Appling, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Appling is an unincorporated community
in and the county seat
of Columbia County
, Georgia
, United States
. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.
Appling was formerly a city but, with the 1993 passage of legislation requiring cities to provide at least three municipal services, Appling was not able to remain incorporated. It was one of 187 inactive cities in Georgia that lost its charter on 1 June 1995. There was question as to whether it had ever been incorporated at all since it had no functioning corporate authorities.
Columbia County government and judicial offices are in Evans
with the Columbia County Government Center, the Government Complex Addition, and the Columbia County Courthouse Annex all located there. Appling retains its status as county seat but all governmental functions are carried out in Evans.
Appling lies along U.S. Route 221
(Appling-Harlem Road) and is traversed by (Great) Kiokee Creek.
(ZCTA) for ZIP Code 30802, which is centered immediately south of Appling.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 5,177 people, 1,745 households, and 1,387 families residing in the ZCTA. There were 1,745 housing units in the ZCTA. The racial makeup of the ZCTA was 76.0% White, 21.5% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races
, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.
There were 1,745 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the ZCTA the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the ZCTA was $40,467, and the median income for a family was $53,207. Males had a median income of $38,929 versus $21,700 for females. The per capita income
for the ZCTA was $20,893. About 4.9% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
s.
In the early 19th century, Appling was the political, educational, social, and religious center of Columbia County. Near Appling were located Mt. Carmel Academy and Columbia Institute. Mt. Carmel Academy was run by the famous Southern educator, Moses Waddel
and it was here that John C. Calhoun
and William H. Crawford
were educated. Columbia Institute was started by a man pretending his last name was Bush who was actually Bushnell
of revolutionary war submariner
fame.
In the 1830s, when the Georgia Railroad
was established, it was decided that to have the trains passing near Appling would disturb the proceeding of the court, so the railway that passed through the county from Atlanta to Augusta went well below Appling.
In 1855, the Courthouse in Appling received a major overhaul, and after the remodeling was complete in 1856, the building was in more or less its present form, a vernacular
structure with Greek Revival
and Italianate influences
. Despite the extensive project, the shell of the 1809-1812 building was retained and the structure has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980.
Appling was nearly wiped off the map by a tornado in the 1870s and it never regained the prestige it had prior to the tornado and the Civil War. Although there was an effort to organize the municipality in the early 20th century, the corporation remained inactive. Appling lost its charter in 1995.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Columbia County
Columbia County, Georgia
Columbia County is a county located in the US state of Georgia along the Savannah River. As of 2010 the population was 124,054 a growth of 39% from the 2000 census figure of 89,288. The de jure county seat is Appling. Appling is an unincorporated area, making Columbia one of only three counties...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.
Appling was formerly a city but, with the 1993 passage of legislation requiring cities to provide at least three municipal services, Appling was not able to remain incorporated. It was one of 187 inactive cities in Georgia that lost its charter on 1 June 1995. There was question as to whether it had ever been incorporated at all since it had no functioning corporate authorities.
Columbia County government and judicial offices are in Evans
Evans, Georgia
Evans is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta and is part of the Augusta - Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,727 at the 2000 census and, in 2006, the population was 20,681.Evans, possibly named...
with the Columbia County Government Center, the Government Complex Addition, and the Columbia County Courthouse Annex all located there. Appling retains its status as county seat but all governmental functions are carried out in Evans.
Geography
Appling is located at 33°32′45"N 82°18′57"W.Appling lies along U.S. Route 221
U.S. Route 221
U.S. Route 221 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 734 miles from Perry, Florida at US Routes 19/98/ALT 27 to Lynchburg, Virginia at U.S. Route 29 . It passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia...
(Appling-Harlem Road) and is traversed by (Great) Kiokee Creek.
Demographics
The following information applies to the ZIP Code Tabulation AreaZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
(ZCTA) for ZIP Code 30802, which is centered immediately south of Appling.
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,177 people, 1,745 households, and 1,387 families residing in the ZCTA. There were 1,745 housing units in the ZCTA. The racial makeup of the ZCTA was 76.0% White, 21.5% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.
There were 1,745 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the ZCTA the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the ZCTA was $40,467, and the median income for a family was $53,207. Males had a median income of $38,929 versus $21,700 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the ZCTA was $20,893. About 4.9% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
History
In 1816, the town known as Columbia Courthouse was chartered as the Town of Appling, named for the family of William Appling that had donated the land to the county and for Colonel John Appling, a local resident that had died in a campaign against the SeminoleSeminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
s.
In the early 19th century, Appling was the political, educational, social, and religious center of Columbia County. Near Appling were located Mt. Carmel Academy and Columbia Institute. Mt. Carmel Academy was run by the famous Southern educator, Moses Waddel
Moses Waddel
Moses Waddel was an American educator and minister in antebellum Georgia and South Carolina. Famous as a teacher during his life, Moses Waddel was author of the bestselling book Memoirs of the Life of Miss Caroline Elizabeth Smelt.- Life and work:Born in 1770 in Rowan County, North Carolina,...
and it was here that John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
and William H. Crawford
William H. Crawford
William Harris Crawford was an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as United States Secretary of War from 1815 to 1816 and United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1816 to 1825, and was a candidate for President of the United States in 1824.-Political...
were educated. Columbia Institute was started by a man pretending his last name was Bush who was actually Bushnell
David Bushnell
David Bushnell , of Westbrook, Connecticut, was an American inventor during the Revolutionary War. He is credited with creating the first submarine ever used in combat, while studying at Yale University in 1775. He called it the Turtle because of its look in the water...
of revolutionary war submariner
Submariner
Submariner can mean:*A sailor who is a crewman of a submarine*Namor the Sub-Mariner, a comic-book character in the Marvel Comics Universe*Rolex Submariner, a make of diver's watch*Submariner an album by Experimental rock band The Dead Science...
fame.
In the 1830s, when the Georgia Railroad
Georgia Railroad and Banking Company
The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company is a historic railroad and banking company that operated in the U.S. state of Georgia.- History :It was originally chartered in 1833 in Augusta, Georgia. In 1835, the charter was amended to include banking...
was established, it was decided that to have the trains passing near Appling would disturb the proceeding of the court, so the railway that passed through the county from Atlanta to Augusta went well below Appling.
In 1855, the Courthouse in Appling received a major overhaul, and after the remodeling was complete in 1856, the building was in more or less its present form, a vernacular
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
structure with Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
and Italianate influences
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
. Despite the extensive project, the shell of the 1809-1812 building was retained and the structure has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980.
Appling was nearly wiped off the map by a tornado in the 1870s and it never regained the prestige it had prior to the tornado and the Civil War. Although there was an effort to organize the municipality in the early 20th century, the corporation remained inactive. Appling lost its charter in 1995.