Lawrenceville, Georgia

Lawrenceville, Georgia
Lawrenceville is a city in and the county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is a suburb of Atlanta, located approximately northeast of downtown and neighbors Suwanee, Dacula, and Duluth. As of the 2020 census, the population of Lawrenceville was 30,629. In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city population to be 30,834.
History
Lawrenceville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 15, 1821. This makes Lawrenceville the second oldest city in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The city is named after Commodore James Lawrence, commander of the frigate Chesapeake during the War of 1812. Lawrence, a native of New Jersey, is probably best known today for his dying command, "Don't give up the ship!" William Maltbie, the town's first postmaster, suggested the name of "Lawrenceville."
In 1821, a permanent site for the county courthouse was selected and purchased, the four streets bordering the square were laid out along with other streets in the village, and a public well was dug. Major Grace built the first permanent courthouse, a brick structure, in 1823–24 for a cost of $4,000. The courthouse presently on the square was constructed in 1885.
During the Civil War, Gwinnett County voted against secession. The county seat of Lawrenceville sent three delegates who unanimously voted against it. This was due to a low slave population with a ratio of 4 whites to 1 slave. Lawrenceville helped contribute to the Confederate war effort. The Lawrenceville Manufacturing Company, a cotton mill built in the 1850s, produced completed textile products such as uniforms. Although Lawrenceville would see no battles throughout the war, the city would be targeted by General Sherman's famous March to the Sea, falling to frequent raids. The Lawrenceville Manufacturing Company would be burned down by Union soldiers, causing a serious blow to the city's commercial sector. By the end of the war, half of the wealth of Lawrenceville was lost by the Civil War.
Courtland Winn served two terms as mayor starting in 1884 when he was 21 years old.
The two most famous people born in Lawrenceville gained their fame elsewhere. Charles Henry Smith, born in 1826, left as a young man and lived most of his life in other Georgia towns. During the Civil War he wrote humorous pieces for Atlanta newspapers under the name Bill Arp. He has been described as the South's most popular writer of the late 19th century, though he is not much read today. Ezzard Charles, born in 1921, grew up in Cincinnati, where opportunities for African-Americans were far better at the time than in the Deep South. He eventually became the World Heavyweight boxing champion by defeating Joe Louis by unanimous decision on September 27, 1950.
Lawrenceville was one of many venues in the nation where Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt faced obscenity charges in the late 1970s. On March 6, 1978, during a lunch break in his Lawrenceville trial, he and his local attorney Gene Reeves were shot by a sniper near the courthouse. Both survived, though Flynt was seriously disabled. Years later, imprisoned serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin claimed to have been the shooter, but he never produced any proof and was not charged in the case. (Franklin was executed in 2013 in Missouri for a 1977 sniper slaying.) A heavily fictionalized treatment of the Flynt shooting can be seen in the 1996 movie The People vs. Larry Flynt.
Since 1988, Lawrenceville has been the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in America.
Geography
Lawrenceville is located in central Gwinnett County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.83%, is water.
Nearby cities are Dacula to the east, Buford to the north, Suwanee to the north-northwest, Duluth to the northwest, Norcross to the west, Lilburn to the southwest, Snellville to the south, and Grayson to the southeast.
Climate
Lawrenceville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,629 people, 10,524 households, and 7,071 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of 2010 Census, Lawrenceville had a population of 28,546. The median age was 32.4. The racial composition of the population was 48.0% white, 32.0% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.1% Asian Indian, 4.7% other Asian, 10.3% from some other race, and 3.4% from two or more races. 22.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,779, and the median income for a family was $38,557. Males had a median income of $27,263 versus $24,903 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,649. About 28.7% of families and 40.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Atlanta Biologicals is located in Lawrenceville.
Peach State Federal Credit Union headquartered in Lawrenceville serves 39,800 members across Barrow, Clarke, DeKalb, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Jackson, Oconee and Walton Counties.
Arts and culture
The Old Seminary Building and Gwinnett County Courthouse in Lawrenceville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Aurora Theatre is located in Lawrenceville.
