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. Census Estimates of 2005 indicate more than a doubling of population with 9,897 in the city.
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 (32.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 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.
Climate
Villa Rica has a humid subtropical climate (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 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.[1] 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. Tornadoes are a more common occurrence in our 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)
Still standing, Wicks Tavern was built in 1830 and was major competition for Hix Tavern.
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.[2] The city was incorporated as Villa Rica in 1881. The name Villa Rica is derived from Spanish for "village of gold" 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.[3] 1826 was also the year that Carroll County was created and named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, 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 1820’s. 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.[2] 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 vigilantejustice. 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.[4]
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 innocense 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.[4]
New Villa Rica
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.[4]
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.[4]
The Thomas A. Dorsey historical marker sits alongside U.S. Hwy 78 because the actual house Dorsey was born in has been gone a long time.THOMAS A. DORSEY
Father of Gospel
Thomas Andrew Dorsey, composer of over 400 blues and gospel songs, lived here following his birth in Villa Rica on July 1, 1899. At Mt. Prospect Baptist Church he was exposed to shape-note singing and at home learned to play a used pump organ, experiences he said "sprang" his career. The young blues pianist moved to Chicago in 1919 in the Great Migration.
For a while, any new gospel-blues song, regardless of who wrote it, was called a "Dorsey" until Dorsey himself coined the name "gospel". Dorsey died in Chicago on January 23, 1993.
A picture of Berry's Pharmacy with the historical marker out front.Villa Rica Explosion
Around 11:00 a.m. on December 5, 1957, a natural gas leak under Berry’s Pharmacy caused an explosion that destroyed four buildings and damaged several others in Villa Rica’s downtown. The explosion killed twelve and injured twenty. The tragedy highlighted the need for both an organized local emergency response unit and the use of odor in the natural gas supply.
The civil defense unit that resulted became a model for west Georgia. Ensuing litigation placed a considerable financial burden on the city, suppressing economic development for years. In terms of injury and loss of life, the explosion remains the most catastrophic event in Carroll County history.
2007.11 Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, City of Villa Rica, and Villa Rica Downtown Development Authority 22-1
Additional information: The other three neighboring stores destroyed by the explosion were Harris Five and Ten Cent Store, Reeves Jewelry, and A & B Dress Shop. Numerous local citizens and groups responded to the emergency including fire and police forces from four surrounding counties, Civil Defense, the Army National Guard, the Georgia State Patrol, the high school football team, the Red Cross, the Boy Scouts, and two fire companies from the City of Atlanta. Southwire, a major manufacturer from nearby Carrollton, supplied cranes to help move debris in the search for victims. Crews from Georgia Power and Atlanta Gas and Light Company stayed for several days to ensure there was no further danger. And Americans from as far away as California and New York State sent contributions and letters of condolence to the local ministers to help with the aftermath of the tragedy.[4][5]
File:TheGroveHistoricalMarker.jpgThe Historical Marker at The Grove. The fireplace from the old farm house can be seen just to the left of the sign.THE GROVE
In the mid-1600s, John Tyson traveled from the British Isles to Virginia. Over the next 200 years, his descendents migrated to North Carolina and on to Georgia. Alexander, Clement, and Jehu Tyson and their mother Penelope settled this land in 1853. Their children, including Willie, Joseph T., and Solomon, were born here and helped establish local churches and schools. Descendents of Willie's five children, Oscar, Lizzie T. Gardner, Tom, Fannie T. Payne, and Will D., consider this their ancestral home and return to the Grove each year to renew family ties.
Wicks Tavern -- c. 1830 -- Wicks Tavern is the oldest commercial structure in Carroll County.[6] 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 1800s. 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.[7] Wicks Tavern now serves as a living history museum and the home of Forrest Escort SCV and the Friends of Wicks Tavern.
Old Villa Rica Library -- 1951 -- oldest International style building in West Georgia. Originally built as Powell-Berry-Powell clinic it later served as the city library and then reverted back to a medical clinic about 1991. Considered valuable to the city it is presently threatened by demolistion for parking (note only 30% of parking is currently used and additional parking is unnecessary)[8]. Predates the National Register listed Douglas County Courthouse (also International Design). Recently recognized by Kennesaw State University's Public History program as a threatened site on threatenedsites.org.
Stockmar Gold Mine -- 1800s-1900s -- presently being preserved as a city park and future gold museum currently under construction (February 2007).
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.[9] The area retains its early 20 character. Its most notable feature is the Fullerville Jail which dates to 1828 on county property records.
A current picture of the nationally registered historic round barn in Villa Rica, GA, showing it's state of disrepair.Dorough Round Barn and Farm -- National Register of Historic Places (added January 20, 1980) -- Located about three miles southwest of Villa Rica on Hickory Level Rd, the farm consists of a nineteenth-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.[10] The barn was designed by Floyd Lovell.[11] 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.
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. Dorsey learned about music in. The second church building, built in 1928, was the first black owned church building in Carroll County. 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.[12]
North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District -- National Register of Historic Places (added 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.
Williams Family Farm -- National Register of Historic Places (added 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.[13]
Villa Rica First Presbyterian Church.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 pews, pulpit, and the stained glass windows were purchased from Old Wesley Memorial Church in Atlanta 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.[14]
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.[15]
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 Mob was filmed mostly in Villa Rica in August 2005
Demographics
The 2000 Census
As of the censusTemplate:GR 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/sq mi (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.
The Growth Boom
Over most of it's 180 year history, Villa Rica was a small ruralrailroad and factorytown 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 downtownAtlanta. However, throughout the 1990s, a 2000+ acre tract of land surrounding a 210 acre lake known as both Val-Da-Mar Lake and Stockmar Lake got lots of interest from developers. One group proposed the creation of a Gone With the Windtheme park[16] while others considered more standardideas 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:
