Acworth is a city in
Cobb County
Cobb County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north central portion of the state. As of 2020 Census, the population was 766,149. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, Georgia, Mar ...
, Georgia, United States. It is part of the
Atlanta metropolitan area. The 2019 estimate for Acworth's population is 22,818.
As of the
2010 census, this city had a population of 20,425,
up from 13,422 in 2000. Acworth is located in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains along the southeastern banks of
Lake Acworth and
Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona (officially called Allatoona Lake) is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Etowah River in northwestern part of the State of Georgia. This reservoir is mostly in southeastern Bartow County and southwestern Cherokee ...
on the
Etowah River. Unincorporated areas known as Acworth extend into
Bartow,
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
and
Paulding counties.
Acworth's is often referred to as "the Lake City" because of its proximity to Lake Allatoona and Lake Acworth.
History
Like the rest of Cobb County, the area now containing Acworth was carved out of the former
Cherokee Nation in 1831 after
the natives were expelled.
The
Western and Atlantic Railroad
The Western & Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia (W&A) is a railroad owned by the State of Georgia and currently leased by CSX, which CSX operates in the Southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
It was fo ...
was completed through town in 1840. A watering station for the locomotives was established there.
The town received its current name in 1843 from Western & Atlantic Railroad
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
Joseph L. Gregg, who named it for his hometown of
Acworth, New Hampshire
Acworth is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 853.
History
Originally chartered by colonial governor Benning Wentworth in 1752, it was called "Burnet" after William Bu ...
, which was named for the former
Royal Navy Surveyor Sir Jacob Acworth.
Telegraph lines reached the town in 1851.
A private school was opened for white students in 1852. A newer private school operated from 1899 to 1935, when they integrated with the
Cobb County School District
The Cobb County School District (CCSD) is the county government agency which operates public schools in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The school district includes all of Cobb County except for the Marietta City Schools, though a number ...
. Until 1935, high school students from Acworth paid tuition to attend. Students outside the town were subsidized by the Cobb County School Board. Black students were educated separately in a grammar school. The closest Black high school was in Atlanta. Later, students were bused by the county to a segregated school in
Marietta.
Acworth was incorporated on December 1, 1860.
Volunteers to fight in the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
enlisted in what became Company A ("Acworth Infantry") in the
18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry
The 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Originally brigaded with the three Texas regiments of John Bell Hood's Texas Brigade, it was transferred to Thomas R.R. Cobb's Geo ...
and Company C ("Invincibles") in the 41st Georgia Volunteer Infantry.
The town was captured by the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
June 6, 1864. The city was called "Little Shanty" by the Union troops, to contrast it with the next town south, "Big Shanty", since renamed
Kennesaw
Kennesaw is a suburban city northwest of Atlanta in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, located within the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Known from its original settlement in the 1830s until 1887 as Big Shanty, it became Kennesaw under its ...
. The town was under
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
during the six months of occupation. On November 13, 1864, the town was burned down by the army of General
W. T. Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...
, sparing 12 homes and one church; its citizens were left destitute.
The town had nearly recovered by the 1880s.
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
farming in the area peaked from the 1890s through the 1920s. Low prices during the
Great Depression resulted in a cessation of cotton farming in the area and throughout Cobb County.
During
segregation Segregation may refer to:
Separation of people
* Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space
* School segregation
* Housing segregation
* Racial segregation, separation of humans ...
, the railroad tracks served as a racial divide, with
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 ...
s living to the northeast of the tracks and the whites to the southwest. There were few common public events. When a movie theater was erected in the 1930s, Blacks were allowed to access the balcony from a separate entrance. Whites sat on the main floor.
Volunteers formed a fire department in 1907.
There were eventually a total of three textile mills in town from 1905 through the 1980s. They employed about 800 workers at their peak.
In 1926, Main Street was paved. When the entire
Dixie Highway
Dixie Highway was a United States auto trail first planned in 1914 to connect the Midwest with the South. It was part of a system and was expanded from an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final system is better understood as a network of ...
