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59-521: Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia , United States. The population was 6,703 according in 2020. Stone Mountain is in the eastern part of DeKalb County and is a suburb of Atlanta that encompasses nearly 1.7 square miles. It lies near and touches the western base of the geological formation of the same name . Locals often call the city "Stone Mountain Village" to distinguish it from

118-415: A fourth connected the community with Macon . "Hundreds of people visited Rock Mountain in the summer [of 1828] and...a house of entertainment was nearby." Rail service did not reach the town, by then New Gibraltar, until 1845. A post office was created in 1834 on the old Augusta Road, and Andrew Johnson, called the founder of New Gibraltar and first mayor, around whose house the city limits were drawn, built

177-402: A hotel along the road in 1836. ("An 1843 amendment to the act of incorporation extended the town limits to 600 yards (550 m) in every direction from the house of Andrew Johnson.") About 1839 Aaron Cloud, who also had a hotel, built a wooden observation tower, octagonal like a lighthouse and 150 feet (46 m) high, along with a restaurant and club, at the mountain's summit. A storm destroyed

236-548: A large swath of Georgia for settlement by non-Native Americans on former Creek Indian land, including present-day Stone Mountain Village. In 1822, the area that now makes up the city was made a part of the newly formed DeKalb County . By the 1820s, Rock Mountain, as it was then called, was "a major travel center", with an inn for travelers. A stagecoach line linking the village with Georgia's capital, Milledgeville , began in 1825. Another stage line ran to Winder and Athens . In 1828 another stage line began trips to Dahlonega , and

295-683: A line from Druid Hills northeast to Tucker , is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin, while the portion of the county north of that line is located in the Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). Stone Mountain lies near the eastern border of the county. Soapstone Ridge , parallel to

354-543: A number of filming projects, ranging from period pieces to those requiring a quaint village setting. Parts of motion pictures like Footloose (2011) and Need for Speed (2014) were filmed in the village. The growing number of television show credits include The Vampire Diaries , Kevin (Probably) Saves the World , MacGyver , and the Netflix science fiction/horror series Stranger Things . Stone Mountain Village

413-607: A private, coeducational, liberal arts university. It is a member of the Association of American Universities , an association of leading research universities in the US and Canada. The university consists of the following divisions: Emory College of Arts and Science, the Laney Graduate School, Candler School of Theology , Goizueta Business School , Emory University School of Law , Rollins School of Public Health , and

472-838: A result of the 1821 Treaty of Indian Springs with a faction of the Muscogee (Creek). DeKalb County, formed in 1822 from Henry , Gwinnett and Fayette counties, took its name from Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a Bavarian -born former officer in the French Army, who fought for the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War . The oldest existing house in the county is the 1831 Goodwin House along Peachtree Road in Brookhaven . Much of

531-632: A satellite campus in Stone Mountain Village. Georgia Piedmont Technical College (formerly DeKalb Technical College) is the largest vocational institution in Georgia . Georgia Piedmont Technical College trains students in business, engineering, technologies, health, human services, industrial arts, information systems, and transportation. DeVry University offers bachelor's and master's degrees in healthcare, accounting, business, and management technology. Columbia Theological Seminary

590-532: A white supremacist organization, was reborn. Members assembled at Stone Mountain with permission of quarry owner Samuel Venable , an active member. Their activities, including annual cross-burnings , continued for over 40 years, but Stone Mountain's association with the Klan began to erode when the State of Georgia began to acquire the mountain and surrounding property in 1958. In 1960, Governor Ernest Vandiver condemned

649-783: Is a theological institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Decatur. More than 640 students are enrolled at Columbia in one of five degree programs: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theological Studies, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Theology. Luther Rice College and Seminary is a private Christian college and seminary in Lithonia. It offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in ministry and ministry-related programs. The DeKalb County Public Library has 22 branches throughout

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708-793: Is home to a number of community, civic, and outreach organizations: The children of Stone Mountain are served by the DeKalb County Public Schools . Stone Mountain Elementary School and Champion Theme Middle School are within the city limits. Most residents in the city limits are zoned to Stone Mountain Elementary School. Some areas are zoned to Rockbridge Elementary School, outside of the city limits. All residents of Stone Mountain are zoned to: Stone Mountain Middle School, and Stone Mountain High School ;

