Wikipedia

Stone Mountain, Georgia

This article is about the city in the U.S. state of Georgia. For the adjacent mountain and park of the same name, see Stone Mountain.

Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,703 according in 2020. Stone Mountain is in the eastern part of DeKalb County and is a suburb of Atlanta that encompasses nearly 1.7 square miles. It lies near and touches the western base of the geological formation of the same name. Locals often call the city "Stone Mountain Village" to distinguish it from the larger unincorporated area traditionally considered Stone Mountain and Stone Mountain Park.

Stone Mountain, Georgia
City
Main Street in Stone Mountain Village
Main Street in Stone Mountain Village
Flag of Stone Mountain, Georgia
Flag
Official seal of Stone Mountain, Georgia
Seal
Motto: 
"A City of Vision"[1]
Location in DeKalb County and the state of Georgia
Location in DeKalb County and the state of Georgia
Stone Mountain is located in Metro Atlanta
Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain
Location of Stone Mountain in Metro Atlanta
Coordinates: 33°48′29″N 84°10′13″W / 33.80806°N 84.17028°W / 33.80806; -84.17028[2]
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyDeKalb
Establishedas New Gibraltar c. 1839
Renamedas Stone Mountain c. 1847
Government
 • MayorDr. Beverly Jones [1]
Area
[3]
 • Total
1.66 sq mi (4.29 km2)
 • Land1.65 sq mi (4.28 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
[2]
1,043 ft (318 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
6,703
 • Density4,059.96/sq mi (1,567.38/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
30083, 30086–30088
Area code770
FIPS code13-73816[4]
GNIS feature ID0326087[2]
Websitestonemountaincity.org

History

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Railroad depot

Stone Mountain's history traces back to before the time of European invasion and settlement, with local burial mounds dating back hundreds of years built by the ancestors of the historical Muskogee Creek nation who first met the settlers in the early colonial period. [5]

The Treaty of Indian Springs in 1821 opened a large swath of Georgia for settlement by non-Native Americans on former Creek Indian land, including present-day Stone Mountain Village. In 1822, the area that now makes up the city was made a part of the newly formed DeKalb County.

Settlement

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By the 1820s, Rock Mountain, as it was then called, was "a major travel center", with an inn for travelers. A stagecoach line linking the village with Georgia's capital, Milledgeville, began in 1825. Another stage line ran to Winder and Athens. In 1828 another stage line began trips to Dahlonega, and a fourth connected the community with Macon.[6]: 27  "Hundreds of people visited Rock Mountain in the summer [of 1828] and...a house of entertainment was nearby."[6]: 28  Rail service did not reach the town, by then New Gibraltar, until 1845.[6]: 33 

A post office was created in 1834 on the old Augusta Road, and Andrew Johnson, called the founder of New Gibraltar and first mayor,[7] around whose house the city limits were drawn,[6]: 32  built a hotel along the road in 1836. ("An 1843 amendment to the act of incorporation extended the town limits to 600 yards (550 m) in every direction from the house of Andrew Johnson."[6]: 31 ) About 1839 Aaron Cloud, who also had a hotel,[6]: 33  built a wooden observation tower, octagonal like a lighthouse and 150 feet (46 m) high, along with a restaurant and club, at the mountain's summit. A storm destroyed the tower in 1849; in 1851, Thomas Henry built a smaller, 80 feet (24 m) tower, with telescopes so it could serve as an observatory.[6]: 29  Visitors to the mountain traveled by rail and road, then hiked up the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) mountaintop trail to the top. By 1850, Stone Mountain had become a popular destination for Atlanta urbanites who endured the four-hour round trip by rail just to experience its natural beauty, lodging, and attractions.[8][5]

Industry

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Granite quarrying at the mountain was the area's lifeblood for decades, employing many thousands. The excellent grade of building stone from the mountain was used in many notable structures, including the locks of the Panama Canal, the roof of the bullion depository at Fort Knox, Philadelphia's Liberty National Building, and the steps in the east wing of the U.S. Capitol.[9]

In August 1846, New Gibraltar hosted Georgia's first state fair, then known as the Agriculture Fair and Internal Improvement Jubilee. The fair had just one exhibit—three horses and two cows, both belonging to the event's organizer, John Graves. The next year, the village again hosted the event, which featured caskets, marble, embroidery, brooms, bedspreads, vegetables, blooded stock, wheat, farm tools, and a magnetic telegraph. Stone Mountain hosted the event until 1850, when it moved to Macon.[7]

 
Stone Mountain in 1908

American Civil War

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Though DeKalb County voted against secession from the United States, it was not spared the devastation of the Civil War. Stone Mountain Village went unscathed until the Battle of Atlanta,[10] when it was destroyed by men under the command of General James B. McPherson on July 19, 1864. Several antebellum homes were spared as they were used as hospitals. The railroad depot's roof burned, but the building stood, owing to its 2-foot-thick granite walls.[11]

From the village's destruction in July 1864 until November, Union forces scavenged Stone Mountain and the surrounding area, taking corn, wheat, cotton, cattle, and other goods. On November 15, 1864, between 12,000 and 15,000 Union troops marched through Stone Mountain and further destroyed the rail lines. The rails were rendered useless by heating them over burning railroad ties, then twisting them around trees. The term Sherman's neckties was coined for this form of destruction.[11]

Birth of Shermantown

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Advertisement for Stone Mountain from The Dixie Highway Magazine, c. 1925.

