Villa Rica, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Villa Rica is a city in Carroll
and Douglas
Counties in the U.S. state
of Georgia
. The population was 4,134 at the 2000 census. By the 2010 census, the population had grown to 13,956. The estimated growth was around 211.34%
Villa Rica is the birthplace of Thomas A. Dorsey
, the father of gospel music
- a festival is held in his honor each year. The following important figures were also born in Villa Rica: Coca-cola
business tycoon and former mayor of Atlanta Asa Griggs Candler
, former Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
and tenth president of Emory University
Warren Akin Candler
, former baseball star Fred "Dixie" Walker
, former University of Georgia
offensive tackle Ken Shackleford
, and former NFL
punter Herman "Thunderfoot" Weaver
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²), of which, 12.6 square miles (32.6 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.26%) is water. Villa Rica sits on the ridgeline that separates the Chattahoochee
and the Tallapoosa
river basins. Slightly more than half of Villa Rica lies within Carroll County, Georgia
and the remaining portion lies within Douglas County, Georgia
.
(Cfa) according to the Köppen classification system
, with hot, humid summers and mild to chilly winters by the standards of the United States
. On average, the warmest month is July. The highest recorded temperature was 103 °F (39.4 °C) in 1980. On average, the coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature was -9 °F in 1985. The most precipitation on average occurs in March. Despite its significant physical distance from the Gulf of Mexico
(250 miles) and the Atlantic Ocean
(260 miles), on rare occasion Villa Rica is impacted by hurricanes
, sometimes severely. Tornado
es are a more common occurrence in the area although not usually as severe as the those that occur in the midwest United States.
The location which was to become Villa Rica was originally settled in 1826 along what is now Dallas Highway. This land was ceded by the Creek people
in 1825 with the second Treaty of Indian Springs
signed by Chief William McIntosh. In 1826, farmers and gold miners arrived in the area from Pennsylvania
, New Jersey
and Delaware
to what was then known as Hixtown (named after a local tavern operator, incorporated in 1830). One mile south was Chevestown, owned by Allison Cheeves. Hixtown and Cheevestown moved to Villa Rica's present location in 1882 when the railroad was built. Many of the original structures were physically moved to the new site (now known as the North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District
) by rolling them on logs pulled by horses. The city was incorporated as Villa Rica in 1881. The name Villa Rica is derived from Spanish for "rich village" and the city’s name change was done to help promote the gold in the area.
, Maryland
because he was the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence
. Although it did not develop into the large gold rush
that would strike Georgia a few years later, there was a small gold rush in Villa Rica in the late 1820s. When the Georgia Gold Rush
took hold 1829, most of the Villa Rica miners moved northeast to the Dahlonega area. Nevertheless, some mining continued in the area, with several hundred men employed in nearby mines. In 1832, Hixtown had over 2,000 residents (60% of the county’s population). Gold lots were $500 per acre compared to $2 per acre for land elsewhere in the county. There were at least 19 active gold mines. By 1860, the gold supplies in the area had been largely exhausted.
Early Villa Rica had a Wild West
atmosphere complete with Indians
, horse thieves, and vigilante
justice
. The Creek Indian
village was located on Sweetwater Creek
east of town. They were hunters, not warriors, and were friendly toward the white settlers eventually taking on work amongst the settlers. Townspeople were invited to Creek celebrations including a three day festival held each autumn with lots of food and activities. At some point later in the 1830s, the Creeks moved to either Arkansas
or Oklahoma
but local records are unclear whether or not this was by choice or part of the Trail of Tears
.
The local horse thieves were known as the Pony Club and the vigilantes were the Slicks. At first, the Slicks would just hold Pony Club members caught stealing horses until a jury trial could be held. But Pony Club members usually had no trouble finding witnesses to prove their innocence so the Slicks eventually started holding their own trials and the guilty were whipped. Things came to a head during the election of 1832 when large numbers of Pony Club members and Slicks got into a brawl. The Slicks won the fight and the Pony Club demanded a Grand Jury
try the Slicks on charges of assault and battery with intent to kill. However, the jury
ended up commending the Slicks and thanking them for their work.
