CITY
OF COVINGTON - GEORGIA
Location: 33.60324North,
83.85447 West
Zip codes: 30209, 30267
Population in 1990: 10,026
(10,267 in 1970)
Number of dwellings: 3,913
Land area: 31.079 sq. kms.
Water area: 0.257 sq.kms.
The Covington-Porterdale
county subdivision had a population of 33,250 in 1990.
The County seat of Newton
County, North Central Georgia, 35 miles East South East of Atlanta, West of
Madison, North of Jackson Lake and South West of Athens on U.S. Route 20.
It had orginally been
incorporated as a town in 1822, as a city in 1854 and as a County Seat in
1882.
Once part of the Creek Indian
Nation, Covington was founded in 1822 and named in honor of General Leonard
Covington, an American Revolutionary soldier. Like most Georgia communities,
cotton was 'king' and the development of the cotton mill brought the first
real signs of prosperity to the area. Covington played an active role in the
Civil War when on the evening of July 20, 1864, Union forces under Brigadier
General Kenner Garrard moved into town. Orders from his commander, General
Sherman, were to burn bridges over the Yellow and Alcovy Rivers and destroy
the railroad between nearby Lithonia and the Alcovy. Successfully completed,
this raid stopped all communication between Augusta and Atlanta. Fortunately,
many plantations and town homes were spared by Sherman on his "March of
the Sea."
In 1988, Covington was awarded
the designation of a Georgia "Main Street" city due to the
community's dedication to the preservation of its 19th century structures.
Adorning the Main Street area and National Register Districts are carefully
restored antebellum and Victorian-era homes, churches, parks, and the Downtown
Square. Still the center of the community, the Square is often host to festive
social events such as outdoor luncheon concerts.
Covington has been a popular on-site shooting location for many feature films and one of the longest-running television series, "In the Heat of the Night." This series starred and was directed by Carroll O'Connor. Souvenirs of the series are available from the In the Heat of the Night Souvenir Shop located in the Covington Flower Shop on the Square in Covington.
Main trades for the area are textiles, concrete pipes & lumber mills. A point of interest for Covington researchers is that 2 miles east of Covington, lies the small town of Covington Mills.
The population in 1940 stood at 317.
Businesses in Covington which
appear in the U.S. Million Dollar Directory of 1988 are The Bank Of Covington,
Newton Federal Savings & Loan Association and Twin Hills Farm.
Other large Businesses are
Covington Ford-Mercury Inc. 3172 Hwy 278 E., Covington, 30209, Covington
Furniture Co. Inc., 1115 Church St., Covington 30209 and Covington Furniture
Exchange,
Georgia Historic Society, 501
Whitaker St., Savannah 31401 and The Atlanta Historic Society Library, 1753
Peachtree St., N.E. Atlanta 30309 may be worth contacting for further
information.
Welcome to
Historic Covington -
The History of Newton County
Newton County
and the City of Covington once belonged to the Creek Indian Nation. The Creek
Indians roamed the land as the first English settlers landed on the coast of
Georgia in 1733. In 1813 Georgia Governor Thorp negotiated a treaty whereby
the Creek Indians relinquished all claim to the land.. Named in honor of
Sergeant John Newton, a Revolutionary Soldier, Newton County was formed by the
Georgia General Assembly on December 24, 1821. The first settlers (primarily
from the Carolinas and Virginia) began arriving during this era, selecting the
Eastern part of the county around a town called Winton for their homesteads.
Winton was the site of the first brick building in the county. The Brick
Store served as a general store, a stage coach stop and was the
location of the first session of Newton County Court in April of 1822. The
Georgia General Assembly, however, insisted with very few exceptions that the
county seat be in the center of the community, so Newton County's seat was
moved west to "Newtonborough:. Renamed for General Leonard Covington of
the American Revolution, the Indian War and the War of 1812. Covington was
incorporated on December 6, 1822. The completion of the railroad in 1845
brought new growth and direction to the area. Until the early 1900's,
Covington and Newton County was strictly agricultural. Crops grown in the
county included barley, corn, cowpeas, grain sorghum, hay, oats, peaches,
pecans, peanuts, rye, soybeans, sweet potatoes, watermelons and wheat.
However, like most Georgia counties, "Cotton was King" and the
development of the cotton mill brought the first sign of real prosperity to
Covington. The town continued to grow as a business and agricultural center
and was soon accepted as the cotton market for local farmers. The sawmill and
pulpwood industry also contributed to the growing economy of Newton County. Civil War
Covington and Newton County played an active
role in the Civil War. The evening of July 20, 1864, saw Union forces under
Brigadier General Kenner Garrard move into Covington. Orders from his
commander, General Sherman, were to burn bridges over the Yellow and Alcovy
Rivers and destroy the railroad between Lithonia and the Alcovy. Successfully
completed, this raid stopped all communication between Augusta and Atlanta and
ended all hope that defenders of Atlanta might receive desperately needed
reinforcements from the Eastern Confederacy. Fortunately, many plantations and
town homes were spared by Sherman on his "March to the Sea". Today'
these historical homes and landmarks remain a proud reminder of our country's
heritage.
The
above information was compiled by Mrs. Irene Robinson Smith and the late Mrs.
Sara Clay Patterson. Both served as presidents of the Newton County Historical
Society and The Covington Garden Club.
