Damascus, Georgia

Damascus, Georgia
City
Damascus City Hall and Police Department

Location in Early County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°17′55″N 84°43′3″W / 31.29861°N 84.71750°W / 31.29861; -84.71750Coordinates: 31°17′55″N 84°43′3″W / 31.29861°N 84.71750°W / 31.29861; -84.71750
Country United States
State Georgia
County Early
Area
 • Total 1.77 sq mi (4.58 km2)
 • Land 1.76 sq mi (4.56 km2)
 • Water 0.008 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation 220 ft (67 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 254
 • Estimate (2016)[1] 236
 • Density 144/sq mi (55.7/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes 31741, 39841
Area code(s) 229
FIPS code 13-21436[2]
GNIS feature ID 0355426[3]

Damascus is a city in Early County, Georgia, United States. The population was 254 at the 2010 census.[4]

History

An early variant name was "Kestler".[5] An act of Georgia General Assembly officially changed the name to "Damascus" in 1914.[6] The present name is a transfer from nearby Old Damascus, which was bypassed when the railroad was built through the area.[5]

Geography

Damascus is located in eastern Early County at 31°17′55″N 84°43′3″W / 31.29861°N 84.71750°W / 31.29861; -84.71750 (31.298580, -84.717429).[7] Georgia State Route 45 passes through the community, leading north 10 miles (16 km) to Arlington and south 9 miles (14 km) to Colquitt. Georgia State Route 200 also passes through the center of town, leading east 24 miles (39 km) to Newton and northwest 15 miles (24 km) to Blakely, the Early County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Damascus has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.6 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.02 km2), or 0.48%, is water.[4]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1910413—
1920373−9.7%
193043616.9%
19404779.4%
1950402−15.7%
1960297−26.1%
1970272−8.4%
198040348.2%
1990290−28.0%
2000277−4.5%
2010254−8.3%
Est. 2016236[1]−7.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 277 people, 100 households, and 74 families residing in the town. The population density was 157.6 people per square mile (60.8/km²). There were 115 housing units at an average density of 65.4 per square mile (25.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 36.10% White, 63.54% African American, and 0.36% from two or more races.

There were 100 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 24.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,333, and the median income for a family was $19,318. Males had a median income of $31,500 versus $19,286 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,583. About 31.4% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 61.9% of those 65 or over.

Education

Southwest Georgia Academy, located on the grounds of the former Damascus High School

Public school students are zoned to the Early County School District which operates three schools in Blakely: Early County Elementary School, Early County Middle School, and Early County High School.

Damascus is home to Southwest Georgia Academy, which began in 1970 and participates in the Georgia Independent School Association. Its property formerly housed Damascus High School.[9]

Arts and culture

Damascus is home to the Briar Patch Music Festival, started by Jeb Tabb in 2010. The first festival was attended by an estimated 300 people and has grown to feature national acts and close to 700 attendants. The festival usually occurs the last weekend in May..

References

  1. 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Damascus city, Georgia". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 57. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  6. ↑ Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia. J. Johnston. 1914. p. 932.
  7. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  8. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Welcome." Southwest Georgia Academy. Retrieved on July 31, 2017.
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