Stockbridge, Georgia

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Stockbridge, Georgia
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nickname = The Bridge
settlement_type = City
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map_caption = Location in Henry County and the state of Georgia


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Georgia
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Henry
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area_total_km2 = 28.5
area_land_km2 = 28.4
area_water_km2 = 0.1
area_total_sq_mi = 11
area_land_sq_mi = 10.9
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1
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population_as_of = 2007
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population_total = 22,045
population_density_km2 = 345.7
population_density_sq_mi = 895.7
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timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 33 |latm = 32 |lats = 3 |latNS = N
longd = 84 |longm = 13 |longs = 52 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 244
elevation_ft = 801
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 30281
area_code = 770 [678]
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 13-73704GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0342357GR|3
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Stockbridge is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. The city population at 22,045 (2007 census).The City had grown to be around 22,000 residents. It is the hometown of the multi-platinum selling alternative rock/post-grunge band Collective Soul and home to one of the youngest starting pitchers ever to play for the Atlanta Braves, Kyle Davies who also graduated from Stockbridge High School.

History

The area was settled as early as 1829 when Concord Methodist Church was organized near what is today Old Stagecoach Road. It was granted a post office on April 5,1847 named for a traveling Professor, Levi Stockbridge, who traveled through Stockbridge many of times before the Post Office was built, he was said to be well known and respected in the community now named after him. Others contend that the city was named after Thomas Stock, who was State Surveyor and President of the Georgia State Senate in the 1820s.

In 1881, the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad was to pass through Stockbridge between Macon to Atlanta. The settlers who owned the land about Old Stockbridge asked so much for their land that two prominent Atlanta citizens, John W. Grant and George W. Adair bought a tract about a mile south of Old Stockbridge and offered lots at a reasonable price. Here the railroad built their depot and many lots were sold. The depot was located about 600 feet north of what is now North Henry Blvd. over the well known bridge in Stockbridge but was destroyed by the Southern Railway in the early 1980s.

Stockbridge was incorporated as a town in 1895 and as a city August 6, 1920.

Eminent Domain Controversy

In late 2005 the City of Stockbridge engaged in a highly controversial preemptive use of eminent domain to buy over 16 acres of land near the current city hall running along East Atlanta Road. The City reportedly wanted to build a new city hall, park/square, and a small tract of land for new and more desirable business to incorporate a new image for the city. Stockbridge became the focus of national news and was also one of the largest issues in the 2006 Georgia General Assembly and their efforts to prevent abuse of eminent domain.

Many of the citizens of Stockbridge and Henry County were shocked, surprised, and outraged by the apparent abuse of eminent domain by the city. During early 2006 a protest was organized by the NAACP and supported by the Republican and Libertarian parties from the county. Syndicated Atlanta talk show host Neal Boortz said during his show, "Private property rights are dead in Stockbridge, Georgia" and called members of the Stockbridge City Council, "sorry bastards."

The Henry County Board of Commissioners took a stance on the issue by unanimously approving a non-binding resolution that the county would not take land for economic development purposes. Although the county legally has no say of what the City of Stockbridge can do with its land and its use of eminent domain. Many have said it was just a political strategy being that Henry County has shown recently in voting history to be one of the most conservative counties in the Atlanta metro area.

The legal battle between the city and the property owners seems to have come to an end on February 2, 2007 as the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that threw out the condemnation. Only one store, a local florist, beat the eminent domain and was allowed to keep its store and property. [http://www.henryherald.com/local/local_story_033222054.html]

New City Hall

After February 2007 the city had new plans drawn up to build the new city hall. The plans call for the new city hall and park and green space to all be built around the Stockbridge Florist shop that started the now famous Eminent Domain law suit.The city says that the new development will strengthen the old and worn down, downtown business district. The Stockbridge City Manager Ted Strickland, said that the new city hall was absolutely necessary, because some current city employees are working out of closets and supply rooms. [http://www.henryherald.com/archivesearch/local_story_044222826.html] Construction began in June 2007.On Independence Day 2008, there were some construction workers on the roof. Thinking that it was rather unusual for anyone to be working on a government project on a Federal holiday, it was observed that they were Hispanic.

Geography

Stockbridge is located at coor dms|33|32|3|N|84|13|52|W|city (33.534068, -84.231185)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.5 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.

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Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 9,853 people, 3,749 households, and 2,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 900.0 people per square mile (347.4/km²). There were 3,991 housing units at an average density of 364.6/sq mi (140.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.63% White, 20.51% African American, 0.27% Native American, 4.55% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.21% of the population.

There were 3,749 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 38.1% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,296, and the median income for a family was $51,341. Males had a median income of $38,457 versus $28,938 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,380. 6.8% of the population and 6.0% of families were below the poverty line. 5.9% of those under the age of 18 and 17.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Stockbridge is the home of the famous Eagle's Landing Country Club where many affluent and extravagant homes can be found.

Naming Mystery

On May 6, 1992, Mayor Rudy Kelley received a letter from Mr. John Stockbridge of South Carolina requesting a letter of "Greeting" from the City of Stockbridge to the attendees of the first reunion of the Stockbridge family. In his letter, he mentioned that he grew up in Georgia and had been told as a child that the City of Stockbridge was named after his great-great-grandfather Levi Stockbridge who traveled back and forth from the north to his property in Florida and stopped here on his journey.

Levi Stockbridge was born on March 13, 1820, and fits the time frame just prior to the Civil War. Levi would have been 27 years of age when Stockbridge was assigned a post office in 1847.

Until May 6, 1992, there had never been a name other than Professor Stockbridge. At that time, Levi Stockbridge was mentioned as the person for whom the city may have been named.

It is not certain that Levi Stockbridge was the individual for whom the citizens of the community named their post office and village. However, through John Stockbridge’s letters and many conversations with him, it is believed that this is the rightful Professor Stockbridge who had been unknown for 146 years.

References

External links

* [http://www.cityofstockbridge.com/ City of Stockbridge]
* [http://www.henryherald.com/archivesearch/local_story_044222826.html New Stockbridge City Hall - Henry Herald Newspaper] Geographic Location (8-way)
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