767-582: Is located in the city of Brookhaven." Xpress GA / RTA commuter buses and MARTA heavy rail subway and buses serve the county. Currently, there are plans for the construction of a multi-use trail, known as the Peachtree Creek Greenway . The goal of the greenway is to provide residents with close-to-home and close-to-work access to bicycle and pedestrian trails, serve transportation and recreation needs, and help encourage quality of life and sustainable economic growth. The trail will connect

826-531: Is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia . As of the 2020 census , the population was 764,382, making it Georgia's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat is Decatur . DeKalb County is included in the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan area . It contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta (the other 90% lies in Fulton County ). Stonecrest

885-459: Is more populous, DeKalb has the highest population density of any county in the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $ 51,349 and the median income for a family was $ 60,718. Males had a median income of $ 43,663 versus $ 40,288 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 28,412. About 12.4% of families and 16.1% of the population were below

944-604: Is served by Atlanta Public Schools (APS). The Decatur portion is served by Decatur City School District . In 2020 this was the case, except that the Emory University / Centers for Disease Control area at the time was still in DeKalb County schools. In 2018 the City of Atlanta had annexed the region, but initially it was still covered by DeKalb County schools. There were plans to move the area into APS, and this

1003-474: Is the largest city that is entirely within the county. DeKalb is primarily a suburban county. In recent years, some communities in North DeKalb have incorporated, following a trend in other suburban areas around Metro Atlanta. Stonecrest , Dunwoody and Brookhaven are now the largest cities that are entirely contained within the county. The area of DeKalb county was acquired by the state of Georgia as

1062-736: The Chattahoochee River and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico . South River drains into the Ocmulgee River and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean . In 2021, the non-profit American Rivers named DeKalb's South River the fourth-most endangered river in the United States , citing "the egregious threat that ongoing sewage pollution poses to clean water and public health." The southern two-thirds of DeKalb County, in

1121-702: The Georgia Department of Corrections was formerly located in an unincorporated area in DeKalb County. Female death row inmates (UDS, "under death sentence") resided in the Metro State Prison. The prison was closed in 2011. The Consulate-General of Mexico in Atlanta is located in the North Druid Hills CDP. The Consulate-General of Guatemala in Atlanta is located in Chamblee . The Consulate-General of Peru in Atlanta

1180-645: The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing . Mercer University is a private, coeducational, faith-based university with a Baptist heritage. Its main campus is in Macon . The Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus is in DeKalb County; it houses the College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology along with programs of

1239-607: The State of Georgia , the city has an area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km), of which 0.62% is water. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 6,703 people, 2,351 households, and 1,578 families residing in the city. Stone Mountain is governed by a council-manager form of government . Citizens elect a mayor and six council members who are all elected at-large . The terms of office are four years, with elections staggered every two years. Daily city operations are managed by an appointed professional city manager. Services provided by

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1298-509: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 271 square miles (700 km ), of which 268 square miles (690 km ) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km ) (1.3%) is water. The county is located within the upper Piedmont region of the state. The county is crossed by the South River and numerous creeks, including Nancy Creek , Snapfinger Creek and two forks of Peachtree Creek . Peachtree Creek and Nancy Creek drain into

1357-560: The poverty line , including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over. Major employers in DeKalb County include: The DeKalb County 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2011. U.S. Marine and sculptor Curtis James Miller designed a memorial that is located in front of the Dekalb County Fire and Police Headquarters. The memorial pays homage to the 343 New York Firefighters , 60 New York Police Department and Port Authority Police Officers , and

1416-468: The railroad terminus in the 1830s, thus a spot at the Thrasherville encampment in western DeKalb was picked to become Terminus and then Marthasville, before becoming Atlanta a few years after its founding. North and southwest Fulton came from two other counties: Milton and southeast Campbell , respectively. DeKalb once extended slightly further north to the Chattahoochee River , but this strip

