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Watkinsville, Georgia
Oconee County Courthouse in Watkinsville, Georgia
Oconee County Courthouse in Watkinsville, Georgia
Location in Oconee County and the state of Georgia
Location in Oconee County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Oconee
Area
 • Total 3.31 sq mi (8.58 km2)
 • Land 3.28 sq mi (8.48 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation
719 ft (219 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,896
 • Density 884.00/sq mi (341.36/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30677
Area code(s) 706
FIPS code 13-80788
GNIS feature ID 0333373
Website http://cityofwatkinsville.com/

Watkinsville is the largest town and county seat of Oconee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,832. It served as the seat of Clarke County until 1872 when the county seat of that county was moved to Athens, a move which ultimately led to the creation of Oconee County in 1875. It is included in the Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Watkinsville is located at 33°51′46″N 83°24′29″W / 33.86278°N 83.40806°W / 33.86278; -83.40806 (33.862818, -83.408094).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) of it is land and 0.31% is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1810 224
1870 643
1880 350 −45.6%
1890 314 −10.3%
1900 351 11.8%
1910 483 37.6%
1920 465 −3.7%
1930 425 −8.6%
1940 558 31.3%
1950 662 18.6%
1960 758 14.5%
1970 986 30.1%
1980 1,240 25.8%
1990 1,600 29.0%
2000 2,097 31.1%
2010 2,832 35.1%
2020 2,896 2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Watkinsville racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 2,344 80.94%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 158 5.46%
Native American 5 0.17%
Asian 82 2.83%
Other/Mixed 146 5.04%
Hispanic or Latino 161 5.56%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,896 people, 1,042 households, and 741 families residing in the city.

Early history

In 1802, Watkinsville, originally known as the “Big Springs” community, was named after Colonel Robert Watkins of Augusta, a lawyer and early compiler of A Digest of the Laws of the State of Georgia through 1799. Watkinsville was a village located on the dangerous western frontier of the new United States between Creek and Cherokee territories. Eagle Tavern, believed to stand on the site of the old Fort Edward, opened in 1801 and today serves as a museum commemorating the era of wagon and stage travel. Watkinsville first appeared in Clarke County records in 1791; only fifty-eight years after James Edward Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia. In 1802, John Cobb gave up eight lots of his plantation to create the city. And on November 24, 1806 the City became the Incorporated Town of Watkinsville. It then became the seat for Clarke County and remained so until 1872, when Athens took over that role. Angry locals voted to create a new county, named after the Oconee River on its eastern border, and Watkinsville became its seat on February 25, 1875.

Arts and culture

IronHorse
Iron Horse in Watkinsville, Georgia

Watkinsville has the unofficial motto "The Artland of Georgia" on the wall of the Community Center, as designed by the late artist Jim Shearon. The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation or OCAF is located in Watkinsville in the old high school as part of the 1902 OCAF Center and Gallery near the Board of Education. The Iron Horse sculpture stands in a field approximately twelve miles south of Watkinsville.

Education

The Oconee County School District provides primary and secondary public education services for all residents of Watkinsville. The only public schools within the Watkinsville city limits are Colham Ferry Elementary School, Oconee County Elementary School, Oconee County Primary School, Oconee County Middle School, and Oconee County High School. Watkinsville has one of the best education systems in Georgia as ranked by the Georgia Department of Education. There are also several private schools such as Westminster Christian Academy, Athens Academy, and Prince Avenue Christian School.

Transportation

Major roads

  • Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
  • Georgia 24.svg State Route 24
  • Georgia 53.svg State Route 53
  • US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
  • US 441.svg U.S. Route 441

Pedestrians and cycling

The city has limited walkability options available. However, since 2017 plans are being discussed to develop a multi-use trail network. A new sidewalk on VFW Drive (and a few surrounding streets) and a planned sidewalk and pedestrian bridge along Harden Hill Road have changed that perception greatly. Phase I of the construction of the Harden Hill sidewalk was recently contracted and has begun to be finished by Christmas 2019.

Notable people

  • Nathan Crawford Barnett, member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Secretary of State for more than 30 years.
  • Alan Busenitz, baseball player
  • Ed Crowley, baseball player
  • Atticus Haygood, Methodist Bishop and Emory College president
  • Hank Huckaby, chancellor of University System of Georgia
  • Zach Mettenberger, NFL quarterback for Tennessee Titans
  • Jeannette Rankin, first woman to serve in Congress: being elected from Montana in 1916 before women had the right to vote in other states. An American politician and women's rights advocate, a peace advocate who opposed all war, she was one of only fifty persons in Congress who voted against entry into WW I. "I wish to stand for my country," she said, "but I cannot vote for war." Years later, she would add, "I felt the first time the first woman had a chance to say no to war, she should say it." She was reelected to Congress in 1940 from Montana. She cast the only vote against entry into WW II after President Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy Speech". She founded the Georgia Peace Society in 1928. Steadfastly she remained active in peace movements during the Vietnam Era, participating in the "Jeannette Rankin Brigade" march in Washington on January 15, 1968 at 88 years old.
  • Tony Taylor, pro football player
  • Buck Thrasher, baseball player
  • John Wes Townley, retired NASCAR driver, notable for driving Zaxby's car
  • Marcus Wiedower - Politician. Member of Georgia House of Representatives.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Watkinsville para niños

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