After the Civil War ended, housing in the area was rebuilt as Stone Mountain granite was again in demand for construction across the nation. A significant portion of the quarry's work force were African Americans, but they were generally excluded from areas where white families lived, so a shantytown, Shermantown, came into being at the southeast side of the village; its name was a reference to Union General William T. Sherman.

In 1868, Reverend R. M. Burson organized Bethsaida Baptist Church to serve Shermantown. A church building was then built under Reverend F. M. Simons at what is now 853 Fourth Street. Simons was among a delegation of southern African American pastors to meet with Sherman in Washington, D.C. after the war to discuss the treatment of the freedmen. Bethsaida Baptist is still an active part of the Stone Mountain Village.[11]

By the 20th century, much of Shermantown's original structures had been replaced. Bethsaida's original wooden structure was replaced by stone in 1920. Though Shermantown has mostly integrated into the growing Stone Mountain Village, it retains its own distinct community.

Rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan

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The year 1915 was when the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist organization, was reborn. Members assembled at Stone Mountain with permission of quarry owner Samuel Venable, an active member. Their activities, including annual cross-burnings, continued for over 40 years, but Stone Mountain's association with the Klan began to erode when the State of Georgia began to acquire the mountain and surrounding property in 1958. In 1960, Governor Ernest Vandiver condemned the property the state had purchased in order to void the perpetual easements Venable had granted the Klan. This ended any official link between Stone Mountain and the Klan.[12][13][14]

Civil rights movement

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Freedom Bell on Main Street

During the civil rights movement's March on Washington, on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. referred to Stone Mountain in his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech when he proclaimed, "let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!"[15] Charles Burris, the Village's first African-American mayor, dedicated the Freedom Bell on Main Street in King's honor on February 26, 2000. At an annual ceremony held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the bell is rung to commemorate King's legacy.

Many names

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The mountain has been known by countless names throughout the centuries. It was called Crystal Mountain by 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Pardo when he visited in 1567. The Creek Indians who inhabited the area at that time used a name translating to "Lone Mountain". Around the turn of the 19th century, settlers called it Rock Mountain or Rock Fort Mountain.[5] By the end of the 1830s, Stone Mountain had become the generally accepted name. Like the mountain, the village formed at its base was initially known as Rock Mountain but was incorporated as New Gibraltar in 1839 by an act of the General Assembly. In 1847 the Georgia legislature changed the name to Stone Mountain.[10]

Cemetery

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The Stone Mountain Cemetery, established around 1850, is a microcosm of the village's past. It is the final resting place for roughly 200 unknown Confederate soldiers. 71 known Confederate soldiers are buried there, along with James Sprayberry, a Union soldier. Another notable site is the grave of George Pressley Trout, who is buried there with his wife and his horse.[7] James B. Rivers, the village's first African American police chief, is at rest there on a hillside facing the mountain. The cemetery is still in use.

Geography

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Stone Mountain is at the western base of the quartz monzonite dome monadnock of the same name. While Stone Mountain city proper is completely within DeKalb County, the postal regions designated and traditionally considered as Stone Mountain include portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties.

According to the State of Georgia,[16] the city has an area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2), of which 0.62% is water.

Further information: Wade-Walker Park

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1870690—
188079915.8%
189092916.3%
1900835−10.1%
19101,06227.2%
19201,26619.2%
19301,3355.5%
19401,4085.5%
19501,89934.9%
19601,9764.1%
19701,899−3.9%
19804,867156.3%
19906,49433.4%
20007,14510.0%
20105,802−18.8%
20206,70315.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
Stone Mountain racial composition as of 2020[18]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 847 12.64%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 4,847 72.31%
Native American 22 0.33%
Asian 206 3.07%
Pacific Islander 2 0.03%
Other/Mixed 251 3.74%
Hispanic or Latino 528 7.88%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,703 people, 2,351 households, and 1,578 families residing in the city.

Government

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Stone Mountain is governed by a council-manager form of government. Citizens elect a mayor and six council members who are all elected at-large. The terms of office are four years, with elections staggered every two years. Daily city operations are managed by an appointed professional city manager. Services provided by the city include police, public works, code enforcement, and municipal court.

The city also has standing commissions for historic preservation, downtown development, and planning & zoning. The city holds a City of Ethics designation from the Georgia Municipal Association[19] and is a member of Main Street America.

