Sparta, Georgia
City in Georgia, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sparta is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Georgia, United States.[4] The city's population was 1,357 at the 2020 census.
Sparta, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Sparta Historic District | |
 Location in Hancock County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 33°17′N 82°58′W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Hancock |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.82 sq mi (4.72 km2) |
| • Land | 1.81 sq mi (4.69 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,357 |
| • Density | 749.31/sq mi (289.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 31087 |
| Area code | 706 |
| FIPS code | 13-72584[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0323330[3] |
| Website | www |
History
Sparta was founded in 1795 in the newly formed Hancock County. The town was designated county seat in 1797. It was incorporated as a town in 1805 and as a city in 1893.[5] The community was named after Sparta, a city-state in Ancient Greece.[6]
In 1864, during Sherman's March to the Sea, the town remained completely unscathed, reportedly due to the efforts of Confederate Captain Henry Culver, the son-in-law of local industrialist William Fraley, who successfully diverted Union troops away from the area.[7][8]
Geography
Sparta is located at 33°17′N 82°58′W (33.2773, -82.9715).[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all land.
Major highways
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 848 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,540 | 81.6% | |
| 1900 | 1,150 | −25.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,715 | 49.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,895 | 10.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,613 | −14.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,872 | 16.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,954 | 4.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,921 | −1.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,172 | 13.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,754 | −19.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,710 | −2.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,522 | −11.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,400 | −8.0% | |
| 2020 | 1,357 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1850-1870[11] 1870-1880[12] 1890-1910[13] 1920-1930[14] 1940[15] 1950[16] 1960[17] 1970[18] 1980[19] 1990[20] 2000[21] 2010[22] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 189 | 13.93% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,116 | 82.24% |
| Native American | 1 | 0.07% |
| Asian | 23 | 1.69% |
| Other/Mixed | 17 | 1.25% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11 | 0.81% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,357 people, 669 households, and 419 families residing in the city.
Economy
Sparta is the site of Georgia's Hancock State Prison.
Education
Hancock County School District
The Hancock County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[24] The district has 103 full-time teachers and over 1,659 students.[25]
- Lewis Elementary School
- Hancock Central Middle School
- Hancock Central High School
- John Hancock Academy
Notable people
- Thomas "Pee Wee" Butts – professional baseball player[26]
- George Darden – United States Representative from Georgia who went to high school in Sparta
- Harvey Grant – professional basketball player
- Horace Grant – professional basketball player
- Tommy Hurricane Jackson – professional boxer
- Adella Hunt Logan – suffragist
- Jean Toomer – Harlem Renaissance writer and poet, once served as a principal in Sparta
- Angeria Paris VanMicheals – drag queen and finalist on season 14 of RuPaul's Drag Race and winner of the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.
See also
- Central Savannah River Area
- Rossiter-Little House - Oldest house in Sparta
- DREAM Streets Sparta Facebook page
References
Further reading
External links
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