- Waynesboro, Georgia, at City-Data.com
- Waynesborough historical marker
- Big Buckhead Church historical marker
- The Cavalry Actions at Waynesboro historical marker
- Washington's Southern Tour historical marker
- First Presbyterian Church historical marker