Liberty County, Georgia

County in Georgia, United States

County in Georgia

Liberty County

County

Liberty County Courthouse in Hinesville

Location within the U.S. state of Georgia

Georgia's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 31°48′N 81°28′W﻿ / ﻿31.8°N 81.46°W﻿ / 31.8; -81.46
Country|  United States
State|  Georgia
Founded| February 5, 1777; 248 years ago (1777-02-05)
Named after| Liberty
Seat| Hinesville
Largest city| Hinesville
Area

• Total

| 603 sq mi (1,560 km2)
• Land| 490 sq mi (1,300 km2)
• Water| 113 sq mi (290 km2)  18.7%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 65,256
• Density| 133/sq mi (51/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 1st
Website| www.libertycountyga.com

Liberty County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population is 65,256.[1] The county seat is Hinesville.[2]

Liberty County is part of the Hinesville, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Savannah metropolitan area.

## History

[edit]

The area that was to become Liberty County was originally occupied by the Guale Indians. In the early 16th century, the Spanish placed a Catholic mission called Santa Catalina de Guale on today's St. Catherine's Island to minister to the Guale. During the 18th century, the Guale became part of the Muscogee confederation. In 1733, Gen. James Oglethorpe negotiated with the local Muskogean Indian tribes for this land that became part of the new colony of Georgia. Settlement of the area by European settlers was sparse until 1752. In that year, a group of Congregationalists from Dorchester, South Carolina petitioned the royal government of Georgia for grants of land in an area known as the Midway District, located between the Ogeechee and South Newport Rivers. The land was granted to them, and they moved as a community with their families and Negro slaves into the area. They immediately began clearing the swamps and marshes and establishing rice fields.

On March 15, 1758, the royal government of Georgia created Saint John's Parish, which included this area between the Ogeechee River and South Newport River. The town of Sunbury was established on June 19, 1758, on the Medway River and quickly became the 2nd busiest port in Georgia, behind Savannah.

The Congregationalists who settled the Midway District were able to establish a flourishing rice culture with the use of Negro slaves to tend to the rice fields. These Congregationalists were 2nd and 3rd generations of people born in British America and had become more independent-minded and distinct in their political views from the other citizens of the colony. In 1774, they were among the first in the colony of Georgia to join the movement for the repeal of the Intolerable Acts. In 1775, unable to persuade the rest of the colony of Georgia to join with the other 12 colonies to send a representative to the 2nd Continental Congress, they sent their own representative from Saint John's Parish, Dr. Lyman Hall.

The royal government of Georgia came to an end in January 1776 when the patriotic Georgia Council of Safety arrested the governor, James Wright and took over the government of the colony. The new government, composed of many of the leading citizens of Saint John's parish, organized a convention and established the first Constitution for the State of Georgia.

On February 5, 1777, under the new constitution, the parishes of Saint John's, Saint Andrew's and Saint James' were consolidated and named Liberty County to honor the efforts of the citizens of Saint John's parish in pursuing the American ideal of liberty.[3]

Sunbury was first designated the county seat in 1784. In 1797, the seat was transferred to Riceboro, and in 1837 it was transferred again to Hinesville.[4]

### 1922 lynching

[edit]

Main article: Lynching of James Harvey and Joe Jordan

On July 1, 1922, James Harvey and Joe Jordan, two African American men, were lynched by a mob of about 50 people in Liberty County during an escort by police from Jesup, Georgia to a jail in Savannah, Georgia. The event drew condemnation from both the local black community and from several prominent white citizens, with the preacher at Midway Methodist Church denouncing the acts and publishing a widely circulated letter condemning the Wayne County officials of being complicit in the murders. The incident prompted an investigation by the NAACP, and in total, 22 men were indicted, with four being convicted.[5]

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 603 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 490 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 113 square miles (290 km2) (18.7%) is water.[6]