1475-540: The Agriculture Fair and Internal Improvement Jubilee. The fair had just one exhibit—three horses and two cows, both belonging to the event's organizer, John Graves. The next year, the village again hosted the event, which featured caskets, marble, embroidery, brooms, bedspreads, vegetables, blooded stock, wheat, farm tools, and a magnetic telegraph. Stone Mountain hosted the event until 1850, when it moved to Macon. Though DeKalb County voted against secession from

1534-762: The Confederate States of America. Sherman implemented " scorched earth " policies; he and Union Army commander Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant believed that the Civil War would end only if the Confederacy's strategic, economic, and psychological capacities for warfare were decisively broken. In the early days of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of late 1864, the Confederates employed similar tactics against Sherman's supply line,

1593-482: The DeKalb Marshal's Office, which serves civil processes issued through state court, such as evictions. Fire services are provided throughout the county by DeKalb County Fire and Rescue. Previously, DeKalb County Fire and Rescue also provided emergency medical services throughout the county; however, in 2013, the county signed a contract with American Medical Response to provide emergency medical services to

1652-769: The Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics, the School of Medicine, and the Tift College of Education. Oglethorpe University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts school in Brookhaven and is named after James Oglethorpe , founder of the Georgia Colony . Perimeter College at Georgia State University (formerly Georgia Perimeter College) has three campuses within DeKalb County and offers two-year associate degrees. Georgia Military College (GMC) has

1711-560: The Georgia legislature changed the name to Stone Mountain. The Stone Mountain Cemetery, established around 1850, is a microcosm of the village's past. It is the final resting place for roughly 200 unknown Confederate soldiers. 71 known Confederate soldiers are buried there, along with James Sprayberry, a Union soldier. Another notable site is the grave of George Pressley Trout, who is buried there with his wife and his horse. James B. Rivers,

1770-586: The United States , it was not spared the devastation of the Civil War . Stone Mountain Village went unscathed until the Battle of Atlanta , when it was destroyed by men under the command of General James B. McPherson on July 19, 1864. Several antebellum homes were spared as they were used as hospitals. The railroad depot's roof burned, but the building stood, owing to its 2-foot-thick granite walls. From

1829-670: The Village's first African-American mayor, dedicated the Freedom Bell on Main Street in King's honor on February 26, 2000. At an annual ceremony held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day , the bell is rung to commemorate King's legacy. The mountain has been known by countless names throughout the centuries. It was called Crystal Mountain by 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Pardo when he visited in 1567. The Creek Indians who inhabited

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1888-482: The area at that time used a name translating to "Lone Mountain". Around the turn of the 19th century, settlers called it Rock Mountain or Rock Fort Mountain. By the end of the 1830s, Stone Mountain had become the generally accepted name. Like the mountain, the village formed at its base was initially known as Rock Mountain but was incorporated as New Gibraltar in 1839 by an act of the General Assembly. In 1847

1947-404: The area was forested; a section of old-growth forest is preserved at Fernbank Forest . In 1853, Fulton County formed from the western half of DeKalb, divided along a perfectly straight and due north–south line down the middle (along which Moreland Avenue now runs). Until this time, the growing city of Atlanta had been inside DeKalb. Atlanta grew because the city of Decatur did not want to become

2006-405: The cities of Atlanta, Brookhaven, Chamblee and Doraville. 33°46′N 84°14′W  /  33.77°N 84.23°W  / 33.77; -84.23 Sherman%27s neckties Although the destruction was ordered by Sherman during his Atlanta Campaign , the "necktie" shape formed by bending the rails around a tree was not; his orders specified a different method of track destruction which

2065-654: The city include police, public works, code enforcement, and municipal court. The city also has standing commissions for historic preservation, downtown development, and planning & zoning. The city holds a City of Ethics designation from the Georgia Municipal Association and is a member of Main Street America. The Stone Mountain area has been a beneficiary of Georgia's flourishing film industry . Film crews and production personnel have become common sights in Stone Mountain Village. Due to

2124-601: The county. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based in the Druid Hills CDP in an unincorporated area in the county. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Atlanta Field Office is located in Chamblee . The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice has its headquarters in Avondale Estates , near Decatur . The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has its headquarters near Decatur, in an unincorporated area. The Metro State Prison of

