Oxford is a city in
Newton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,308 as of the
2020 census. It is part of the
Atlanta metropolitan area.
It is the location of
Oxford College of Emory University. Much of the city is part of the
Oxford Historic District on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
History
Oxford was established as a town by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1839 as the birthplace of
Oxford College of Emory University and incorporated as a city in 1914. The town was named after
Oxford University, the ''
alma mater'' of the founders of Oxford College. The entire town is also designated as a shrine of the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was ...
. Additionally,
Confederate soldiers are buried in a small cemetery on the grounds of Oxford College.
Properties in Oxford listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the
Oxford Historic District and the
Orna Villa, a mansion, which was built in 1825, which was used as a hospital during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
.
''
The Dukes of Hazzard'' filmed a car-jump scene on the grounds of the college, and other scenes around the town.
Geography
Oxford is located at (33.624210, -83.869885).
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.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 2,308 people, 682 households, and 438 families residing in the city.
Notable people
*
Heck Thomas, frontier lawman
*
Cora Mae Bryant, blues musician
*
Sarah Branham Matthews, microbiologist
References
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Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Newton County, Georgia
1839 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)