The eastern and southern portion of Liberty County is located in the Ogeechee Coastal sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin. The northern and western portion of the county is located in the Canoochee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.[7]

### Major highways

[edit]

* I-95 (Interstate 95)
* US 17
* US 84
* SR 25
* SR 38
* SR 38 Conn.
* SR 119
* SR 144
* SR 196
* SR 405 (unsigned designation for I-95)

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Chatham County \- northeast
* Bryan County \- north
* McIntosh County \- south
* Long County \- west
* Evans County \- northwest
* Tattnall County \- northwest

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Allenhurst
* Flemington
* Gumbranch
* Hinesville (county seat)
* Midway
* Riceboro
* Walthourville

### Census-designated place

[edit]

* Fort Stewart

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Sunbury
* Fleming
* Limerick
* McIntosh
* Seabrook

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1790| 5,355| | —
1800| 5,313| | −0.8%
1810| 6,228| | 17.2%
1820| 6,695| | 7.5%
1830| 7,233| | 8.0%
1840| 7,241| | 0.1%
1850| 7,926| | 9.5%
1860| 8,367| | 5.6%
1870| 7,688| | −8.1%
1880| 10,649| | 38.5%
1890| 12,887| | 21.0%
1900| 13,093| | 1.6%
1910| 12,924| | −1.3%
1920| 12,707| | −1.7%
1930| 8,153| | −35.8%
1940| 8,595| | 5.4%
1950| 8,444| | −1.8%
1960| 14,487| | 71.6%
1970| 17,569| | 21.3%
1980| 37,583| | 113.9%
1990| 52,745| | 40.3%
2000| 61,610| | 16.8%
2010| 63,453| | 3.0%
2020| 65,256| | 2.8%
2023 (est.)| 69,210| [8]| 6.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1880[10] 1890-1910[11]
1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13]
1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15]
1980-2000[16] 2010[17]
Liberty County racial composition as of 2020[18] Race  | Num.  | Perc.

|
|

White (non-Hispanic)  | 24,004  | 36.78%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)  | 27,309  | 41.85%
Native American | 225  | 0.34%
Asian | 1,325  | 2.03%
Pacific Islander | 437  | 0.67%
Other/Mixed | 4,170  | 6.39%
Hispanic or Latino | 7,786  | 11.93%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 65,256 people, 23,485 households, and 16,657 families residing in the county.

## Education

[edit]

Liberty County School District headquarters

Liberty County School District is the designated school district for grades K-12 for the county, except parts in Fort Stewart. Fort Stewart has the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) as its local school district,[19] for the elementary level.[20] Students at the secondary level on Fort Stewart attend public schools operated by county school districts.[21]

The Liberty district operates public schools, including the comprehensive high school Liberty County High School and the Bradwell Institute, as well as its educative middle schools Midway Middle School, Lewis Frasier Middle School, and Snelson-Golden Middle School.

They also provide a career academy, Liberty College & Career Academy (LCCA), for extra academics where students study for a profession they could seek out in the future.

## In the media

[edit]

The 2014 independent film, A Promise, was filmed in Liberty County.[22][23]

## Politics

[edit]

As a predominantly African-American county home to a prominent military base (Fort Stewart), Liberty is a Democratic stronghold. It has consistently supported Democrats for president since 1992 (the longest active streak in Southeast Georgia) and was last contested at this level in the 2000s, when Southern Republican George W. Bush came within single digits of carrying the county in both of his elections (coming within less than 4% in 2004).