(old
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
and part of the Cherokee Peachtree Trail) was paved in 1929, over 800 tourist vehicles entered the city daily.
When the Etowah River was dammed, forming Lake Allatoona, citizens feared that land near the town would become a swamp. They successfully petitioned for a second dam, resulting in Lake Acworth in the 1950s. This became a tourist attraction.
The town made a major improvement in its water and sewage lines in the late 1940s.
The city elected its first woman mayor, Mary McCall, in 1956 and 1961–66.
[
African-American students were schooled separately from white children until 1967.]
Acworth was recognized as a 2010 All-America City Award
The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create strong ...
winner by the National Civic League
The National Civic League is an American nonpartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1894 with a mission to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communities. The League envisions a country where the full diversity of communi ...
.
In 2011, the filming of several scenes for the ''Footloose'' remake took place in downtown Acworth. The Acworth Presbyterian Church was used as the primary church, and the house of Mayor Tommy Allegood was used as Julianne Hough
Julianne Alexandra Hough (; born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, actress, and singer. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. After leavin ...
's character's home.
In 2017, the city was the site of the WWA Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard (a board with foot bindings), is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers. A hallmark of wakeboardin ...
National Championship.
Geography
Acworth is located in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains
The Georgia Mountains Region or North Georgia mountains or Northeast Georgia is an area that starts in the northeast corner of Georgia, United States, and spreads in a westerly direction. The mountains in this region are in the Blue Ridge mount ...
along the southeastern banks of Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona (officially called Allatoona Lake) is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Etowah River in northwestern part of the State of Georgia. This reservoir is mostly in southeastern Bartow County and southwestern Cherokee ...
on the Etowah River. It is bordered by the city of Kennesaw
Kennesaw is a suburban city northwest of Atlanta in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, located within the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Known from its original settlement in the 1830s until 1887 as Big Shanty, it became Kennesaw under its ...
to the southeast and by Bartow and Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
counties to the north.
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
runs through the northern part of the city in Cherokee and Bartow counties, with access from exits 277 and 278. Via I-75, downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county ...
is 34 mi (55 km) southeast, and Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...
, is 88 mi (142 km) northwest. U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
and Georgia State Route 92
State Route 92 (SR 92) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its southern terminus is an intersection with US 19 Bus./ US 41 Bus./ SR 16 in Griffin. Its northern terminus is an intersection with SR 9/ ...
also run through the city, with GA-92 leading east 12 mi (19 km) to Woodstock
Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...
, and south 18 mi (29 km) to Hiram. US-41 runs to the west of the city, leading southeast 6 mi (10 km) to Kennesaw, Georgia and northwest 12 mi (19 km) to Cartersville
Cartersville is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, Bartow County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States; it is located within the northwest edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city ha ...
.
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 t ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 6.05%, is water.
Unincorporated areas considered Acworth for mailing purposes extend into southeast Bartow County, southwest Cherokee County, and northeast Paulding County Paulding County is the name of two counties in the United States of America:
* Paulding County, Georgia
* Paulding County, Ohio
Paulding County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was about 18 ...
. Some of the incorporated portions of Acworth east of Nance Road and Acworth Due West Road have a Kennesaw mailing address.
Transportation
Major roads
The main route through the center of Acworth is Main Street, a two-lane road. It is known as "Old 41" as it was formerly the route for US 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
. State Route 92 and the new Highway 41 pass through the southern part of the city. The newly built Seven Hills Connector connects South Acworth to Paulding County. Bells Ferry Road goes through Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta, and Woodstock.
Pedestrians and cycling
* Acworth Trail
* Graves Path
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 22,440 people, 8,337 households, and 5,470 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,422 people, 5,194 households, and 3,589 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was . There were 5,453 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 79.7% 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 o ...
, 12.6% 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 ...
, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% 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 ...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 3.2% 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 ...
, and 2.00% 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 forme ...
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 6.05% of the population.
