Smyrna, Georgia

History

Pioneers began settling the area in 1832. By the late 1830s, a religious encampment called Smyrna Camp Ground had become a popular travel destination and was well known throughout Georgia. It is a Greek name for the Biblical city of Smyrna, modern day İzmir in Turkey, the home of the Christian martyr Polycarp. After the completion of the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1842, the area began to grow. It was known by several names until 1872—Varner's Station, Ruff's Siding, Neal Dow, and Ruff's Station. The city was incorporated with the name Smyrna in 1872.

Two Civil War battles occurred in the area, the Battle of Smyrna Camp Ground and the Battle of Ruff's Mill, both on July 4, 1864. The area's businesses, homes, and 1849 covered bridge (since rebuilt and still in use today) were burned by Sherman's troops.

The nearby Bell Bomber plant that produced B-29 bombers during World War II was reopened by Lockheed in 1951, and became a catalyst for growth. The city's population grew during the next two decades, from 2,005 in 1950 to almost 20,000 by 1970.

Geography

Smyrna is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, located about 1 mi northwest of the Atlanta city limits, and with Smyrna's downtown approximately 16 mi from downtown Atlanta. Smyrna is located just west of the northern intersection of I-285 and I-75, which is the site of the edge city Cumberland and the Cobb Galleria.

Smyrna is bordered by Vinings to the east, Marietta to the north and west, and Mableton to the south and southwest. The city of Sandy Springs and the affluent Atlanta neighborhoods of Paces and Buckhead are approximately within 10 miles of Smyrna's center. Smyrna Heights is a neighborhood in Smyrna.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.9 sqkm, of which 39.8 sqkm is land and 0.1 sqkm, or 0.23%, is water. The general terrain of the area is characteristic of the Piedmont region of Georgia, characterized by hills with broad ridges, sloping uplands, and relatively narrow valleys.

Flora

The city's official symbol is the jonquil (a flower). Known as the "Jonquil City", it derives this name from the thousands of jonquils that flourish in gardens and along the streets in early spring.

Climate

|Jan record high F = 79 |Feb record high F = 80 |Mar record high F = 89 |Apr record high F = 93 |May record high F = 97 |Jun record high F = 102 |Jul record high F = 105 |Aug record high F = 104 |Sep record high F = 102 |Oct record high F = 95 |Nov record high F = 84 |Dec record high F = 79 |year record high F = 105 |Jan record low F = −8 |Feb record low F = −9 |Mar record low F = 10 |Apr record low F = 25 |May record low F = 37 |Jun record low F = 39 |Jul record low F = 53 |Aug record low F = 55 |Sep record low F = 36 |Oct record low F = 28 |Nov record low F = 3 |Dec record low F = 0 |year record low F = −9

Demographics

1850-1870 1870-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 55,663 people, 24,736 households, and 13,669 families residing in the city.

2018

At the 2018 census, there were 56,271 people, with 35% growth since 2000. There were 23,002 households. The population density was 3,300 /mi2. The racial make-up of the city was 29.3% African American, 46% White, 0.4% Native American, 7.71% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander and 3.1% from two or more races. 14.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The population was distributed by age as follows: 22.6% under the age of 18, 18.8% from 18 to 29, 20% from 30 to 39, 14.9% from 40 to 49, 14.2% from 50 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males.

52.6% of Smyrna residents lived in families with an average of 2.2 people per household.

In 2012, 52.2% of Smyrna residents had a college degree and 91.3% of residents had a high school diploma. This is one of the highest rates in the state of Georgia.

Personal income

The median household income in 2018 was $73,788. The per capita income was $44,823, a 24.7% increase from 2000.

In 2018, the place with the highest median household income in Smyrna was census tract 312.09, with a value of $143,443, followed by census tracts 311.12 and 311.17, with respective values of $108,229 and $89,769.

Economy

Industry

The Atlanta Bread Company has its headquarters in Smyrna.

Companies with an office include Eaton Corporation and IBM. Smyrna was the site of the corporate offices of the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.

