Burke County
Hawkins-Whitaker Real Estate, LLC, is based in Burke County, Georgia, one of the state's oldest and most historic counties. With its 835 square miles, it sprawls across the eastern edge of the state along the Savannah River and is home to nearly 23,000 people and Georgia Power Company's nuclear Plant Vogtle. Waynesboro, the county seat, is the Bird Dog capital of the world!
History The land that would form Burke County was ceded to the English by the Creeks in the Treaty of Savannah on May 21, 1733. When Georgia was established as a colony in 1732, the area now known as Burke County was called the Halifax District. Georgia was divided into parishes in 1758, and the Halifax District became the parish of St. George. In addition to the Creeks, the original inhabitants of the area were Cherokee, and Catawba Indians, who lost their land when members of their leadership, often not speaking for all of them, signed treaties in 1733, 1736, and 1758 with the English. The first white settlers were "headright settlers," or those who acquired land via a system that granted parcels to the heads of families, with more land going to larger families. Almost all of the first landowners came from the older American colonies, especially after Georgia lifted its ban on slavery in 1751. The majority were farmers with small- and medium-sized operations who were attracted by the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers, which offered transportation and water for their livestock. A few other settlers came from parishes to the south, and some (mostly Scots-Irish Protestants) arrived from across the Atlantic. On Feb. 5, 1777, St. George Parish became one of Georgia's first counties, named for political philosopher and member of British Parliament Edmund Burke, who advocated appeasement of American colonial grievances. Many residents of Burke County remained loyal to the king, and ensuing conflicts during the Revolutionary War (1775-83) led to major property damage. Two military engagements in 1779 between the king's troops and the revolutionaries were notable: a skirmish at the Burke County Jail in January, during which the colonists defeated 400 British troops; and a British victory at the Battle of Brier (later Briar) Creek. The current courthouse, built in 1857 and expanded in 1899, is one of the state's oldest brick buildings still in use. A Neoclassical Revival annex was completed at the rear of the courthousein 1940 and since then, the courthouse has been completely renovated. The vernacular architectural style includes Italianate elements as well as a Victorian clock tower. The fourth courthouse in the county's history, the structure replaced one that was both built and burned in 1856. Waynesboro, the county seat and largest city in the county, was named for General Anthony Wayne whose daring efforts during the Revolutionary War earned him the nickname "Mad Anthony Wayne." Although people lived in the area before the Revolutionary War, the town was not laid out until 1783. The City was officially incorporated in 1883 as the City of Waynesborough. President George Washington spent the night of May 17, 1791 in Waynesboro. A stone monument marks the historical location on Liberty Street. Some claim President Washington owned land in Waynesboro. He had planned to develop it as a sugar plantation prior to his involvement with the American revolutionaries. He later sold it upon purchase of his Mt. Vernon property in northern Virginia. During the Civil War, on December 4, 1864, forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick near Waynesboro prevented troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman campaign of destroying a wide swath of the South on his march to Savannah and the Atlantic Ocean (Union forces did suffer more than three times the casualties as the Confederates, however). Other incorporated towns are Girard, Keysville, Midville, and Sardis. Geography Burke County covers 835 square miles, including five square miles of lakes, rivers, streams and creeks, and is the state's second largest county.The county is bordered to the east by the Savannah River and the state of South Carolina and to the south by the Ogeechee River. Between 1793 and 1905, the legislature took land from Burke County to help form the new counties of Screven (1793), Jefferson (1796), and Jenkins (1905), and to add area to Richmond County (1841). Adjacent Counties
Burke County is blessed with a strong public school system and a respected private school with modern facilities, skilled educators and respected sports programs. The Burke County Board of Education operates a primary school, two elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and an alternative school and Edmund Burke Academy offers classes for grades K-12 in a Christian environment. Please visit our newcomer page for contact information. Demographics The current estimated population of Burke County 22,800. As of the census of 2000, there were 22,243 people, 7,934 households, and 5,799 families residing in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 46.90 percent White, 51.00 percent Black or African American, 0.23 percent Native American, 0.26 percent Asian, 0.01 percent Pacific Islander, 0.63 percent from other races, and 0.97 percent from two or more races. 1.42 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 7,934 households of which 38 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.27. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 90.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,877, and the median income for a family was $31,660. The per capita income for the county was $13,136. Current county statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. |