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Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,703 according to the 2020 US Census. 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 Stone Mountain. Locals often call the city "Stone Mountain Village" to distinguish it from the larger unincorporated area traditionally considered Stone Mountain and Stone Mountain Park.

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, Georgia
City
Main Street in Stone Mountain Village
Seal
Motto: 
"A City of Vision"[1]
Location in DeKalb County and the state of Georgia
Stone Mountain
Location of Stone Mountain in Metro Atlanta
Coordinates: 33°48′29″N 84°10′13″W[2]
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyDeKalb
Establishedas New Gibraltar c. 1839
Renamedas Stone Mountain c. 1847
Government
 • MayorDr. Beverly Jones [1]
Area
[3]
 • Total1.66 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)
 • Total6,703
 • Density4,059.96/sq mi (1,567.38/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code770
FIPS code13-73816[4]
GNIS feature ID0326087[2]
WebsiteCity of Stone Mountain Georgia

History


Railroad depot
Railroad depot

Stone Mountain's history began long before European settlers and the Creek Indians before them. Evidence of numerous earlier Native American tribes, including mound builders, has been found in the area.[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


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


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
Stone Mountain in 1908

Civil War


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


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


1915 was the year of the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist organization. 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]

Freedom Bell on Main Street
Freedom Bell on Main Street

Civil Rights Movement


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


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


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.


Government


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[16] and is a member of Main Street America.


Geography


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,[17] the city has an area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2), of which 0.62% is water.


Demographics


Historical population
CensusPop.%±
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[18]

2020 census


Stone Mountain racial composition[19]
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.


2017


According to 2017 US Census Bureau estimates,[20] Stone Mountain has 6,368 residents, a 9.0% increase since 2010. There are 2,519 households, with an average of 2.42 persons per household. 8.9% of Stone Mountain residents are foreign-born. Estimates of the racial makeup of the city are 73% African-American/Black, 22.1% White, 1% Asian, 0.9% Native American/Alaskan, and 1.1% of two or more races.

Of persons 25 years or older, 87.3% are high school graduates or higher, while 30.8% have attained a bachelor's degree or higher. The median income is $35,964, with a per capita income of $21,134.


Arts, culture and leisure



In film


Ghost sign of a fictional company left from a previous film production.
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.[23] 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


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


Education


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


Notable people



References


  1. "City of Stone Mountain Georgia". Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  2. 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. "Stone Mountain". About North Georgia. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  6. Freeman, David B. (1997). Carved in Stone. The History of Stone Mountain. Mercer University Press. ISBN 0865545472.
  7. 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. "About our Village". Stone Mountain Historical Society. 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  11. 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 Magazine.
  14. Golden, Randy. "Stone Mountain Carving". About North Georgia. 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. "Cities of Ethics". Georgia Municipal Association. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  17. "Stone Mountain". State of Georgia. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  18. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  19. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  20. "US Census QuickFacts Stone Mountain city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau. 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  21. "About Us". ART Station. 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  22. "PATH Trails". Path Foundation. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  23. "Economic Development-Downtown Development Authority". City of Stone Mountain. 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  24. "Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library". DeKalb County Public Library. Retrieved November 22, 2018.

Further reading




Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stone Mountain, Georgia.



На других языках

[de] Stone Mountain (Stadt)

Stone Mountain ist eine Stadt mit dem Status „City“ im DeKalb County im Bundesstaat Georgia in den USA. Bei der Volkszählung 2020 des US Census Bureau hatte sie 6.703[2] Einwohner.
- [en] Stone Mountain, Georgia

[es] Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain es una ciudad ubicada en el condado de DeKalb en el estado estadounidense de Georgia. En el año 2020 tenía una población de 6,703 habitantes.


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