Lithonia (, ;
AAVE
African-American Vernacular English (AAVE, ), also referred to as Black (Vernacular) English, Black English Vernacular, or occasionally Ebonics (a colloquial, controversial term), is the variety of English natively spoken, particularly in urban ...
: ) is a city in eastern
DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb:
* DeKalb County, Alabama
* DeKalb County, Georgia
* DeKalb County, Illinois
* DeKalb County, Indiana
* DeKalb County, Missour ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, United States. The city's population was 2,662 at the
2020 census. Lithonia is in the
Atlanta metropolitan area
Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...
.
"Lithonia" means "city/town of stone". Lithonia is in the heart of the Georgian
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
-quarrying and viewing region, hence the name of the town, from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
, for “stone”. The huge nearby
Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome Inselberg, monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta, Georgia. Outside the park is the small city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state o ...
is composed of granite, while the Lithonia
gneiss
Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures an ...
is a form of
metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causin ...
. The Stone Mountain granite is younger than, and has
intruded
Intrusive rock is formed when magma penetrates existing rock, crystallizes, and solidifies underground to form '' intrusions'', such as batholiths, dikes, sills, laccoliths, and volcanic necks.Intrusive RocksIntrusive rocks accessdate: March ...
the Lithonia gneiss. The area has a history of rock quarries. The mines were served by the
Georgia Railroad
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
Atlanta, Stone Mountain & Lithonia Railway
The Atlanta, Stone Mountain and Lithonia Railway (ASM&L) was a rock quarry railroad that began operations in 1909. A "common carrier" railroad it had lines connecting to the Georgia Railroad and primarily served granite and gneiss quarries at Lit ...
. Some of the rock quarries have been converted to parkland, and the rail lines to rail-trail.
Lithonia is one of the gateways to the
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area
Arabia Mountain, a part of Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, is the northern of two peaks in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. A low saddle separates it from Bradley Mountain, several ...
, which is largely contained inside Stonecrest, GA.
Geography
Lithonia is located in southeastern DeKalb County at (33.712658, -84.105897).
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with Interstate 10, I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with Interstate 95, I-95 in Flo ...
passes just south of the community, with access from Exits 74 and 75. Lithonia is east of the center of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. Some areas in extreme southern Gwinnett County use a Lithonia postal address near the county line.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
History
In 1805, Lithonia began as a small crossroads settlement of farmers. The town grew with the coming of the Atlanta Augusta Railroad in 1845, which allowed the granite quarrying industry in the area to flourish.
Lithonia is the birthplace of the Lithonia Lighting company, one of North America's largest manufacturers of commercial, institutional, industrial and residential
light fixture
A light fixture (US English), light fitting (UK English), or luminaire is an electrical device containing an electric lamp that provides illumination. All light fixtures have a fixture body and one or more lamps. The lamps may be in sockets fo ...
s, which was founded in the city in 1946 but moved to nearby
Conyers
Conyers is an Atlanta suburb, the county seat of and only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, Rockdale County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The city is 24 miles (38.6 km) east of Atlanta, downtown Atlanta and is a part of t ...
in the 1950s.
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is a megachurch in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, near Lithonia. It has embraced a Pentecostal theology not typically found in African-American Baptist churches.
History
The church was founded in 1 ...
, a
megachurch
A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...
which is known for many high-profile funerals, is located in Stonecrest, GA, near Lithonia.
Lithonia Historic District
The Lithonia Historic District consists of a commercial core surrounded by residential areas, with a period of significance spanning from 1845 to 1964. Stylistic influences in the district include Second Empire, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian, Neoclassical Revival, English Vernacular Revival, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival. The district is bisected by the Georgia/CSX Railroad, which runs perpendicular to the historic commercial core's primary thoroughfare, Main Street. The commercial area extends south from the intersection of Main Street and the railroad, covering a two-block area. The commercial buildings are primarily brick and local granite masonry, with little decorative detailing. Commercial styles include single retail, multiple retail, and retail and office types. Within the historic district, there is some non-historic infill construction such as the 1968 Lithonia Plaza shopping center.
The residential areas consist architecture typical of late 19th- to mid 20th-century types and styles. Residential neighborhoods also feature locally quarried granite and gneiss. House types and styles include the central hall Georgian cottage, gabled-wing cottage, Queen Anne cottage, New South cottage, pyramid cottage, bungalow, Ranch house, I-House and Queen Anne house.
![The Seminary Lithonia Georgia Front Veranda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/The_Seminary_Lithonia_Georgia_Front_Veranda.jpg)
Landmark properties include the Masonic Lodge (1916), The Lithonia Women's Club (1928), the Lithonia First United Methodist Church (1910), Antioch Baptist Church (1911), Lithonia Presbyterian Church, The Union Missionary Church (1911), the Bruce Street equalization school (c.1953), and
The Seminary (1895). Contributing sites in the district include two cemeteries, two parks, the former Georgia Railroad Quarry, and the ruins of the Bruce Street School for African-Americans (1938).
The district is significant under
National Register
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
criterion A (association with historic events) and C (architecture), with areas of significance in Architecture, Black and European Ethnic Heritage, Community Planning and Development, Industry, and Transportation.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 2,662 people, 938 households, and 524 families residing in the city.
2010 census
Lithonia's city population was 1,924 at the
2010 census, over 799 households, and 560 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was about 1,924 inhabitants per square mile (1,068.9/km
2). There were 892 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.3%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
, 8.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.05%
Native American, 0.2%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and 1.42% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 5.8% of the population.
