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Homerville, Georgia
Homerville City Hall
Homerville City Hall
Location in Clinch County and the state of Georgia
Location in Clinch County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Clinch
Area
 • Total 3.51 sq mi (9.09 km2)
 • Land 3.49 sq mi (9.05 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation
177 ft (54 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,344
 • Density 671.06/sq mi (259.10/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31634
Area code(s) 912
FIPS code 13-39748
GNIS feature ID 0356319

Homerville is a city and the county seat of Clinch County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 2,456 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 12.38% from 2,803 in 2000. It was incorporated February 15, 1869.

History

Clinch County was created on February 14, 1850, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, and was named for General Duncan Lamont Clinch, a decorated United States brigadier general and Georgia congressman who had recently died. Clinch, Georgia's 95th county, was formed from land originally inhabited by the Oconee people and consolidated portions of Ware County and Lowndes County. The act creating the county named Elijah Mattox, Simon W. Nichol, Timothy Kirkland, Benjamin Sirmans, and John J. Johnson as commissioners charged with selecting a county seat and constructing a courthouse.

The designated commissioners quickly settled on a site just southwest of the present-day Homerville, and in memory of President James K. Polk decided to name the county seat "Polk". Two years later, however, the Georgia General Assembly inexplicably changed the name of the county seat to "Magnolia", just as the county's first courthouse was completed. The first courthouse was quite small and was destroyed in 1856 when a citizen, presumably dissatisfied with legal proceedings brought against him, decided to destroy the courthouse by fire.

In February 1853, Dr. John Homer Mattox and his family moved from their former home on the Suwannee River and settled on a tract of land adjacent to the Magnolia stage route. In recognition of his family name, he called the settlement Homersville. Shortly thereafter the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad expansion replaced the stage route, and Mattox's settlement was simply known as "Station No.11".

Over time the settlement grew, and in 1860 approximately 275 citizens of Clinch County petitioned the Georgia General Assembly to move the county seat from the nearby Magnolia to Mattox's settlement. Later the same year, the legislature relented and officially named Station No. 11 the county seat of Clinch County. By 1863, the town of Homersville was known as Forest. It would take approximately nine more years for the legislature to officially recognize the name Homerville and incorporate the city; however, Homerville shows up as the name of the county seat in newspapers by March 1864.

Dr. John Homer Mattox's original dwelling is now the home of the Clinch County Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center. The home recently underwent an extensive restoration that not only restored many of the rooms to their former glory but also added modern plumbing and central heat and air for the convenience of visitors. The structure now holds the administrative offices of the chamber and a museum dedicated to the early days of Clinch County.

Geography

Homerville is located in north-central Clinch County at 31°2′13″N 82°45′5″W / 31.03694°N 82.75139°W / 31.03694; -82.75139 (31.036832, -82.751302). U.S. Routes 84 and 441 cross in the center of town. US 84 leads east 27 miles (43 km) to Waycross and west 35 miles (56 km) to Valdosta, while US 441 leads north 35 miles (56 km) to Douglas, Georgia, and south 67 miles (108 km) to Lake City, Florida.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.50%, is water. Wooded areas and swampy marshes surround the city.

Climate data for Homerville, Georgia
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 82
(28)
84
(29)
88
(31)
91
(33)
99
(37)
104
(40)
101
(38)
100
(38)
98
(37)
94
(34)
85
(29)
80
(27)
104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 61.4
(16.3)
65.4
(18.6)
71.8
(22.1)
78.8
(26.0)
85.8
(29.9)
90.4
(32.4)
92.3
(33.5)
91
(33)
86.9
(30.5)
79.2
(26.2)
71.2
(21.8)
63.3
(17.4)
92.3
(33.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 48.8
(9.3)
52.3
(11.3)
58.2
(14.6)
64.5
(18.1)
72
(22)
78.2
(25.7)
80.6
(27.0)
80
(27)
76
(24)
66.8
(19.3)
58.1
(14.5)
50.7
(10.4)
65.6
(18.7)
Average low °F (°C) 36.2
(2.3)
39.2
(4.0)
44.7
(7.1)
50.3
(10.2)
58.2
(14.6)
66.1
(18.9)
68.8
(20.4)
69
(21)
65.1
(18.4)
54.4
(12.4)
45.1
(7.3)
38.2
(3.4)
36.2
(2.3)
Record low °F (°C) 21
(−6)
18
(−8)
25
(−4)
39
(4)
47
(8)
55
(13)
66
(19)
64
(18)
56
(13)
34
(1)
23
(−5)
22
(−6)
18
(−8)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.7
(120)
4
(100)
4.6
(120)
2.9
(74)
2.6
(66)
6
(150)
6.3
(160)
6.1
(150)
4.4
(110)
2.9
(74)
2.7
(69)
3.3
(84)
50.3
(1,280)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.1
(0.25)
Average precipitation days 9.9 9.1 8.8 6 7.1 12.9 13.9 12.4 9.5 6.8 6.8 8.3 111.5
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 201
1900 434
1910 437 0.7%
1920 627 43.5%
1930 1,150 83.4%
1940 1,522 32.3%
1950 1,787 17.4%
1960 2,634 47.4%
1970 3,025 14.8%
1980 3,112 2.9%
1990 2,560 −17.7%
2000 2,803 9.5%
2010 2,456 −12.4%
2020 2,344 −4.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
Homerville racial composition as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 1,067 45.52%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,086 46.33%
Native American 11 0.47%
Asian 17 0.73%
Pacific Islander 4 0.17%
Other/Mixed 81 3.46%
Hispanic or Latino 78 3.33%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,344 people, 983 households, and 610 families residing in the city.

Education

Clinch County School District

The Clinch County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a headstart, elementary/middle school, and a high school.

The district has 96 full-time teachers and over 1,499 students.

  • Clinch County Elementary School
  • Clinch County Middle School
  • Clinch County High School

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Homerville para niños

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