Top employers

According to the city's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

On October 31, 2014, Emory Healthcare closed the Emory Adventist Hospital at Smyrna. They have since announced plans to renovate and reopen the hospital.

Private projects

In 1991, the city began a community redevelopment project known as "Market Village," in order to create a well-defined downtown. Included were a community center and 28000 sqft public library. A mixed retail and residential district was modeled after an early 1900s city village, including a square with a fountain. This, and other expansions have revitalized the downtown area. Further redevelopment has occurred throughout the city—including thousands of new homes – mostly cluster homes, townhouse and condo communities replacing older neighborhoods. The population has risen as a result of redevelopment, a few annexations, and Smyrna's location as a residential suburb in the Northwest center of metro Atlanta.

Public projects

In September 2019, the James M. Cox Foundation gave $6 million to the PATH Foundation, which will connect the Silver Comet Trail terminus in Smyrna to the Atlanta Beltline. It is expected to be completed by 2022. The combined length of the Silver Comet and the Beltline will make it the longest paved trail surface in the U.S., totaling approximately 300 mi; one could travel from Atlanta to Anniston, Alabama via the trail alone.

Arts and culture

Market Village in the city center often has open-air concerts and festivals. There are also various small parks such as Cobb Park, public pools such as Aline Wolfe Center for the elderly and Tolleson park pool for all ages, tennis courts and playgrounds and a linear park with walking trail along Spring Road.

The ARTery is a community-driven public art initiative in Smyrna, located primarily in the downtown area, with key installations around Jonquil Plaza and the Village Green.

The city operates the Smyrna Public Library, the only library in the county which is not a part of the Cobb County Public Library System.

Government

Municipal

The city is governed by a seven-member council, elected by wards, and a mayor elected at-large. Max Bacon served as the mayor of Smyrna starting in 1985; in July 2019 he announced his retirement from city politics. The current mayor is Derek Norton, who took office January 6, 2020. Norton previously served on the City Council since 2015. Like most municipalities in the state of Georgia, elective city offices in Smyrna are nonpartisan.

Education

Public schools

Public schooling in Smyrna falls under the jurisdiction of the Cobb County School District. The city's students are served by 12 of the district's schools. The largest schools by enrollment are:

• Campbell High School
• Campbell Middle School
• Nickajack Elementary School

Private schools

Several private schools are inside Smyrna's city limits, including St. Benedict's Episcopal School, Covenant Christian School, Whitefield Academy, and a satellite campus of Buckhead Preparatory Academy.

Media

Smyrna and Vinings' community newspaper is The Bright Side. It is dedicated to publishing positive events that occur in Cobb County.

The restaurant scene in the film Joyful Noise was shot at Howard's Restaurant in Smyrna in 2011.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Several major roadways, such as I-285, Cobb Parkway (U.S. Route 41), Atlanta Road (Old State Route 3), and South Cobb Drive (State Route 280), pass through the municipality.

Smyrna is served by CobbLinc and MARTA public buses.

Notable people

• Chan Marshall, singer-songwriter, musician, better known as Cat Power
• U.S. Representative Bob Barr
• Julia Roberts, Oscar-winning actress
• Gerald Perry and Ron Gant, baseball stars who both played for the Atlanta Braves
• Daniel Palka, baseball player with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Mexican league
• John Brebbia, baseball player with the Atlanta Braves
• Kyle Fowler, racing driver
• Louie Giglio, Passion City Church Senior Pastor/Passion Conferences and sixstepsrecords founder
• Tay Glover-Wright, American football player
• C. Martin Croker, voice-over actor and animator was born in Smyrna. He is best known for his work on the cult classic show Space Ghost Coast to Coast
• Kelly Nelon Clark, recording artist and actress, was a long time resident and calls Smyrna her hometown
• Benn Jordan, recording artist and composer, owns a home and recording studio in Smyrna.
• Eschel Rhoodie, the South African Secretary of the Department of Information from 1972 to 1977, resided in Smyrna after emigrating to the United States.
• 645AR, rapper, raised partly in Smyrna

References

References

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