Decatur, Georgia Explained

Decatur, Georgia
Settlement Type:City
Image Blank Emblem:Decaturlogo.png
Blank Emblem Type:Logo
Motto:"A City of Homes, Schools and Places of Worship"
Pushpin Map:Metro Atlanta#USA Georgia#USA
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Decatur
Pushpin Relief:yes
Coordinates:33.7714°N -84.2978°W[1]
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name1: Georgia
Subdivision Name2:DeKalb
Established Title:Incorporated
Named For:Commodore Stephen Decatur
Government Type:Commission–Manager
Leader Title:Commission
Leader Name:Decatur City Commission
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[2]
Area Total Sq Mi:4.60
Area Total Km2:11.92
Area Land Sq Mi:4.60
Area Land Km2:11.91
Area Water Sq Mi:0.01
Area Water Km2:0.01
Elevation M:318
Elevation Ft:1043
Population Total:24928
Population As Of:2020
Population Density Sq Mi:5422.67
Population Density Km2:2093.77
Postal Code Type:ZIP code(s)
Postal Code:30030, 30032, 30033
Area Code:404, 678 and 470
Pushpin Label:Decatur
Leader Title2:Mayor
Leader Name2:Patti Garrett
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:13-22052
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:0331532[3]
Blank2 Name:Major airport
Blank2 Info:ATL

Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census,[4] the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear Decatur as the address.

The city is served by three MARTA rail stations (Decatur, East Lake, and Avondale). The city is located approximately 5miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta and shares its western border with both the city of Atlanta (the Kirkwood and Lake Claire neighborhoods) and unincorporated DeKalb County. The Druid Hills neighborhood is to the northwest of Decatur.

History

Early history

Prior to European settlement, the Decatur area was largely forested (a remnant of old-growth forest near Decatur is preserved as Fernbank Forest). Decatur was established at the intersection of two Native American trails: the Sandtown, which led east from the Chattahoochee River at Utoy Creek, and the Shallowford, which follows today's Clairmont Road, and eventually crossed near Roswell. A site for the DeKalb County courthouse was designated in 1822 in what would become downtown Decatur; the city of Decatur was incorporated on December 10, 1823. It was named for United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur.

The first settler in the area were farmers or skilled tradesmen of English, Scottish and Irish descent.[5]

American Civil War

During the American Civil War, Decatur became a strategic site in Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. In July 1864, Major-General James McPherson occupied the town to cut off the Confederates' supply line from Augusta. On July 22, during the Battle of Atlanta, Confederate cavalry under Major-General Joseph Wheeler attacked McPherson's supply wagons and the Union troops left to defend the wagons. A historical marker at the old courthouse marks the site of this skirmish.

20th century

In the second half of the twentieth century the metropolitan area of Atlanta expanded into unincorporated DeKalb County, eventually surrounding two sides of the town of Decatur. Concurrently many citizens fled the area to more distant suburbs. The 1960s and 1970s witnessed dramatic drops in property values. However, more recently the city has regained economic vigor, partially thanks to several long-term downtown development plans that have come to fruition, making Decatur a trendy small mixed-use district with easy transit to downtown Atlanta. Over the past twenty years, it has gained a local and national reputation as a progressive city with a high level of citizen involvement.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.2abbr=offNaNabbr=off, all land. Decatur is bordered by Avondale Estates to the southeast and Atlanta to the southwest, and unincorporated DeKalb County elsewhere.

The Eastern Continental Divide bisects the city along the CSX (formerly Georgia Railroad) trackage right of way.

Neighborhoods and historic districts

Demographics

Decatur racial composition as of 2020[6] !Race!Num.!Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)16,79667.38%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)3,83915.4%
Native American360.14%
Asian1,3175.28%
Pacific Islander120.05%
Other/Mixed1,6346.55%
Hispanic or Latino1,2945.19%
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 24,928 people, 8,841 households, and 5,597 families residing in the city.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

City Schools of Decatur, which serves only students within the city limits, holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a pre-K early childhood learning center, five lower elementary schools, two upper elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.[7] Decatur High School is the district's sole high school. The Decatur City district has 224 full-time teachers[8] and over 4,400 students from pre-K through grade 12.[9]

The DeKalb County School District serves unincorporated DeKalb County.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta operates St. Thomas More School in Decatur; it opened on September 1, 1950. At first it only had elementary grades and its initial enrollment was 150. A dedicated elementary building opened in 1955, and an addition for kindergarten classes with two rooms was placed in 1994.[10] St. Peter Claver Regional School has a Decatur mailing address but is in nearby Candler-McAfee CDP.[11] [12]

Colleges and universities

Public libraries

The DeKalb County Public Library system operates the Decatur Branch and is also the Dekalb County Library Headquarters.[18]

Government

Presidential election results in Decatur[19]
YearDemocraticRepublicanOthers
202088.6% 14,09510.3% 1,6331.2% 184
201685.0% 11,03611.4% 1,4763.7% 474
Decatur has operated under a Commission-Manager form of government since 1920. The Charter of the City of Decatur establishes the City Commission as the governing and legislative authority of the City government. A five-member City Commission is elected for four-year terms on two-year cycles. Two members are elected from the south side of the city, two from the north side and one is elected at-large. At their organizational meeting each January, the Commissioners elect a mayor and mayor-pro-tem from among their own membership for a one-year term. The mayor is not a separate elected office. The current mayor is Patti Garrett.[20] Previous mayors have included Leslie Jasper Steele (1915), Jack Hamilton, Walter Drake, Mike Mears, Ann A. Crichton, Elizabeth Wilson, William Floyd, Jim Baskett and Scott Candler, Sr. (known as Mr. DeKalb).