2183-493: The county. In 2022, DeKalb County had the second highest crime rate in Georgia. The county saw 40.3 crimes per 1,000 residents. The county also had the second highest rate of robberies and motor vehicle theft, as well as the third highest rates of burglary and larceny theft. DeKalb was only behind Bibb County for highest crime rate. In recent years, along with many other counties in the Atlanta area, DeKalb County has voted strongly Democratic in presidential elections, while in

2242-407: The demand for filming in the historic downtown area, requests for filming in the village are handled by the downtown development authority. The proceeds help fund festivals and other public events for the community. Most of the shops and buildings on Main Street were built right after the turn of the 20th century and maintain many of the original facades. This has provided an appropriate backdrop for

2301-705: The early 1970s spared them this fate of urbanization , although part of the proposed Stone Mountain Tollway later became the Freedom Parkway . Only Interstate 20 and Interstate 85 were successfully built through the county. DeKalb also became one of only two counties to approve MARTA rapid transit in the 1970s; the county now contains the east and northeast heavy rail lines. In April 2018, more than 350 bus drivers for DeKalb County School District went on strike over low pay and poor working conditions, resulting in seven bus drivers being fired. According to

2360-465: The freedmen. Bethsaida Baptist is still an active part of the Stone Mountain Village. By the 20th century, much of Shermantown's original structures had been replaced. Bethsaida's original wooden structure was replaced by stone in 1920. Though Shermantown has mostly integrated into the growing Stone Mountain Village, it retains its own distinct community. The year 1915 was when the Ku Klux Klan ,

2419-467: The larger unincorporated area traditionally considered Stone Mountain and Stone Mountain Park . Stone Mountain's history traces back to before the time of European invasion and settlement, with local burial mounds dating back hundreds of years built by the ancestors of the historical Muskogee Creek nation who first met the settlers in the early colonial period. The Treaty of Indian Springs in 1821 opened

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2478-507: The middle school and the high school are outside the city limits. Georgia Military College (GMC) has a satellite campus in Stone Mountain Village at 5325 Manor Drive. DeKalb County Public Library operates the Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library (952 Leon Street). DeKalb County, Georgia DeKalb County ( / d ə ˈ k æ b / , / ˌ d iː ˈ k æ b / də- KAB , DEE - KAB )

2537-665: The more than 2800 civilian victims of the terrorist attacks in New York City , Washington D.C. , and Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. A piece of steel from one of the World Trade Center Towers in New York City is the centerpiece of this monument. The portion of DeKalb County not within the city of Atlanta or the city of Decatur is served by DeKalb County School District (formerly DeKalb County School System). The Atlanta portion

2596-500: The mountain was the area's lifeblood for decades, employing many thousands. The excellent grade of building stone from the mountain was used in many notable structures, including the locks of the Panama Canal , the roof of the bullion depository at Fort Knox , Philadelphia's Liberty National Building, and the steps in the east wing of the U.S. Capitol . In August 1846, New Gibraltar hosted Georgia's first state fair, then known as

2655-645: The northeastern and southern edges of the county, placing most of it "inside the Perimeter" along with nearly all of Atlanta. Interstate 675 and Georgia 400 were originally planned to connect inside the Perimeter, along with the Stone Mountain Freeway ( U.S. Highway 78 ) connecting with the Downtown Connector (a co-signment of I-75/I-85) near Moreland Avenue, destroying many neighborhoods in western DeKalb, but community opposition in

2714-422: The past it was more of a swing county, voting Democratic and Republican an equal number of times from 1960 until 1988. DeKalb is also one of the few counties in Georgia where George Wallace came in third in 1968 . Following the 2020 United States election, there are no elected Republicans in the county. DeKalb is the second most Democratic -leaning county in Georgia, only behind Clayton County . 83 percent of

2773-434: The property the state had purchased in order to void the perpetual easements Venable had granted the Klan. This ended any official link between Stone Mountain and the Klan. During the civil rights movement 's March on Washington , on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. referred to Stone Mountain in his iconic " I Have a Dream " speech when he proclaimed, "let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!" Charles Burris,