With the arrival of the new railroad line, Hixtown and Cheevestown combined to become the new City of Villa Rica. The first train rolled through town in June 1882. A round trip ticket from the Union Passenger Depot in Atlanta was only $1.00.
This young community experienced two disastrous fires almost immediately. The first fire occurred in the business section on Montgomery Street in 1890. An entire block of stores composed of entirely wooden buildings was destroyed. The second fire occurred Monday night, July 27, 1908. The fire was bolstered by heating oil and chemicals from the drug store in which it started. Because of the strength of the fire, much of the focus was on saving the stock of the affected stores. In all, one quarter of Villa Rica's business district was destroyed in three hours. In 1957 an explosion caused by a gas leak destroyed four buildings and killed 12 people.
Bankhead Highway was surveyed and eventually passed though Villa Rica in 1917. Named for Alabama Senator [John Hollis Bankhead], it was the second transcontinental highway in the United States and the first all weather one. In the 1930s it was rerouted though town taking down the Velvin Hotel and extending Montgomery Street westward. It was a main east-west route through the area until Interstate 20 opened in December 1977.
On 4 May 1961, The Freedom Riders passed through Villa Rica. This is the same day their bus was burned in Anniston, Alabama
. At the time the bus station was in the former Scarlett's Pet Store which is beside the Old Library.
The Dorough Round Barn and Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on January 20, 1980. Located about three miles (5 km) southwest of Villa Rica on Hickory Level Rd, the farm consists of a 19th-century farmhouse, several other outbuilding and the famous round barn. Built in 1917, the Round Barn is quite significant architecturally due to its circular shape. When constructed, this would have been considered a progressive agricultural building technique. The barn was designed by Floyd Lovell. It had two levels, the upper one smaller than the lower. At the time the barn was added, it was still generally structurally intact. The upper level is now completely gone and the lower level is falling apart as well. The barn is privately owned and it is unknown whether or not there are any plans to restore it.
The North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 2002. This district includes several blocks of buildings, some dating back to 1875, which were built in the early commercial style. The area houses the City of Villa Rica Police Department along with several antique stores, restaurants, and other commercial businesses. The boundary is basically North Avenue, East Gordon St, West Church St, and the Southern Railroad line.
The Williams Family Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 2005. The farm-house, built in 1892, is in excellent condition and sits in front of a Civilian Conservation Corps
camp established in 1937 to help struggling farmers with their cotton fields. There are several outbuildings and an historic landscape. This farm is also known as the Williams-Mitchell Farm.
The South Commercial Historic District is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, but the completed nomination form is currently held up because of the controversy over the Old Library/Old Clinic for the past several years. The building being one of the most significant in West Georgia and a keystone of the proposed historic district.
The City and the Downtown Development Authority desired to tear down the oldest International design Old Clinic. Built as the Berry-Powell-Berry Clinic, the doctors chose cutting edge architecture to showcase their practice as cutting edge. Built in 1951 the building later served as the Old Library and then again as a clinic. After sevearl years of efforts to save the structure the city tore it down in December 2007. Previously insisting for years the need for parking, immediately after demolition the site use is being debated for parking, passive park or combination of both. The city also allowed Tanner Medical Center to demolish the old hospital (1955) which was built with the same architecture and used by the same collation of doctors.
Villa Rica currently has three historical marker
s. The first one was erected in 1994 marking the birthplace of Thomas A. Dorsey
, the father of gospel songs
. Dorsey learned about music as a child at Mt. Prospect Baptist Church. After leaving Villa Rica, Dorsey became a famous blues
musician known as Georgia Tom. After the death of his first wife and son, he returned to religious music
but the influence of the blues resulted in the creation of a new style of music which was eventually referred to as gospel.
The second historical marker was erected in 2003 with information about the grove, the ancestral home of the Tyson family. Having moved here in 1853, the Tysons are amongst the oldest families in Villa Rica.
The third historical marker was erected in 2007 on the 50th anniversary of the Villa Rica Explosion. The explosion was caused by a gas leak
in Berry's Pharmacy which completely destroyed that building and three neighboring buildings. Twelve people died and twenty others were injured. In terms of injury and loss of life, the explosion
remains the most catastrophic event in Carroll County
history.