The Commission appoints a professional City Manager to carry out the policies, directives and day-to-day business of the city. The current city manager is Andrea Arnold.[21] There are also several citizen volunteer boards and commissions appointed by the City Commission, including the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Historic Preservation Commission.

State representation

The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice has its headquarters in Avondale Estates, near Decatur.[22] [23] The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has its headquarters near Decatur, in an unincorporated area.[24]

Federal representation

The United States Postal Service operates the Decatur Post Office.[25]

Culture

Festivals, special events and arts

Decatur has a thriving art and festival scene. The Decatur Arts Alliance hosts the Decatur Arts Festival each May, in addition to installing public art around the city, providing gallery space for local artists, producing YEA!, which is an event for young emerging artists, and supporting arts and arts education throughout the City.

Decatur holds the annual AJC Decatur Book Festival, which claims to be one of the largest independent book festivals in the United States. It has featured thousands of famous authors, book signings, speeches, and attracted upwards of 85,000 people in 2019.[26]

Decatur is home to Eddie's Attic, which is a live music venue hosting shows almost every night.

Decatur is known for its frequent festivals, which include the annual Decatur Arts Festival, Summer In The City, Decatur BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass Festival, the Decatur Book Festival, the Decatur Maker's Faire, The Decatur Craft Beer Festival and the Decatur Wine Festival. Other events throughout the year include parades, Concerts on the Square, wine crawls, art walks, runs, and races.

Public art in Decatur includes Celebration (artist Gary Price), Valentine (artist George Lundeen), Thomas Jefferson (George Lundeen), Commodore Stephen Decatur (artist unknown), Roy A. Blount Plaza, and Living Walls Murals (various artists).

Dining, breweries and distilleries

Decatur is known for its food scene and was named one of the South's "Tastiest Towns" in 2012. In 2016, the New York Times called it "Atlanta's gastronomic equivalent of Berkeley or Brooklyn".[27]

Points of interest

Decatur's downtown area and residential neighborhoods are filled with historic structures and sites of interest. This list primarily consists of structures on the National Register of Historic Places, but many remain privately owned and may only be viewed from the exterior.

Transportation

Major roads and expressways

Decatur is 'inside the perimeter' (I-285) and north of I-20.

Mass transit

Pedestrians and cycling

PATH Foundation trails

Notable people

Sister cities

Decatur has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):[28]

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Government
General information

Notes and References

  1. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. 2011-04-23. 2011-02-12.
  2. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. December 18, 2021.
  3. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. 2008-01-31. United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25.
  4. Web site: QuickFacts: Decatur city, Georgia . United States Census Bureau . 1 September 2021.
  5. Web site: Historic Decatur | Decatur GA .
  6. Web site: Explore Census Data. 2021-12-13. data.census.gov.
  7. http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=111&PID=62&PTID=69&CountyId=773&T=0&FY=2009 Georgia Board of Education
  8. http://www.school-stats.com/GA/DE_KALB/DECATUR_CITY.html School Stats
  9. http://www.csdecatur.net/schools/ City of Decatur Schools
  10. Web site: History. St. Thomas More. 2020-05-08.
  11. Web site: Home. St. Peter Claver Regional School. 2020-05-07. 2560 Tilson Road Decatur, GA 30032. - Despite the Decatur address it is not in the city limits. Compare with the Candler-McAfee CDP limits map.
  12. Web site: 2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Candler-McAfee CDP, GA. U.S. Census Bureau. 2020-05-07. - Compare with the Claver address.
  13. http://www.agnesscott.edu/ Agnes Scott College
  14. http://www.ctsnet.edu/ Columbia Theological Seminary
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20020122090743/http://www.gpc.edu/ Georgia Perimeter College
  16. Web site: Decatur. www.devry.edu . August 19, 2016.
  17. News: Niesse. Mark. Journal-Constitution. The Atlanta. City of Atlanta's expansion to Emory and CDC approved. 2020-11-05. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. en.
  18. "Library Locations & Hours." DeKalb County Public Library. Retrieved on April 11, 2016.
  19. Web site: Dave's Redistricting. April 14, 2022.
  20. http://www.decaturga.com/city-government/city-commission City Commission
  21. Web site: Andrea Arnold. City of Decatur, GA. en. 2019-08-07.
  22. "Contact." Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. Retrieved on August 8, 2010.
  23. "Official Zoning Map." City of Avondale Estates. Retrieved on August 8, 2010.
  24. "Directions." Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved on March 4, 2014. "The GBI Headquarters is located at: 3121 Panthersville Road Decatur GA, 30034"
  25. "Post Office Location - DECATUR ." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on August 8, 2010.
  26. News: AJC Decatur Book Festival and 10 more can't-miss fests in August. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Newmark. Avery.
  27. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/dining/atlanta-restaurants.html "Atlanta Pulls a Chair to the Table for Culinary Greats" New York Times, February 16, 2016
  28. Web site: Online Directory: Georgia, USA . Sister Cities International . 2007-09-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080418072620/http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/USA/GA . April 18, 2008 .

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