Somerville is a town in Fayette County,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

, United States. It is part of the Memphis metropolitan area. The population was 3,415 at the 2020 census, up from 3,094 at the 2010 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Fayette County.

History

The town was named to honor Lieutenant Robert Somerville, who was killed in 1814 during the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in central Alabama while serving under General

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

. Somerville was incorporated in 1836.

Geography

Somerville is located slightly northeast of the center of Fayette County at (35.237623, -89.358400). U.S. Route 64 runs through the center of town as Fayette Street, leading northeast to Whiteville and west to

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...

. Downtown Memphis is to the west.

Tennessee State Route 76 State Route 76 (SR 76) is a state highway in Tennessee, traversing the state in a northeast-southwest axis from east of Memphis to north of Nashville. SR 76 is unique in that it actually changes its cardinal directions (from North-South t ...

crosses US 64 at the center of town. North of US 64, it is the town's Main Street and leads to Brownsville. To the south it is South Street, leading to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. 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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (1.58%) is water. The Loosahatchie River, a west-flowing tributary of the

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, runs past the northern end of the town.

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 off ...

, there were 3,415 people, 1,187 households, and 734 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 2,519 people, 1,006 households, and 618 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,070 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 59.94%

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 ...

, 39.38%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.08% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.24% of the population. There were 1,006 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% 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 ...

living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $21,225, and the median income for a family was $29,750. Males had a median income of $26,094 versus $22,768 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 town was $15,636. About 18.3% of families and 25.4% 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 ...

, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 25.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is in the Fayette County School District.
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Notable people

Chester R. Allen Chester Robinson Allen (February 6, 1905 – April 10, 1972) was decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He spent his career mostly in Quartermaster Department of the Marine Corps beginning in the fiel ...

(1905–1972), Major general in the Marine Corps and former Quartermaster General * Elizabeth Bolden (1890–2006),

supercentenarian A supercentenarian (sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian) is a person who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in 1,000 centenarians. Supercentenarians typically live a life free of major age-related diseases u ...

, world's oldest living person in 2006, died in Memphis *

W. Herbert Brewster Dr. William Herbert Brewster, Sr. (July 2, 1897 – October 15, 1987) was an influential African American Baptist minister, composer, dramatist, singer, poet and community leader. Early life Brewster was born in Somerville, Tennessee. A 1922 gradu ...

(1897–1987), influential African American Baptist minister, composer, dramatist, singer, poet and community leader; he is considered to be one of the fathers of

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is co ...

* Pearl Dickson (1903–1977), Memphis and country blues singer and songwriter * Sara Beaumont Kennedy (1859–1920), Memphis newspaper editor, writer * Herb Parsons (1908–1959), considered by many to be the greatest exhibition shooter in history *

Ingram Stainback Ingram Macklin Stainback (May 12, 1883April 12, 1961) was an American politician. He served as the ninth Territorial Governor of Hawaii from 1942 to 1951. Early life Stainback was born in 1883 in Somerville, Tennessee. His father, Charles A. Stai ...

(1883–1961), territorial governor of Hawaii; born in Somerville * William L. Wainwright (1947–2012), North Carolina politician *

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

(1935–1977), his father and he owned a farm here.

References

External links

Town of Somerville official website

Gallery

File:Somerville TN 01-2012 001.jpg File:Somerville TN 01-2012 007.jpg File:Somerville TN 01-2012 009.jpg File:Somerville TN 01-2012 010.jpg File:Somerville TN 01-2012 005.jpg Somerville TN 01-2012 012.jpg {{authority control Towns in Tennessee Towns in Fayette County, Tennessee County seats in Tennessee Memphis metropolitan area