Helen is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
White County,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, United States, located along the
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...
. The population was 531 at the
2020 census. The city has now been made over, as a tourist attraction, to look like an old-world
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
n village. This idea was suggested by John Kollock, an
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
artist.
History
20th-century
Helen was
laid out by John E. Mitchell of
St. Louis during the years 1912 and 1913. When a name for the small settlement was being sought, a lumber official suggested the name of his daughter and there was little opposition. Called the "Star of the North," Helen was incorporated on August 18, 1913. Helen was built along the former route of the
Unicoi Turnpike, a 1,000-year-old
Native American trail connecting Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Formerly a logging town in decline, Helen resurrected itself by becoming a replica of a Bavarian
alpine town, in the
Appalachians instead of the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
. This design is mandated through zoning first adopted in 1969, so that the classic
southern German style is present on every building, even on the small number of national franchisees present. In 1975,
Documerica photographer Al Stephenson documented the life, recreation, and economy of the Helen area before and during the reconstruction of the settlement.
21st-century
Tourism is a key economic activity in Helen, catering mostly to weekend visitors from the
Atlanta area and also motorcyclists who enjoy riding the roads in Helen and its surrounding areas. Helen can be crowded in late October, when autumn leaves typically peak. It also hosts its own
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest (; ) is the world's largest , featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October. The annual event attracts more than seven milli ...
during September, October and November. Events and festivals are held throughout the year, including the "Southern Worthersee", which is a stateside Volkswagen and Audi event that pays tribute to the Worthersee Tour in Austria. An annual hot-air balloon race is also held here on the first weekend in June.
The main road through town is north–south
Georgia 75. The Helen
stream gauge (HDCG1) is located on its bridge over the Chattahoochee in the middle of downtown. A parallel route to the west is labeled Georgia 75 Alt to identify it as a
bypass route around the town and its traffic jams in the autumn and on some weekends.
Unicoi State Park and Lodge, spanning , is located immediately northeast of Helen on
Georgia 356. The park encompasses Unicoi Lake, a freshwater lake, offering outdoor activities for all seasons. Among these are a swimming beach, trout streams, wheelchair-accessible fishing docks, seasonal canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals, seven picnic shelters with charcoal grills, three playgrounds for children, spots for birding, of hiking within the park (with adjacent trails in the Chattahoochee National Forest), of mountain biking trails within the park, and a number of places to enjoy the natural environment of the lake and park. Unicoi State Park also offers lodging in several forms. Access to
Anna Ruby Falls, part of the
Chattahoochee National Forest, is through the park.
Hardman Farm State Historic Site is located near Helen.
Geography
Helen is located at (34.702396, -83.727508).
Georgia State Routes
17 and
75 are the main routes through the city, and run through the downtown area together as North Main Street. GA-17/75 lead north together to
Hiawassee. The two highways split south of the city, with GA-17 leading southeast to
Clarkesville and GA-75 leading south to
Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
, the White County seat.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
Transportation
Major roads
*
State Route 17
*
State Route 75
*
State Route 356
Pedestrians and cycling
* River Hiking Trail
*
Unicoi State Park Trail
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 531 people, 271 households, and 161 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 430 people, 208 households, and 112 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 319 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 82.56%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 5.12%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.23%
Native American, 10.93%
Asian, 0.23%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.47% from
other races, and 0.47% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 3.02% of the population.
There were 208 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.7% were non-families. 42.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,917, and the median income for a family was $40,781. Males had a median income of $39,107 versus $23,750 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $22,281. About 6.7% of families and 8.2% 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 8.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Sister city
*
Füssen,
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
Education
*Alpine Public Schools are part of the
White County School District, which includes four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
*Dr. Laurie Burkett is the Superintendent of Schools (since 2018). The district has 233 full-time teachers and over 3,758 students.
Film and television
''
Smokey and the Bandit'' (1977) includes a scene filmed on Chimney Mountain Rd. just outside of Helen.
In the episode "Helen" from Season 2: ''Robbin' Season'' of the television series ''
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
'', main characters Vanessa and Earn visit Helen for a
Fastnacht celebration. The character Vanessa, played by
Zazie Beetz, is fluent in German. The episode aired on March 22, 2018.
The
Lifetime TV movie ''Christmas Love Letter'' was filmed in Helen and aired on December 21, 2019.
Gallery
File:OFFICE OF THE HELEN MOUNTAIN EAGLE, A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN HELEN, GEORGIA, NEAR ROBERTSTOWN - NARA - 557682.jpg, Office of ''The Helen Mountain Eagle'', July 1975
File:ENTRANCE TO HELEN, GEORGIA, NEAR ROBERTSTOWN. MAIN STREET SHOPS LINE HIGHWAY 17-75. THE TOWN WAS A TYPICAL GEORGIA... - NARA - 557652.jpg, Entrance to Helen, May 1975
Image:Unicoi Cloggers Bavarian Polka-557791.jpg, Dancing at Oktoberfest in Helen, 1975
Image:Helen Georgia.jpg, Another view of Helen
Image:HelenGAstorefront.JPG, Various stores in Helen
Image:Panorama Helena.JPG, Panorama of the town.
Image:Unicoi_State_Park_lake,_October_2014_2.JPG, Unicoi State Park lake
Image:Anna_Ruby_Falls_2.JPG, Anna Ruby Falls
Image:Nacoochee_Indian_Mound.jpg, Nacoochee Indian Mound occupied from 1350 to 1600
Image:Brasstown_Bald_Tower.jpg, Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia
Image:City Hall, Helen.jpg, City hall
References
External links
*
Helen Convention and Visitors Bureau
{{authority control
1913 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in White County, Georgia
German-American culture in Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia populated places on the Chattahoochee River
Planned communities established in the 1900s
Oktoberfest
Planned communities in the United States
Tourist attractions in White County, Georgia