2010-2011 Villa Rica High School basketball team made history by winning the Region Championship and making it to the Elite 8 of 5B-AAAA Region. Dee Thompson, Le'keem Mincey, Kevin Jones, Kreigh Howard, Jay Pittman, Sharod Drayton, John Lay, Alexzander Morgan, Josh Lay, Isaiah Lay, Tay Marshall, Orlandis Hill, Brinston Mitchell, & EJ Varner all worked hard to get to the elite 8. This record breaking team was lead by "The Big 3" Dee Thompson, Orlandis Hill, & Sharod Drayton.
of 2000, there were 4,134 people, 1,550 households, and 1,114 families residing in the city. The population density
was 329.2 people per square mile (127.1/km²). There were 1,769 housing units at an average density of 140.9 per square mile (54.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.32% White, 17.90% African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races
, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population.
There were 1,550 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples
living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,161, and the median income for a family was $37,138. Males had a median income of $31,103 versus $21,516 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,310. About 11.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 29.6% of those age 65 or over.
, Villa Rica was a small rural
railroad and factory
town
with a fairly stable population of around 4,000 people. This is in spite of the fact it's located only half an hour from downtown
Atlanta. However, throughout the 1990s, a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) tract of land surrounding a 210 acre (0.8498406 km²) lake
known as both Val-Da-Mar Lake and Stockmar Lake got a lot of interest from developers. One group proposed the creation of a Gone With the Wind
theme park while others considered more standard ideas
such as building homes
and businesses.
What finally occurred was the creation of a subdivision
named Mirror Lake which supplied the oft named lake with a third name. At the time the subdivision was proposed, Villa Rica had approximately 1,500 homes. The Mirror Lake subdivision added over 2,000 homes in its original proposal and subsequent changes and additions have increased that number so that there will be almost 3,000 residences
by the time the project
is fully completed.
In addition, the substantial investment
in Mirror Lake inspired other developers to begin proposing other projects around Villa Rica. Though the other developments were on a much smaller scale, all of the other building projects combined almost matched the Mirror Lake project in total number of residences. Villa Rica's population projections
are as follows:
While such substantial growth cannot be sustained, some growth will continue for years. The 2025 population
projection is estimated
to be 34,784.
Carroll County, Georgia
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 87,268. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 111,954...
and Douglas
Douglas County, Georgia
Douglas County, Georgia has been experiencing numerous natural disasters over the most recent decades. Being located in the South Eastern United States the county experiences strong storms and tornadoes often because of its location in Dixie Alley....
Counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The population was 4,134 at the 2000 census. By the 2010 census, the population had grown to 13,956. The estimated growth was around 211.34%
Villa Rica is the birthplace of Thomas A. Dorsey
Thomas A. Dorsey
Thomas Andrew Dorsey was known as "the father of black gospel music" and was at one time so closely associated with the field that songs written in the new style were sometimes known as "dorseys." Earlier in his life he was a leading blues pianist known as Georgia Tom.As formulated by Dorsey,...
, the father of gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
- a festival is held in his honor each year. The following important figures were also born in Villa Rica: Coca-cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
business tycoon and former mayor of Atlanta Asa Griggs Candler
Asa Griggs Candler
Asa Griggs Candler was an American business tycoon who made his fortune selling Coca-Cola. He also served as the 44th Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia from 1916 to 1919...
, former Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
and tenth president of Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
Warren Akin Candler
Warren Akin Candler
Warren Akin Candler was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, elected in 1898. He was the tenth president of Emory University.-Early life:...
, former baseball star Fred "Dixie" Walker
Dixie Walker
Fred E. "Dixie" Walker was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates...
, former University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
offensive tackle Ken Shackleford
Ken Shackleford
-References:...
, and former NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
punter Herman "Thunderfoot" Weaver
Herman Weaver
Herman "Thunderfoot" Weaver is a former punter with a 11 year career in the National Football League from 1970 to 1980. He spent 11 years punting in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks. During his career, Weaver punted 693 times for 27,897 total yards...
.