There were 5,194 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 41.0% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
Government
The city is governed by a five-member Board of Aldermen, who serve staggered four-year terms. The mayor is elected to four-year terms.
An unusual ordinance once required all citizens to own a rake. This ordinance was enacted shortly after the neighboring city of Kennesaw, Georgia ordered every homeowner to own a gun in 1982. The requirement to own a rake is no longer in effect.
The city maintains ten public parks: Acworth Sports Complex, Baker Plantation, Dallas Landing, East Lakeshore, Frana Brown, Logan Farm, Newberry, Overlook, Proctor Landing, and South Shore.
Education
Public education in Acworth is handled by the Cobb County School District
The Cobb County School District (CCSD) is the county government agency which operates public schools in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The school district includes all of Cobb County except for the Marietta City Schools, though a number ...
.
Public schools include:
*Acworth Elementary School
*Baker Elementary School
*Ford Elementary School
*Frey Elementary School
*Pickett's Mill Elementary School
*Pitner Elementary School
*Barber Middle School
*Durham Middle School
* Allatoona High School
*North Cobb High School
Private schools include:
North Cobb Christian School
*Sunbrook Academy at Governors Towne Club
Notable people
* Johnny Archer
Johnny Archer (born November 12, 1968 in Waycross, Georgia) is an American professional pool player. He is nicknamed "the Scorpion" (his zodiac sign is Scorpio, and one of his sponsors is Scorpion Cues). On June 8, 2009, Johnny Archer was nom ...
, professional pool player and Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame This is the list of people inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's hall of fame to honour outstanding people who, through their competitive skills and dedication, have enriched the sport and industry. Two categories have been established in ...
inductee
* Jason Bohn, professional golfer
* Angie Bowie, former actress/model and ex-wife of David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
* Warren Creavalle
Warren Creavalle (born August 14, 1990) is a former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder or rightback. Born in the United States, he represented Guyana at senior international level, after representing the United S ...
, professional soccer player
* Robby Ginepri
Robert Louis Ginepri ( ; born October 7, 1982) is a retired American professional tennis player. He won three ATP singles titles in his career and achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 15 in December 2005. Ginepri's best Grand Slam result ...
, former professional tennis player
* Grant Henry, artist and businessman
* Scotti Madison, former professional baseball player
* Jordan Matthews
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Riv ...
, soccer player
* Larry Nelson
Larry Gene Nelson (born September 10, 1947) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.
Nelson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in Acworth, Georgia, northwest of ...
, former professional golfer and World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site honors both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 go ...
inductee
* Bronson Rechsteiner
Bronson Parmar Rechsteiner (born October 24, 1997) is an American professional wrestler and former American football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Bron Breakker and is the current NX ...
, professional wrestler
* Bobby Reynolds
Robert Thomas "Bobby" Reynolds (born July 17, 1982) is an American retired professional tennis player who resides in Auburn, Alabama. He was named head men's tennis coach at Auburn University in June 2016.
Professional career
Reynolds, a nativ ...
, former professional tennis player and current Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
tennis coach
* Ranger Ross
}
Robert Lee Ross Jr. (born July 15, 1959) is an American former professional wrestler and former United States Army Ranger known by his ring name, Ranger Ross. Ross is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions and World Champion ...
, former professional wrestler
* Clarke Schmidt, professional baseball player
* Musa Smith, former NFL running back
* Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner (born March 9, 1961) is an American real estate broker and retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Rick Steiner.
Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was ...
, former professional wrestler
* Scott Steiner
Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championshi ...
, former professional wrestler
* Darren Waller
Darren Charles Waller (born September 13, 1992) is an American football tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Tech. He is the great-grandson of composer and jazz pianist ...
, NFL tight end
* Raleigh Webb, NFL player on the New England Patriots
* Aiden Zhane, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12 contestant
References
External links
City of Acworth official website
City of Acworth official tourism website
Acworth, Georgia Photographs and Clippings, 1840-2018
from th
Save Acworth History Foundation collection
Kennesaw State University Archives
{{authority control
Cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Cobb County, Georgia