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Statesboro, Georgia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Statesboro | |
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| Nickname: The Boro | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Bulloch |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | William S. Hatcher II |
| Area | |
| - Total | 12.6 sq mi (32.7 km²) |
| - Land | 12.5 sq mi (32.4 km²) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²) |
| Elevation | 253 ft (77 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 22,698 |
| - Density | 1,812.9/sq mi (700/km²) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 30458-30461 |
| Area code(s) | 912 |
| FIPS code | 13-73256GR2 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0323541GR3 |
| Website: http://www.statesboroga.net/ | |
Statesboro is a city in southeast Georgia, United States, and is the county seat and most populous city of Bulloch CountyGR6. A college town, Statesboro is best known as the home to Georgia Southern University.
The city was chartered in 1803, starting as a small farming community providing the basic essentials for surrounding farms. In 1906 Statesboro leaders joined together to bid for and win First District A&M School which eventually grew to become Georgia Southern University.
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In 1801, George Sibbald of Augusta donated 200 acres for a centrally located county seat for the growing agricultural community of Bulloch County. In December 1803, the Georgia legislature created the town of Statesborough. In 1866 the state legislature granted a permanent charter and changed the spelling of the name to its present form, Statesboro. During General William T. Sherman's famous march to the sea, a union officer asked a saloon proprietor for directions to Statesboro. The proprietor replied, "You are standing in the middle of town." The soldiers destroyed only the courthouse—a crude log structure that doubled as a barn when court was not in session.
Around the turn of the century, new stores and banks sprang up along the town's four major streets, each named Main. In 1908 Statesboro led the world in sales of long-staple Sea Island cotton. For each bale of cotton sold in Savannah, ten bales were sold in Statesboro. After the boll weevil decimated the cotton crop in the 1930's, farmers shifted to tobacco. By 1953 more than 20 million pounds of tobacco passed through warehouses in Statesboro, which was then the largest market in the "bright Tobacco Belt" spanning Georgia and Florida.
In 1906, when the state announced it would fund an agricultural and mechanical school in Georgia's First Congressional District, more than 100 Statesboro-Bulloch County residents and supporters successfully lobbied for Statesboro as the ideal location outbidding several other communities. The school continued to grow in the following decades and eventually became Georgia Southern University, a comprehensive research university with more than 16,000 students. [1] The area surrounding Georgia Southern University was once called Collegeboro, but was never incorporated and eventually Statesboro grew outward encompassing "Collegeboro" and the university. In the last twenty years, Statesboro has become a quintessential college town. However, unlike most college towns which are communities built around a college/university, Statesboro was a well established community when the First District A&M School started and whose civic leaders built and continue to support the university to this day. Statesboro-Bulloch County offers a diversified array of employment opportunities in agriculture and industry as well as services unlike most college towns.
Statesboro is located at (32.445147, -81.779234)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.6 square miles (32.7 km²), of which, 12.5 square miles (32.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.8%) is water.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 22,698 people, 8,560 households, and 3,304 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,812.9 people per square mile (700.0/km²). There were 9,235 housing units at an average density of 737.6/sq mi (284.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.21% White, 40.25% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.15% of the population.
There were 8,560 households out of which 17.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.9% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 61.4% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.3% under the age of 18, 48.7% from 18 to 24, 16.6% from 25 to 44, 11.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,016, and the median income for a family was $35,391. Males had a median income of $29,132 versus $20,718 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,585. About 20.5% of families and 42.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.
Statesboro is the home of three institution of higher education. Georgia Southern University is a comprehensive research university with over 16,000 students. Ogeechee Technical College and the Statesboro campus of East Georgia College are also located in the city.
The Bulloch County Board of Education runs the public schools in Statesboro. The largest school in the city is Statesboro High School. Other public schools include William James Middle School, Langston Chapel Middle School, Julia P. Bryant Elementary School, Sallie Zetterower Elementary School, Mattie Lively Elementary School, Langston Chapel Elementary School and Mill Creek Elementary School. There are also several private schools including Bulloch Academy, Trinity Christian School, and Bible Baptist Christian School. One school not overseen by the BoE: The Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts and Technology.
Statesboro has several community organizations including Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, NAACP and Rotary Club.
Mill Creek Regional Park is a large outdoor recreational facility with athletic fields and swimming area. The David H. Averitt Center for the Arts is provides a small performing arts theater along with studios, conference rooms and an exhibition area. The Statesboro Regional Art Association holds monthly meetings.