Topography
Villa Rica is located at 33°43′55"N 84°55′12"W (33.731909, -84.919982).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²), of which, 12.6 square miles (32.6 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.26%) is water. Villa Rica sits on the ridgeline that separates the Chattahoochee
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
and the Tallapoosa
Tallapoosa River
The Tallapoosa River runs from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, in the United States, southward and westward into Alabama. It is formed by the confluence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. Lake Martin at Alexander City, Alabama is a large and...
river basins. Slightly more than half of Villa Rica lies within Carroll County, Georgia
Carroll County, Georgia
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 87,268. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 111,954...
and the remaining portion lies within Douglas County, Georgia
Douglas County, Georgia
Douglas County, Georgia has been experiencing numerous natural disasters over the most recent decades. Being located in the South Eastern United States the county experiences strong storms and tornadoes often because of its location in Dixie Alley....
.
Climate
Villa Rica has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Cfa) according to the Köppen classification system
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, with hot, humid summers and mild to chilly winters by the standards of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On average, the warmest month is July. The highest recorded temperature was 103 °F (39.4 °C) in 1980. On average, the coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature was -9 °F in 1985. The most precipitation on average occurs in March. Despite its significant physical distance from the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
(250 miles) and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
(260 miles), on rare occasion Villa Rica is impacted by hurricanes
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
, sometimes severely. Tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es are a more common occurrence in the area although not usually as severe as the those that occur in the midwest United States.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures for Villa Rica, GA (30180) | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 81 | 80 | 93 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 86 | 81 |
| Norm High °F | 52 | 57 | 65 | 72 | 79 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 82 | 73 | 64 | 55 |
| Norm Low °F | 29 | 31 | 38 | 44 | 53 | 61 | 66 | 65 | 59 | 46 | 38 | 31 |
| Rec Low °F | -9 | 3 | 9 | 24 | 30 | 36 | 47 | 48 | 32 | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Precip (in) | 5.53 | 5.07 | 6.22 | 4.38 | 4.16 | 3.86 | 4.53 | 3.70 | 3.21 | 3.36 | 4.55 | 4.44 |
| Source: The Weather Channel | ||||||||||||
History
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
in 1825 with the second Treaty of Indian Springs
Treaty of Indian Springs
There are two Treaties of Indian Springs with the Creek Indians. The first treaty was signed January 8, 1821. In it, the Lower Creek ceded land to the state of Georgia in return for cash payments totaling $200,000 over a period of 14 years...
signed by Chief William McIntosh. In 1826, farmers and gold miners arrived in the area from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
to what was then known as Hixtown (named after a local tavern operator, incorporated in 1830). One mile south was Chevestown, owned by Allison Cheeves. Hixtown and Cheevestown moved to Villa Rica's present location in 1882 when the railroad was built. Many of the original structures were physically moved to the new site (now known as the North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District
North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District
The North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District in Villa Rica, Georgia, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 2002. The original application included eighteen buildings spread out over several blocks. The buildings were built in the early commercial style and date...
) by rolling them on logs pulled by horses. The city was incorporated as Villa Rica in 1881. The name Villa Rica is derived from Spanish for "rich village" and the city’s name change was done to help promote the gold in the area.
Old Villa Rica (Hixtown)
Shortly after the arrival of the wagons in 1826, gold was discovered here. 1826 was also the year that Carroll County was created and named for Charles Carroll of CarrolltonCharles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as United States Senator for Maryland...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
because he was the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
. Although it did not develop into the large gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
that would strike Georgia a few years later, there was a small gold rush in Villa Rica in the late 1820s. When the Georgia Gold Rush
Georgia Gold Rush
The Georgia Gold Rush was the second significant gold rush in the United States. It started in 1828 in the present day Lumpkin County near county seat Dahlonega, and soon spread through the North Georgia mountains, following the Georgia Gold Belt. By the early 1840s, gold became harder to find...
took hold 1829, most of the Villa Rica miners moved northeast to the Dahlonega area. Nevertheless, some mining continued in the area, with several hundred men employed in nearby mines. In 1832, Hixtown had over 2,000 residents (60% of the county’s population). Gold lots were $500 per acre compared to $2 per acre for land elsewhere in the county. There were at least 19 active gold mines. By 1860, the gold supplies in the area had been largely exhausted.