United States presidential election results for Liberty County, Georgia[24] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 9,441  | 41.00%  | 13,459  | 58.45% | 128  | 0.56%
2020 | 7,959  | 37.20%  | 13,104  | 61.25% | 331  | 1.55%
2016 | 6,134  | 37.68%  | 9,556  | 58.70% | 589  | 3.62%
2012 | 5,565  | 34.36%  | 10,457  | 64.57% | 173  | 1.07%
2008 | 5,828  | 35.54%  | 10,474  | 63.87% | 98  | 0.60%
2004 | 6,131  | 47.86%  | 6,619  | 51.67% | 59  | 0.46%
2000 | 4,455  | 44.68%  | 5,347  | 53.62% | 170  | 1.70%
1996 | 3,042  | 37.42%  | 4,462  | 54.89% | 625  | 7.69%
1992 | 2,832  | 35.87%  | 3,853  | 48.80% | 1,210  | 15.33%
1988 | 3,100  | 51.24% | 2,906  | 48.03%  | 44  | 0.73%
1984 | 3,229  | 53.53% | 2,803  | 46.47%  | 0  | 0.00%
1980 | 1,507  | 32.18%  | 3,099  | 66.18% | 77  | 1.64%
1976 | 979  | 22.73%  | 3,328  | 77.27% | 0  | 0.00%
1972 | 2,337  | 65.76% | 1,217  | 34.24%  | 0  | 0.00%
1968 | 592  | 16.78%  | 1,572  | 44.55% | 1,365  | 38.68%
1964 | 1,458  | 39.73%  | 2,212  | 60.27% | 0  | 0.00%
1960 | 929  | 36.88%  | 1,590  | 63.12% | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 967  | 52.02% | 892  | 47.98%  | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 517  | 26.31%  | 1,448  | 73.69% | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 121  | 9.98%  | 820  | 67.66% | 271  | 22.36%
1944 | 122  | 20.23%  | 481  | 79.77% | 0  | 0.00%
1940 | 102  | 20.00%  | 407  | 79.80% | 1  | 0.20%
1936 | 49  | 11.64%  | 369  | 87.65% | 3  | 0.71%
1932 | 18  | 5.84%  | 289  | 93.83% | 1  | 0.32%
1928 | 203  | 50.25% | 201  | 49.75%  | 0  | 0.00%
1924 | 39  | 9.38%  | 334  | 80.29% | 43  | 10.34%
1920 | 175  | 36.61%  | 303  | 63.39% | 0  | 0.00%
1916 | 26  | 6.95%  | 245  | 65.51% | 103  | 27.54%
1912 | 29  | 8.12%  | 251  | 70.31% | 77  | 21.57%

## Gallery

[edit]

* Liberty County Justice Center

* Liberty County Courthouse Annex

* Liberty County Recreation Department

## See also

[edit]

* State of Georgia portal

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Liberty County, Georgia
* List of counties in Georgia

## References

[edit]

General

1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Liberty County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 186.
4. ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 233\. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
5. ^ Harris, J. William (2001). Deep Souths: Delta, Piedmont, and Sea Island Society in the Age of Segregation. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 288\. ISBN 978-0-8018-6563-3 – via Google Books.
6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
7. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
9. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
10. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
11. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
12. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
13. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
14. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
15. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
16. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
17. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
18. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
19. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Liberty County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022. \- text list \- "Fort Stewart School District" refers to the DoDEA schools.
20. ^ "Fort Stewart Schools". Department of Defense Education Activity. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
21. ^ "Fort Stewart Education". Military One Source. Retrieved July 5, 2022. \- This is from a .mil website.
22. ^ "Film company sets premieres". www.bryancountynews.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
23. ^ "Georgia hears about local film industry". coastalcourier.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
24. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 21, 2018.