The Zach S. Henderson Library[1] at Georgia Southern University is undergoing major renovation and expansion[2] and will be completed in the Fall of 2008. Henderson Library is the only one in Georgia which operates a 24-hour schedule. Special Collections[3] include the Marvin S. Pittman Research Collection and the Oral History Collection. The librarians provide free reference and research assistance via instant messaging[4], or by e-mail, telephone, or in person. Henderson Library welcomes any and all visitors. The Statesboro Regional Library[5] is a member of the Georgia Library Public Information Network for Electronic Services (PINES)[6].
The local newspaper is the Statesboro Herald, a daily with a circulation of about 8,000. Other newspapers include the daily George-Anne (http://www.stp.georgiasouthern.edu/), put out by Georgia Southern University students, Connect Statesboro, a weekly entertainment publication, and the E11eventh Hour, a twice-a-month entertainment publication.
There are a few bookstores including the newly opened independent shop, The Book and Cranny[7], the Georgia Southern University bookstore, and Books By Dickens[8]. Georgia Southern University offers the Georgia Southern Physics' Planetarium http://cost.georgiasouthern.edu/planetarium/), Georgia Southern Museum, the Botanical Gardens at Bland Cottage, and the Performing Arts Center adjacent to the Nessmith-Lane Continuing Education Center. Georgia Southern offers a number of shows each year from traveling groups as well as shows put on by Georgia Southern students and staff.
Because Statesboro is a college town, there are a number of restaurants, bars, and a couple of coffee houses (such as Midtown Coffeehouse). During the fall and spring semesters at the university (August through May), there are usually bands playing at most of the bars. During the summer, as many students leave, the tempo of the night life slows down. The restaurants available offer Southern, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian. Most of the standard American franchise restaurants are represented with both fast food and table service. Some of the more popular restaurants in the area include El Sombrero Mexican Cuisine, Blue Moon Cafe, Hachi, Statesboro Inn, The Beaver House, Zaxby's, Papa's Pizza To-Go, The French Quarter Cafe, Nikko's, Chick-Fil-A, Forest Heights Country Club, and Snooky's. Restaurants are non-smoking by city ordinance, followed by a later move by Georgia to ban smoking in all restaurants.
Interstate 16 is located 10 miles to the south of Statesboro. Statesboro is also served by three U.S. highways: U.S. Highway 301, which runs north-south through the city, U.S. Highway 25, which runs northwest-south through the city, and U.S. Highway 80, which is the main east-west route through the city. The Veterans Memorial Parkway ( Highway 301 Bypass and Highway 25 Bypass) forms a near circle around the city. Approximately three miles outside of Statesboro is the Statesboro Municipal Airport, which can accommodate private aircraft and does not have a control tower or commercial flights. Most travelers choose to fly from nearby Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, which is located than 45 miles to the east and is served by nine commercial airlines.
Statesboro may be familiar to music-listeners through the blues song "Statesboro Blues," written by Blind Willie McTell in the 1920s and covered by many other musicians, including Taj Mahal and The Allman Brothers Band.
Downtown Statesboro has been featured in several motion pictures including Now and Then as well as 1969.
Statesboro is located in a semi-dry county, hard liquor is not allowed to be sold by the bottle. It is allowed to be sold by the drink in bars.
Statesboro is the only town in the world with that name.
Statesboro is the home of the world's largest Primitive Baptist Church.
The Zaxby's restaurant chain was begun in Statesboro in 1990.
The Krystal fast food chain celebrated their most successful Grand Opening ever for a single restaurant in Statesboro (as of 12/5/2007)
- Erk Russell - (1926 -2006) Legendary College Football Coach
- William James - Noted African American Educator
- Ace Amerson - (1979 - ) reality TV personality
- Sutton Foster - (1975 - ) Broadway star
- Emma Thompson Kelly - (1918 - 2001) Singer, "Lady of 6,000 songs"
- Blind Willie McTell - (1901–1959) Blues Musician, "Statesboro Blues"
- Marty Pevey - (1961 - ) current first base coach of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.
- Adrian Peterson - (1979 - ) Running back for the Chicago Bears. Walter Payton award winner who earned his degree from Georgia Southern University in 2001 and helped win the 1999 and 2000 National Championships.
- Rob Bironas - (1978 - ) Kicker For the Tennessee Titans.
Kicked the most field goals in a single NFL game with 8 and also tied the most field goals in a half with 5. He was also part of the 2000 Div-II National Championship.
- Brandon Wallace - (1985 - ) professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics.
- Georgia Southern Botanical Garden
- Performing Arts Center
- Emma Kelly Theater
- Mill Creek Recreational Park
- Georgia Southern University
- Memorial Park Tennis Courts and Recreation
- Snooky's Restaurant
- Statesboro, Georgia is at coordinates Coordinates:
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Bulloch County, Georgia |
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| County seat: Statesboro | ||
| City |
Statesboro |
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| Towns | ||