Early Villa Rica had a Wild West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
atmosphere complete with Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, horse thieves, and vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
. The Creek Indian
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
village was located on Sweetwater Creek
Sweetwater Creek (west of Atlanta)
Sweetwater Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Georgia, west of Atlanta. It begins in southwestern Paulding County, flowing generally eastward into southwestern Cobb County, then turning south into eastern Douglas County...
east of town. They were hunters, not warriors, and were friendly toward the white settlers eventually taking on work amongst the settlers. Townspeople were invited to Creek celebrations including a three day festival held each autumn with lots of food and activities. At some point later in the 1830s, the Creeks moved to either Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
or Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
but local records are unclear whether or not this was by choice or part of the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
.
The local horse thieves were known as the Pony Club and the vigilantes were the Slicks. At first, the Slicks would just hold Pony Club members caught stealing horses until a jury trial could be held. But Pony Club members usually had no trouble finding witnesses to prove their innocence so the Slicks eventually started holding their own trials and the guilty were whipped. Things came to a head during the election of 1832 when large numbers of Pony Club members and Slicks got into a brawl. The Slicks won the fight and the Pony Club demanded a Grand Jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
try the Slicks on charges of assault and battery with intent to kill. However, the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
ended up commending the Slicks and thanking them for their work.
New Villa Rica
This young community experienced two disastrous fires almost immediately. The first fire occurred in the business section on Montgomery Street in 1890. An entire block of stores composed of entirely wooden buildings was destroyed. The second fire occurred Monday night, July 27, 1908. The fire was bolstered by heating oil and chemicals from the drug store in which it started. Because of the strength of the fire, much of the focus was on saving the stock of the affected stores. In all, one quarter of Villa Rica's business district was destroyed in three hours. In 1957 an explosion caused by a gas leak destroyed four buildings and killed 12 people.
Bankhead Highway was surveyed and eventually passed though Villa Rica in 1917. Named for Alabama Senator [John Hollis Bankhead], it was the second transcontinental highway in the United States and the first all weather one. In the 1930s it was rerouted though town taking down the Velvin Hotel and extending Montgomery Street westward. It was a main east-west route through the area until Interstate 20 opened in December 1977.
On 4 May 1961, The Freedom Riders passed through Villa Rica. This is the same day their bus was burned in Anniston, Alabama
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
. At the time the bus station was in the former Scarlett's Pet Store which is beside the Old Library.
Historic Sites
- Wicks Tavern—c. 1830—Wicks Tavern is the oldest commercial structure in Carroll County. The tavern was built in Hixtown by New York immigrant John B. Wick. Wick's Tavern was a local gathering place for gold miners working area mines in the early 19th century. The building is a classic example of the “Dutch”-style timber framing method. When the Georgia-Pacific Railroad came through town in 1882 and the homes and businesses were moved, the tavern was considered too large to be moved. It was later turned into a home. In 1998, the “Friends of Wick’s Tavern” raised the funds necessary to rescue this historic building from being demolished and finally helped it make the journey to downtown Villa Rica that it never got one hundred plus years earlier. Wicks Tavern now serves as a living history museum and the home of Forrest Escort SCV and the Friends of Wicks Tavern.
- Stockmar Gold Mine—19th-20th centuries—presently being preserved as a city park and future gold museum currently under construction (February 2007). About the Museum ... it's open now.
- Fullerville—1916-1956—small community northwest of Villa Rica which had several texitle mills (notably hosiery). Fullerville was granted a charter in 1916 but returned it to the state in 1956 at the same time allowed the city to be annexed into Villa Rica. The area retains its early 20 character. Its most notable feature is the Fullerville Jail which dates to 1828 on county property records.
- Mt. Prospect Baptist Church—The church was officially formed in July 1887. The first church building was erected in 1888-1890 on Beecher Hill (now Wilson St) and was dedicated on the 2nd Sunday in May, 1892. This was the building Thomas A. DorseyThomas A. DorseyThomas Andrew Dorsey was known as "the father of black gospel music" and was at one time so closely associated with the field that songs written in the new style were sometimes known as "dorseys." Earlier in his life he was a leading blues pianist known as Georgia Tom.As formulated by Dorsey,...
learned about music in. The second church building, built in 1928, was the first black owned church building in Carroll CountyCarroll County, GeorgiaCarroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 87,268. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 111,954...