Arts, culture and leisure

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  • ART Station Contemporary Arts Center and Theatre Company, a multi-disciplinary arts center, is in the Trolley Car Barn (5384 Manor Drive), built by the Georgia Railway and Power Company in 1913. ART Station hosts shows and gallery events throughout the year, including the Tour of Southern Ghosts each year in October.[20]
  • Wells-Brown House (1036 Ridge Avenue) is an elegant early 1870s neoclassical residence that is home of the Stone Mountain Historical Society. The Wells-Brown House houses a growing artifact collection and research library.
  • Cart-Friendly Community: Stone Mountain is one of a handful of Georgia communities that permit golf carts on city streets with a city-issued inspection permit. Carts are also permitted within adjacent Stone Mountain Park, giving the community an added leisure activity.
  • Museum of Miniature Chairs (994 Main Street): a three-room gallery and shop featuring over 3000 miniature chairs.
  • PATH: the Atlanta Regional Trail of the PATH off-road trails, which serves walkers, runners, cyclists, and skaters, enters the village on East Ponce de Leon Avenue, goes south on Main Street, and continues into Stone Mountain Park via a trail built atop the old railroad spur that once connected the CSX tracks to the Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad.[21]

In film

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Ghost sign of a fictional company left from a previous film production.

The Stone Mountain area has been a beneficiary of Georgia's flourishing film industry. Film crews and production personnel have become common sights in Stone Mountain Village. Due to the demand for filming in the historic downtown area, requests for filming in the village are handled by the downtown development authority.[22] The proceeds help fund festivals and other public events for the community.

Most of the shops and buildings on Main Street were built right after the turn of the 20th century and maintain many of the original facades. This has provided an appropriate backdrop for a number of filming projects, ranging from period pieces to those requiring a quaint village setting.

Parts of motion pictures like Footloose (2011) and Need for Speed (2014) were filmed in the village. The growing number of television show credits include The Vampire Diaries, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, MacGyver, and the Netflix science fiction/horror series Stranger Things.

Organizations

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Stone Mountain Village is home to a number of community, civic, and outreach organizations:

  • Stone Mountain Historical Society, 1036 Ridge Avenue
  • GFWC Stone Mountain Woman's Club, 5513 East Mountain Street
  • Stone Mountain Masonic Lodge No. 449, F&AM, 840 VFW Drive
  • DeKalb Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 10, 1238 Ridge Avenue
  • Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse, 1001 Main Street
  • Stone Mountain Cooperative Ecumenical Ministry (Food Bank), 5324 West Mountain Street

Education

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Stone Mountain High School is the zoned public high school with Stone Mountain in its attendance boundary; it is not in the city limits of Stone Mountain

The children of Stone Mountain are served by the DeKalb County Public Schools.[23][24] Stone Mountain Elementary School and Champion Theme Middle School are within the city limits.

Most residents in the city limits are zoned to Stone Mountain Elementary School. Some areas are zoned to Rockbridge Elementary School, outside of the city limits.[25] All residents of Stone Mountain are zoned to: Stone Mountain Middle School,[26] and Stone Mountain High School;[27] the middle school and the high school are outside the city limits.

Georgia Military College (GMC) has a satellite campus in Stone Mountain Village at 5325 Manor Drive.

DeKalb County Public Library operates the Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library (952 Leon Street).[28]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ a b "City of Stone Mountain Georgia". Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Stone Mountain, Georgia
  3. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ a b c "Stone Mountain". About North Georgia. Archived from the original on October 19, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Freeman, David B. (1997). Carved in Stone. The History of Stone Mountain. Mercer University Press. ISBN 0865545472.
  7. ^ a b c Delaney, Kim (February 17, 2011). "A Look at Stone Mountain's Rich History". Patch Media. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  8. ^ Stewart, Bruce E. (2004). "Stone Mountain". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Georgia Humanities.
  9. ^ "Big market supplied by local granite". The DeKalb New Era. Decatur, GA. December 21, 1939.
  10. ^ a b "About our Village". Stone Mountain Historical Society. 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Civil War Sesquicentennial 1861-1865. City of Stone Mountain. 2011.
  12. ^ Stokes, Stephannie (November 25, 2015). "Stone Mountain and the Rebirth of the KKK, One Century Ago". WABE. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  13. ^ Powers, Benjamin (May 4, 2018). "In the Shadow of Stone Mountain". Smithsonian.
  14. ^ Golden, Randy. "Stone Mountain Carving". About North Georgia. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  15. ^ King, Martin Luther Jr. (August 28, 1963). "I have a Dream". Lillian Goldman Law Library. Retrieved October 8, 2011. Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
  16. ^ "Stone Mountain". State of Georgia. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  17. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  18. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  19. ^ "Cities of Ethics". Georgia Municipal Association. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  20. ^ "About Us". ART Station. 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  21. ^ "PATH Trails". Path Foundation. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  22. ^ "Economic Development-Downtown Development Authority". City of Stone Mountain. 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  23. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: DeKalb County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  24. ^ "Zoning Map" (PDF). Stone Mountain. Retrieved February 18, 2023. - Compare to county school zoning maps.
  25. ^ "DeKalb County School District Elementary School Attendance Zones 2018-2019 School Year" (PDF). DeKalb County Public Schools. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  26. ^ "DeKalb County School District Middle School Attendance Zones 2018-2019 School Year" (PDF). DeKalb County Public Schools. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  27. ^ "High School Attendance Areas 2016 - 2017 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.
  28. ^ "Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library". DeKalb County Public Library. Retrieved November 22, 2018.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stone Mountain, Georgia.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Stone Mountain.
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