Stone Mountain, Georgia - Stone Mountain Georgia

Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, in the United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. Stone Mountain is located in the eastern part of Dekalb County and is a suburb of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It lies near to but does not include the geological formation Stone Mountain.

History

In 1822, the area that now makes up the city of Stone Mountain was made a part of the newly formed DeKalb County. A post office was created in 1834 on the old Augusta Road, and Andrew Johnson built a hotel along the road in 1836. At around the same time, Aaron Cloud built an observation tower at the summit of the mountain. Visitors to the mountain would travel to the area by rail and road, and then hike up the 1.1-mile (1.8 km) mountaintop trail to the top, where Cloud also had a restaurant and club.

By 1839, a general store was added, and a village was established under the name New Gibraltar. The name was officially changed to Stone Mountain by the Georgia legislature in 1847. The town is named for nearby Stone Mountain. During the Civil War, Stone Mountain village was destroyed by men under the command of General James B. McPherson on July 19, 1864.

Government

The Stone Mountain area's government of police and services is separated into two distinct municipalities. One area is the Downtown or Historic Section. The other area is the greater Stone Mountain area which resides in both DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. The Downtown or Historic section is governed by a local police department, city hall, and mayor. Residents within the city limits of Stone Mountain receive services from the City of Stone Mountain Police Department while the greater Stone Mountain areas receive services from the larger DeKalb County Police department and Gwinnett County Police department; respectively. "There are often misconceptions about crime in the incorporated City and unincorporated areas that are adjacent to the city limits."

The City of Stone Mountain allows the use of golf carts for transportation. The area within the city limits is one of the a few areas in Metro Atlanta that allows the use for residents: Motorized Cart Permits (Golf Cart) are issued through the Police Department. Rules for golf carts and inspection requirements are located in Chapter 13, Section 13-136 through 13-144 of the Stone Mountain City Ordinances. Inspection forms are available at by clicking here.

Post-Civil War history

The Ku Klux Klan was revived at Stone Mountain in 1915, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech consequently includes the line "let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia."

Geography

Stone Mountain is located at 33°48′19″N 84°10′17″W (33.805255, -84.171413).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which 0.62% is water.

While the city of Stone Mountain itself is in DeKalb County, some of the town's mailing addresses are in Gwinnett County.

The Downtown or Historic section of Stone Mountain is home to Side By Side. A non profit organization, Side By Side "is Georgia's only nonprofit organization committed to providing lifelong support to people with traumatic brain injury"; with many clients coming from Shepherd's Center of Atlanta.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,802 people, 2,587 households, and 1,386 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,500 people per square mile (1,400/km²). There were 2,587 housing units at an average density of 1,577 per square mile (616/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.2% African American, 16.8% White, 0.4% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.3% of the population.

There were 2,587 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.2% were married couples living together, 27.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.8 years. For every 100 females there were 66.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males age 18 and over.

In the 2000 census (financial information was not asked on the 2010 census) the median income for a household in the city was $38,603, and the median income for a family was $40,888. Males had a median income of $28,302 versus $28,854 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,130. About 9.3% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The mountain has contributed to the city's economy both through its continuing status as a tourist attraction and its former use as a granite quarry.

Arts and culture

Stone Mountain is the site of a famous giant carving commemorating the military leaders of the Confederacy, as well as a state park and museum, including a tourist railroad. The City of Stone Mountain is also home to the ART Station Contemporary Arts Center and Theatre Company as well as the Stone Mountain Arts Incubator Program. The famous or infamous offer of a Tour of Southern Ghosts can be found in the Downtown Stone Mountain area.

The 1996 Summer Olympic Games tennis, archery and track cycling tournaments were held in Stone Mountain Park.

Wade-Walker Park is located at the intersection of Rockbridge Road and Stone Mountain Lithonia Road.

The downtown Stone Mountain area has burgeoning LGBT diversity.

Education

The schools serving the City of Stone Mountain and nearby areas in DeKalb County are operated by the DeKalb County Public Schools. Nearby areas in Gwinnett County are served by the Gwinnett County Public Schools. The area within the city limits of Stone Mountain does not have a separate school district.

The Administrative and Instructional Complex of the DeKalb County School District is located in an unincorporated area near Stone Mountain. The DeKalb County Public Schools East DeKalb Campus, a district facility, is also located in an unincorporated area near Stone Mountain.

Georgia Military College (GMC) is divided into the junior college, a military junior college program, high school, and middle school in Milledgeville, Georgia. In addition to the main campus in Milledgeville, GMC Junior College has other campus locations and extension offices. The Downtown or Historic Stone Mountain area is home to one of the campus locations.

DeKalb County Public Library operates the Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library.

Notable people

• Marshon Brooks, professional basketball player for Emporio Armani Milano of the Italian League
• Domonic Brown, professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies
• Kelley Cain, professional basketball player for the New York Liberty
• Kevin Cone, professional football player for the Cleveland Browns
• Noureen DeWulf, actress; raised in Stone Mountain
• Donald Glover, actor, writer, comedian, and rapper; raised in Stone Mountain
• Raury, professional rapper/musician
• Jim Goad, author and publisher; resides in Stone Mountain
• Phil Gordon, professional poker player
• Andrew Goudelock, professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League and the Euroleague
• Bruce Irvin, professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks
• Connie Johnson, professional baseball player for Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles and a star for the negro league Kansas City Monarchs
• DeQuan Jones, professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic
• Wally Joyner, retired professional baseball player
• Kenny Ladler, professional football player for the Buffalo Bills
• Lisa Lopes, deceased member of R&B group TLC; resided in Stone Mountain during her lifetime
• Uhaa Nation, professional wrestler billed as from Stone Mountain, currently performing in WWE as Apollo Crews
• Kenneth Parcell, fictional character (in the television series 30 Rock) also hails from Stone Mountain and frequently refers to it; the actor is actually from nearby Conyers
• Brandon Phillips, professional baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds
• David Platt, author, pastor
• Cyhi the Prynce, hip-hop artist signed with G.O.O.D. Music
• Jake "The Snake" Roberts, pro wrestler, was billed "From Stone Mountain Georgia"
• Richard T. Scott, American figurative painter, worked with Odd Nerdrum for a time, currently working from New York and Paris
• Silentó, rapper, and creator of "Watch me whip/nae nae"
• Grady Thomas, former member of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic; resides in Stone Mountain
• Rozonda Thomas, member of R&B group TLC; resides in Stone Mountain
• Hugh Thompson, Jr, Vietnam War veteran known for his role in saving many civilian lives in the My Lai Massacre
• Theodore Van Kirk, navigator of the Enola Gay when it dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima
• Josh Wolff, Major League Soccer player
• Joanna Atkins, 2009 NCAA Track and Field Champion and International Medalist

References

External links

• Stone Mountain travel guide from Wikivoyage
• City of Stone Mountain official website
• Main Street Stone Mountain
• New Georgia Encyclopedia
• Golden Ink (1994â€"2003). About North Georgia: Stone Mountain
• Stone Mountain at City-Data.com