The annual Polish Pierogi Festival occurs in August, and includes food booths, music, and competitions.
Gwinnett County Public Library operates a library in Lawrenceville.
Sports
The Triple-A Minor League Baseball Gwinnett Stripers of the International League play at Coolray Field.
Education
Gwinnett County Public Schools operates public schools.
Schools with Lawrenceville mailing address
The following is a list of schools with a Lawrenceville mailing address, with its high school cluster in parentheses.
Elementary schools
J.A. Alford Elementary School (Discovery)
Baggett Elementary School (Discovery)
Benefield Elementary School (Discovery)
Bethesda Elementary School (Berkmar)
Cedar Hill Elementary School (Discovery)
Corley Elementary School (Berkmar)
Craig Elementary School (Brookwood)
Gwin Oaks Elementary School (Brookwood)
Lawrenceville Elementary School (Central Gwinnett)
Simonton Elementary School (Central Gwinnett)
Kanoheda Elementary School (Berkmar)
Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School (Central Gwinnett)
Jackson Elementary School (Peachtree Ridge)
Woodward Mill Elementary School (Mountain View)
Freeman's Mill Elementary School (Mountain View)
Lovin Elementary School (Archer)
K.E. Taylor Elementary School (Collins Hill)
McKendree Elementary School (Collins Hill)
Jenkins Elementary School (Central Gwinnett)
Rock Springs Elementary School (Collins Hill)
Middle schools
Moore Middle School (Central Gwinnett)
J.E. Richards Middle School (Discovery)
Creekland Middle School (Collins Hill)
Jordan Middle School (Central Gwinnett)
Five Forks Middle School (Brookwood)
Alton C. Crews Middle School (Brookwood)
Sweetwater Middle School (Berkmar)
High schools
Archer High School
Central Gwinnett High School
Discovery High School
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Maxwell High School
Mountain View High School
Phoenix High School
Other schools
Gwinnett Intervention Education (GIVE) Center East
Hooper-Renwick School
Sola Fide Academy
Colleges and university
Within Lawrenceville are two public colleges:
Gwinnett Technical College
Georgia Gwinnett College
Infrastructure
Transportation
Roads and expressways
Georgia 316, U.S. 78 (Stone Mountain Freeway), US 29, GA 8, GA 20, and GA 120.
Transit systems
Xpress GA/ RTA Commuter buses and Gwinnett County Transit serve the city.
Airport
Gwinnett County Airport is partially located in Lawrenceville.
Hospitals
Northside Hospital Gwinnett is located in Lawrenceville.
Notable people
Moisés Arias, television and film actor
Jonathan Babineaux, former NFL defensive tackle
Ezzard Charles, boxing champion who defeated Joe Louis
Wes Chatham, actor, The Help and Barbershop
EJay Day, singer, finalist on first season of American Idol
Carder England, poker player
Rachel Farley, country music singer
Jennifer Ferrin, actress
Ric Flair, retired professional wrestler
Rachel G. Fox, teen actress
Jeff Francoeur, former MLB right fielder
Kelly Gissendaner, murderer executed in Georgia
Taylor Heinicke, quarterback for the Washington Commanders
Russell Horning, dancer
Ricardo Hurtado, teen actor known for School of Rock
Hamilton Jordan, Chief of Staff to President Jimmy Carter
Michael Kelly, actor, House of Cards
Jonathan Massaquoi, former NFL football player
Jimmy Maurer, soccer player
Brian McCann, former MLB catcher
Migos, rap group
Grace Min, tennis player
Maya Moore, basketball player, forward for the Minnesota Lynx
Raju Rai, badminton national champion
Ted Roof, football coach
Junior Samples, comedian
Kobe Smith, NFL player
Christin Stewart, MLB baseball player
Cassandra Trenary, ballet dancer
Darius Walker, football player
Courtland Winn, politician and lawyer
Rob Woodall, politician and former member of U.S. House of Representatives
Walker Zimmerman, soccer player
References
External links
Georgia.gov: Lawrenceville
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Gwinnett County, Georgia
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
Populated places established in 1821