. This building was destroyed by fire in February 1945. A new church building was immediately commissioned and completed in five months. In 2005, work began on a larger sanctuary next to the existing one and the congregation moved into the new church March 11, 2007.
- First Presbyterian Church of Villa Rica—The church was organized as Villa Rica Presbyterian Church in 1855. A white frame building was constructed on Candler St in 1885 for worship. The building was moved to its current location in 1930 onto property donated by the family of Mr. W. B. Candler who had served as Clerk of Session from 1888 to 1921. The structure was bricked and a basement was added for Sunday School rooms. The mahogany pew
PewA pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s, pulpitPulpitPulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, and the stained glassStained glassThe term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were purchased from Old Wesley Memorial Church in AtlantaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
when it was torn down. The windows were made from a color formula that has been lost over time, making them irreplaceable antiques. The Candler home, which was situated behind the church building served the church in many capacities before it was torn down in 1998 and replaced with a new fellowship building.
- First United Methodist Church of Villa Rica—Although historical documentation is sketchy, it is believed that the Methodist Church built their first building, a log cabin, in 1830 making them the first church in the city. Around 1845, a wooden church building was built. When Hixtown moved and Villa Rica was created, the church elected to build a new white frame church. It was constructed in 1886 on the current church site. The old church was abandoned in 1890. The construction on the current church began in 1905 and was first used in July 1906.
Registered Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 20, 1980. Located about three miles (5 km) southwest of Villa Rica on Hickory Level Rd, the farm consists of a 19th-century farmhouse, several other outbuilding and the famous round barn. Built in 1917, the Round Barn is quite significant architecturally due to its circular shape. When constructed, this would have been considered a progressive agricultural building technique. The barn was designed by Floyd Lovell. It had two levels, the upper one smaller than the lower. At the time the barn was added, it was still generally structurally intact. The upper level is now completely gone and the lower level is falling apart as well. The barn is privately owned and it is unknown whether or not there are any plans to restore it.
The North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 2002. This district includes several blocks of buildings, some dating back to 1875, which were built in the early commercial style. The area houses the City of Villa Rica Police Department along with several antique stores, restaurants, and other commercial businesses. The boundary is basically North Avenue, East Gordon St, West Church St, and the Southern Railroad line.
The Williams Family Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 2005. The farm-house, built in 1892, is in excellent condition and sits in front of a Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
camp established in 1937 to help struggling farmers with their cotton fields. There are several outbuildings and an historic landscape. This farm is also known as the Williams-Mitchell Farm.
The South Commercial Historic District is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, but the completed nomination form is currently held up because of the controversy over the Old Library/Old Clinic for the past several years. The building being one of the most significant in West Georgia and a keystone of the proposed historic district.
Historical Markers
Villa Rica currently has three historical marker
Historical marker
A historical marker or historic marker is an indicator such as a plaque or sign to commemorate an event or person of historic interest and to associate that point of interest with a specific locale one can visit.-Description:...
s. The first one was erected in 1994 marking the birthplace of Thomas A. Dorsey
Thomas A. Dorsey
Thomas Andrew Dorsey was known as "the father of black gospel music" and was at one time so closely associated with the field that songs written in the new style were sometimes known as "dorseys." Earlier in his life he was a leading blues pianist known as Georgia Tom.As formulated by Dorsey,...
, the father of gospel songs
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
. Dorsey learned about music as a child at Mt. Prospect Baptist Church. After leaving Villa Rica, Dorsey became a famous blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician known as Georgia Tom. After the death of his first wife and son, he returned to religious music
Religious music
Religious music is music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence.A lot of music has been composed to complement religion, and many composers have derived inspiration from their own religion. Many forms of traditional music have been adapted to fit religions'...
but the influence of the blues resulted in the creation of a new style of music which was eventually referred to as gospel.
The second historical marker was erected in 2003 with information about the grove, the ancestral home of the Tyson family. Having moved here in 1853, the Tysons are amongst the oldest families in Villa Rica.
The third historical marker was erected in 2007 on the 50th anniversary of the Villa Rica Explosion. The explosion was caused by a gas leak
Gas leak
In common usage, a gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas, from a pipe or other containment, into a living area or any other area where the gas should not be...
in Berry's Pharmacy which completely destroyed that building and three neighboring buildings. Twelve people died and twenty others were injured. In terms of injury and loss of life, the explosion
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
remains the most catastrophic event in Carroll County
Carroll County, Georgia
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 87,268. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 111,954...
history.