Specific

* Georgia Encyclopedia entry for Liberty County, Georgia

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Liberty County, Georgia

| Evans County and Tattnall County | Bryan County |

|
|

|  |
Long County |

Liberty County, Georgia

| Atlantic Ocean
|  |
| McIntosh County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Liberty County, Georgia, United States

County seat: Hinesville

Cities|

* Allenhurst
* Flemington
* Gumbranch
* Hinesville
* Midway
* Riceboro
* Walthourville

Map of Georgia highlighting Liberty County

CDP|

* Fort Stewart

Unincorporated
communities|

* Fleming
* Limerick
* McIntosh
* Seabrook

Ghost towns|

* Dukes
* Sunbury
* Taylors Creek
* Willie

* Georgia portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Georgia

Atlanta (capital)

Topics|

* Index
* Climate change
* Geology
* History
* Congressional delegations
* Government
* Law
* People
* Mass media
* newspapers
* radio
* TV
* Music
* Elections
* Geography
* State parks
* Symbols
* Transportation
* Tourist attractions
* African Americans (Slavery)

Society|

* Abortion
* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Gun laws
* LGBT rights
* Politics
* Sports

Regions|

* Central Georgia
* Coastal Georgia
* East Georgia
* East Central Georgia
* Golden Isles
* Lower Coastal Plain
* Metro Atlanta
* North Georgia
* Northeast Georgia
* Northwest Georgia
* Sea Islands
* South Georgia
* Southern Rivers
* Southeast Georgia
* Southwest Georgia
* West Georgia
* West Central Georgia

Largest cities|

* Albany
* Atlanta
* Athens
* Augusta
* Columbus
* Johns Creek
* Macon
* Marietta
* Roswell
* Sandy Springs
* Savannah
* South Fulton
* Valdosta
* Warner Robins

Counties|

* Appling
* Atkinson
* Bacon
* Baker
* Baldwin
* Banks
* Barrow
* Bartow
* Ben Hill
* Berrien
* Bibb
* Bleckley
* Brantley
* Brooks
* Bryan
* Bulloch
* Burke
* Butts
* Calhoun
* Camden
* Candler
* Carroll
* Catoosa
* Charlton
* Chatham
* Chattahoochee
* Chattooga
* Cherokee
* Clarke
* Clay
* Clayton
* Clinch
* Cobb
* Coffee
* Colquitt
* Columbia
* Cook
* Coweta
* Crawford
* Crisp
* Dade
* Dawson
* Decatur
* DeKalb
* Dodge
* Dooly
* Dougherty
* Douglas
* Early
* Echols
* Effingham
* Elbert
* Emanuel
* Evans
* Fannin
* Fayette
* Floyd
* Forsyth
* Franklin
* Fulton
* Gilmer
* Glascock
* Glynn
* Gordon
* Grady
* Greene
* Gwinnett
* Habersham
* Hall
* Hancock
* Haralson
* Harris
* Hart
* Heard
* Henry
* Houston
* Irwin
* Jackson
* Jasper
* Jeff Davis
* Jefferson
* Jenkins
* Johnson
* Jones
* Lamar
* Lanier
* Laurens
* Lee
* Liberty
* Lincoln
* Long
* Lowndes
* Lumpkin
* Macon
* Madison
* Marion
* McDuffie
* McIntosh
* Meriwether
* Miller
* Mitchell
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Morgan
* Murray
* Muscogee
* Newton
* Oconee
* Oglethorpe
* Paulding
* Peach
* Pickens
* Pierce
* Pike
* Polk
* Pulaski
* Putnam
* Quitman
* Rabun
* Randolph
* Richmond
* Rockdale
* Schley
* Screven
* Seminole
* Spalding
* Stephens
* Stewart
* Sumter
* Talbot
* Taliaferro
* Tattnall
* Taylor
* Telfair
* Terrell
* Thomas
* Tift
* Toombs
* Towns
* Treutlen
* Troup
* Turner
* Twiggs
* Union
* Upson
* Walker
* Walton
* Ware
* Warren
* Washington
* Wayne
* Webster
* Wheeler
* White
* Whitfield
* Wilcox
* Wilkes
* Wilkinson
* Worth
* (Campbell)
* (Milton)

* Georgia (U.S. state) portal
* Category
* WikiProject

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States
* Israel

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* IdRef
* NARA

31°48′N 81°28′W﻿ / ﻿31.80°N 81.46°W﻿ / 31.80; -81.46
*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template