The city of Ashburn is the county seat of Turner County, Georgia, United States. As of 2020, its population was 4,291. Ashburn's government is classified as a council/manager form of municipal government.

Ashburn, Georgia
Ashburn City Hall
Ashburn City Hall
Nickname: 
Peanut Capital of the World
Location in Turner County and the state of Georgia
Location in Turner County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°42′16″N 83°39′14″W / 31.70444°N 83.65389°W / 31.70444; -83.65389
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyTurner
Government
 • MayorSandra Lumpkin
Area
 • Total
4.80 sq mi (12.43 km2)
 • Land4.75 sq mi (12.29 km2)
 • Water0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation
427 ft (130 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
4,291
 • Density904.13/sq mi (349.12/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31714
Area code229
FIPS code13-03236[2]
GNIS feature ID0354404[3]
Websitehttps://www.cityofashburn.net

Ashburn is noted for its peanuts and a fire ant festival.

History

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The town of Marion was founded in 1888, and changed its name to Ashburn when it was incorporated in 1890. Ashburn was designated seat of Turner County when it was established in 1905.[4] The community was named after W. W. Ashburn, a pioneer citizen.[5]

Peanut Statue

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In 1975, the Peanut Statue was constructed in Ashburn and was then considered an official state monument in 1998. In the year 2018 it was destroyed by Hurricane Michael. The newer Peanut Statute appears smaller than the original peanut statue, although the exact measurements are unknown. The woods that the original peanut was next to was cleared out, and the small picnic table as seen in the first image was presumably destroyed by Hurricane Michael, the same hurricane that destroyed the original peanut statue.

The small tower constructed of brick was reused for the newer peanut statue, as was the crown. The original peanut statue was made of fiberglass. The brick tower is 15 feet tall and has a crown attached to it.[6]

Legal Publications for the City of Ashburn is The Wiregrass Farmer.

Geography

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Ashburn is located at 31°42′16″N 83°39′14″W / 31.70444°N 83.65389°W / 31.70444; -83.65389 (31.704378, -83.653786).[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km2), of which 4.5 square miles (12 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.66%) is water.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1890403
19001,301222.8%
19102,21470.2%
19202,116−4.4%
19302,073−2.0%
19402,2669.3%
19502,91828.8%
19603,29112.8%
19704,20927.9%
19804,76613.2%
19904,8271.3%
20004,419−8.5%
20104,152−6.0%
20204,2913.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
Ashburn racial composition as of 2020[9]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 1,109 25.84%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,831 65.98%
Native American 3 0.07%
Asian 37 0.86%
Other/Mixed 119 2.77%
Hispanic or Latino 192 4.47%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,291 people, 1,500 households, and 1,061 families residing in the city.

Education

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Schools

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Ashburn residents are served by the Turner County School District which offers pre-school through grade twelve education, and has one elementary school, a middle school, a high school, and a speciality school.[10] The district has 126 full-time teachers and over 1,145 students.[11]

Library

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Ashburn is served by a public library, the Victoria Evans Memorial Library.[12]

Events

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The original peanut statue
 
Peanut statue rebuilt in 2023

Every fourth weekend in March, Ashburn holds the Fire Ant Festival. This offers an art show, carnival rides, a car show, strawberry cook off, BBQ competition, health show, and fireworks. Some events are tailored to the festival itself, such as the Fire Ant Call, Find the Fire Ant, Fire Ant 5k, and Miss Fire Ant Pageant.

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 217. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  5. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 8. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  6. ^ "Peanut Monument | the Center for Land Use Interpretation".
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  10. ^ [0=field_district:154|date=July 2019|Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  11. ^ School Stats Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  12. ^ "Homepage". Victoria Evans Memorial Library. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
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