2832-562: The relay race. The background landscape shows planted fields, which is a tribute to DeKalb's heritage as an agrarian community. The date of the county's founding, 1822, is at the bottom of the seal. Unincorporated DeKalb County is policed by the DeKalb County Police Department ; the DeKalb Sheriff's Office, which is responsible for serving criminal warrants and securing the courts and county jail; and

2891-472: The southern border, was heavily quarried between 1400 and 100 BC and objects made from the soapstone have been found as far away as the Great Lakes . As of the 2020 United States census , there were 764,382 people, 289,829 households, and 157,737 families residing in the county. It is the 86th most populous county in the United States. This is up from a 2000 population of 665,865. Although Fulton County

2950-462: The ties into shape for a bonfire, put the rails across and when red hot in the middle, let a man at each end twist the bar so that its surface becomes spiral. After three days, only one Confederate railroad line leading into Atlanta remained intact. Sherman's neckties were also a feature of Sherman's March to the Sea , a campaign designed to bring hard war, or 'serious destruction of infrastructure', to

3009-474: The tower in 1849; in 1851, Thomas Henry built a smaller, 80 feet (24 m) tower, with telescopes so it could serve as an observatory . Visitors to the mountain traveled by rail and road, then hiked up the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) mountaintop trail to the top. By 1850, Stone Mountain had become a popular destination for Atlanta urbanites who endured the four-hour round trip by rail just to experience its natural beauty, lodging, and attractions. Granite quarrying at

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3068-490: The village's destruction in July 1864 until November, Union forces scavenged Stone Mountain and the surrounding area, taking corn, wheat, cotton, cattle, and other goods. On November 15, 1864, between 12,000 and 15,000 Union troops marched through Stone Mountain and further destroyed the rail lines. The rails were rendered useless by heating them over burning railroad ties, then twisting them around trees. The term Sherman's neckties

3127-442: The village's first African American police chief, is at rest there on a hillside facing the mountain. The cemetery is still in use. Stone Mountain is at the western base of the quartz monzonite dome monadnock of the same name. While Stone Mountain city proper is completely within DeKalb County, the postal regions designated and traditionally considered as Stone Mountain include portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties. According to

3186-470: The village; its name was a reference to Union General William T. Sherman . In 1868, Reverend R. M. Burson organized Bethsaida Baptist Church to serve Shermantown. A church building was then built under Reverend F. M. Simons at what is now 853 Fourth Street. Simons was among a delegation of southern African American pastors to meet with Sherman in Washington, D.C. after the war to discuss the treatment of

3245-416: The votes cast in the 2020 presidential election were for Joe Biden . The current chief executive officer of DeKalb County is Michael Thurmond . He took office on January 1, 2017. Current County Commissioners as of January 2023: The DeKalb County seal was created in 1967, by artist Jackson Bailey. The design is based on a passage from Aristotle in which a comparison is made between human progress and

3304-399: Was coined for this form of destruction. After the Civil War ended, housing in the area was rebuilt as Stone Mountain granite was again in demand for construction across the nation. A significant portion of the quarry's work force were African Americans, but they were generally excluded from areas where white families lived, so a shantytown, Shermantown, came into being at the southeast side of

3363-607: Was later given to Milton, and is now the panhandle of Sandy Springs. During the American Civil War , much of the Battle of Atlanta took place in DeKalb. Until the 1960s, DeKalb was a mainly agricultural county, but as the sprawl of the metropolitan Atlanta region expanded, DeKalb became increasingly urbanized . Finished in 1969, the eastern half of the Interstate 285 beltway , called "the Perimeter", ringed

3422-436: Was not as popular: In case of the sounds of serious battle [Major-General McPherson] will close in on General Schofield but otherwise will keep every man of his command at work in destroying the railroad by tearing up track, burning the ties and iron, and twisting the bars when hot. Officers should be instructed that bars simply bent may be used again, but when red hot they are twisted out of line they cannot be used again. Pile

3481-399: Was scheduled for 2024. Private schools in DeKalb County include: From its opening in 1990 until 2003, the Seigakuin Atlanta International School was located on the property of Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven , then an unincorporated area called North Atlanta. Agnes Scott College is a private, all female, undergraduate liberal arts college in Decatur. Emory University is

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