2010-2011 Villa Rica High School basketball team made history by winning the Region Championship and making it to the Elite 8 of 5B-AAAA Region. Dee Thompson, Le'keem Mincey, Kevin Jones, Kreigh Howard, Jay Pittman, Sharod Drayton, John Lay, Alexzander Morgan, Josh Lay, Isaiah Lay, Tay Marshall, Orlandis Hill, Brinston Mitchell, & EJ Varner all worked hard to get to the elite 8. This record breaking team was lead by "The Big 3" Dee Thompson, Orlandis Hill, & Sharod Drayton.
Arts, Entertainment, Festivals
- Thomas A. Dorsey Festival - Closest Saturday to July 1, features Gospel musicGospel musicGospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and BluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads... - Gold Rush Festival—Saturday after Labor Day.
- Homecoming parade and pep rally (2006's theme was Disco Fever, following 2005's theme Are you Ready to luau?)
- The movie Randy and The MobRandy and The MobRandy and The Mob is a 2007 comedy film written, directed and starring Ray McKinnon. It also stars Lisa Blount, Walton Goggins and Bill Nunn, with a cameo by Burt Reynolds....
was filmed mostly in Villa Rica in August 2005
The 2000 Census
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,134 people, 1,550 households, and 1,114 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 329.2 people per square mile (127.1/km²). There were 1,769 housing units at an average density of 140.9 per square mile (54.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.32% White, 17.90% African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population.
There were 1,550 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,161, and the median income for a family was $37,138. Males had a median income of $31,103 versus $21,516 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,310. About 11.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 29.6% of those age 65 or over.
The Growth Boom
Over most of its 180 year historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Villa Rica was a small rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
railroad and factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
with a fairly stable population of around 4,000 people. This is in spite of the fact it's located only half an hour from downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Atlanta. However, throughout the 1990s, a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) tract of land surrounding a 210 acre (0.8498406 km²) lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
known as both Val-Da-Mar Lake and Stockmar Lake got a lot of interest from developers. One group proposed the creation of a Gone With the Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
theme park while others considered more standard ideas
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
such as building homes
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
and businesses.
What finally occurred was the creation of a subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
named Mirror Lake which supplied the oft named lake with a third name. At the time the subdivision was proposed, Villa Rica had approximately 1,500 homes. The Mirror Lake subdivision added over 2,000 homes in its original proposal and subsequent changes and additions have increased that number so that there will be almost 3,000 residences
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
by the time the project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...
is fully completed.
In addition, the substantial investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
in Mirror Lake inspired other developers to begin proposing other projects around Villa Rica. Though the other developments were on a much smaller scale, all of the other building projects combined almost matched the Mirror Lake project in total number of residences. Villa Rica's population projections
Forecasting
Forecasting is the process of making statements about events whose actual outcomes have not yet been observed. A commonplace example might be estimation for some variable of interest at some specified future date. Prediction is a similar, but more general term...
are as follows:
| Population Projections for Villa Rica, GA | ||||||
| (in April of the given year) | ||||||
| Year | Population | Change | Year | Population | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5,511 | 30% | 2006 | 11,490 | 12% | |
| 2002 | 6,985 | 23% | 2007 | 12,716 | 11% | |
| 2003 | 7,812 | 19% | 2008 | 13,942 | 10% | |
| 2004 | 9,038 | 16% | 2009 | 15,168 | 9% | |
| 2005 | 10,264 | 14% | 2010 | 16,394 | 8% | |
| Source: Villa Rica Draft Comprehensive Plan | ||||||
While such substantial growth cannot be sustained, some growth will continue for years. The 2025 population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
projection is estimated
Estimation
Estimation is the calculated approximation of a result which is usable even if input data may be incomplete or uncertain.In statistics,*estimation theory and estimator, for topics involving inferences about probability distributions...
to be 34,784.
Further reading
- Mary Talley Anderson. The History of Villa Rica (City of Gold). Privately printed, 1976.