There were 799 households, out of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 63.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,397, and the median income for a family was $54,792. Males had a median income of $29,500 versus $24,788 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $10,605. About 12.6% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 31.8% of those under the age of 18 and 25.7% of those 65 and older.
The unincorporated communities located outside the city limits make up almost 75% of the population estimated at over 15,000 inhabitants. Neighborhoods are broken into two ZIP codes: 30058 which includes the City proper, and communities directly outside the city limit, and 30038 located south of Interstate 20 which includes some of the most affluent neighborhoods in DeKalb County.
Shopping
Lithonia is near to a super-regional shopping center, the
Mall at Stonecrest
The Mall at Stonecrest (also referred to and often known as Stonecrest Mall) is a super regional shopping mall along Interstate 20 in eastern Metro Atlanta that opened in 2001 on the growing I-20 corridor. It is off exit 75 in Stonecrest, Georgi ...
(also known as Stonecrest Mall), and serves as the northernmost point on the
Arabia Mountain Path. Much of the mall's available property has yet to be developed.
Hospitals
The three main health facilities in Lithonia are:
*Hillandale DeKalb Medical Center is the newest addition to the DeKalb Medical family of hospitals.
*
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente (; KP), commonly known simply as Kaiser, is an American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield. Kaiser P ...
runs two community health clinics in Lithonia: Panola Road Clinic, and the Stonecrest Clinic.
*East DeKalb Health Center
Education
DeKalb County Public Schools operates public schools. Lithonia Middle School is the only school located in the city limits of Lithonia.
The schools that serve the city limits of Lithonia are: Stoneview Elementary School, Lithonia Middle School, and
Lithonia High School
Lithonia High School is a public high school located in Stonecrest, Georgia, United States, near Lithonia. A part of the DeKalb County School District, it serves 1,450 students in grades 9–12. Darrick McCray is the current principal. The scho ...
in
Redan CDP.
[High School Attendance Areas 2016 - 2017 School Year]
" DeKalb County School System
The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is a school district headquartered at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, near Stone Mountain and in the Atlanta metropolitan area. DCSD operates ...
. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.
Elementary schools in the wider surrounding area:
*Edward L. Bouie Sr. Elementary
*Marbut Elementary
*Shadow Rock Elementary
*Rock Chapel Elementary
*Princeton Elementary
*Redan Elementary
*Flat Rock Elementary
*Fairington Elementary
*Stoneview Elementary
*Panola Way Elementary
*Murphy Candler Elementary
*Browns Mill Elementary
*Wynbrooke Traditional Theme School
Middle schools in the surrounding area:
*Lithonia Middle School
*
Redan Middle School
*Salem Middle School
*Miller Grove Middle School
*DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment
High schools in the surrounding area:
*
Lithonia High School
Lithonia High School is a public high school located in Stonecrest, Georgia, United States, near Lithonia. A part of the DeKalb County School District, it serves 1,450 students in grades 9–12. Darrick McCray is the current principal. The scho ...
(Primary Zoned High School)
*
Martin Luther King, Jr. High School (Secondary Zoned High School)
*
Miller Grove High School (Relief High School)
*
Arabia Mountain High School
Arabia Mountain High School Academy of Engineering Medicine and Environmental Studies is located on the edge of the Arabia Mountain green space in Stonecrest, Georgia, United States, - Compare city map to the location of the school. with a Lith ...
(
Magnet High School
In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...
)
Universities
*
Luther Rice University
Luther Rice College & Seminary is a Private college, private Baptist college and seminary in Lithonia, Georgia. Through the college and seminary the institution offers bachelor, masters, and doctoral degrees in leadership, counseling, apologetics ...
of Theological Studies
*
Strayer University
Strayer University is a private for-profit university with its headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1892 as Strayer's Business College and later became Strayer College, before being granted university status in 1998. Strayer Univer ...
Public libraries
DeKalb County Public Library
The DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) is the public library system of DeKalb County, Georgia in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The library system headquarters are at the Darro C. Willey Administrative Offices in Decatur.
Its collection incl ...
operates the Lithonia-Davidson Library the main library source in Lithonia, which was once privately owned until being incorporated into the DeKalb County Public Library system in 1947.
Other libraries in the Lithonia area include:
*Salem- Panola Branch
*Redan- Trotti Branch
*Stonecrest- Klondike Branch
Parks
*Browns Mill/Recreation Center
*Bruce Street Park
*Davidson-Arabia Mountain/Preserve
*Fairington Park
*Lithonia Park
*Mystery Valley Golf Course
*Redan Park (included Disc Golf, Tennis course, baseball and football fields, pavilion and family kids play areas)
*Southeast Athletic Complex
*Rock Chapel Park
*Salem Park
Postal service
Lithonia's main post office is located on Stone Mountain Street in the heart of Lithonia. Many drop boxes and postal services storefronts are located throughout the communities of Lithonia.
Redan post office located directly outside the city limits of Lithonia provides an alternative to postal drop off and pickup service.
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational corporation, multinational package delivery, shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company ...
(UPS) and
FedEx
FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...
also provide alternative postal service to Lithonia.
Transportation
MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) provides connecting bus service to and from Lithonia, and
GRTA
The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA, "Greta") is a government agency in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It was set up under former governor of Georgia Roy Barnes, in order to address mobility, air quality and land ...
Xpress (Georgia Rapid Transit Authority) provides commuter bus service to downtown
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
from a community
park and ride
A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuting, commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail t ...
lot.
References
External links
City of Lithonia official website
{{authority control
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in DeKalb County, Georgia
Cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area