Glynn County, Georgia

Glynn County
U.S. county
Glynn County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°13′N 81°29′W / 31.22°N 81.49°W / 31.22; -81.49
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	1777
Named for	John Glynn
Seat	Brunswick
Largest city	Brunswick
Government
• Mayor	Cornell Harvey
Area
• Total	585 sq mi (1,520 km2)
• Land	420 sq mi (1,100 km2)
• Water	165 sq mi (430 km2)  28.3%%
Population
• Estimate  (2019)	85,292[1]
• Density	190/sq mi (70/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.glynncounty.org

Glynn County is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 79,626.^[2] The county seat is Brunswick.^[3] Glynn County is part of the Brunswick, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History[]

Glynn County, one of the state's original eight counties created on February 5, 1777, was named after John Glynn,^[4] a member of the British House of Commons who defended the cause of the American Colonies before the American Revolution. The Battle of Bloody Marsh was fought in Glynn County. James Oglethorpe built Fort Frederica, which was used a base in the American Revolutionary War. Glynn Academy, established to educate boys, is the second oldest school in Georgia.

Glynn County includes the most prominent of the Sea Islands of Georgia, including Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, and Sea Island. The Georgia poet Sidney Lanier immortalized the seacoast there in his poem, "The Marshes of Glynn", which begins:

Glooms of the live-oaks, beautiful-braided and woven

With intricate shades of the vines that myriad-cloven

Clamber the forks of the multiform boughs,--

Emerald twilights,--

Virginal shy lights,

Wrought of the leaves to allure to the whisper of vows,

When lovers pace timidly down through the green colonnades

Of the dim sweet woods, of the dear dark woods,

Of the heavenly woods and glades,

That run to the radiant marginal sand-beach within

The wide sea-marshes of Glynn;--

During World War II, Naval Air Station Glynco, named for the county, was a major base for training for blimps and anti-submarine warfare. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) now uses a substantial part of the former NAS as its main campus.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 585 square miles (1,520 km²), of which 420 square miles (1,100 km²) is land and 165 square miles (430 km²) (28.3%) is water.^[5]

The majority of Glynn County is located in the Cumberland-St. Simons sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. Most of the county's northern and northwestern border area is located in the Altamaha River sub-basin of the basin by the same name.^[6]

Major highways[]

Adjacent counties[]

• McIntosh County - north
• Camden County - southwest
• Brantley County - west
• Wayne County - northwest

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	413		—
1800	1,874		353.8%
1810	3,417		82.3%
1820	3,418		0.0%
1830	4,567		33.6%
1840	5,302		16.1%
1850	4,933		−7.0%
1860	3,889		−21.2%
1870	5,376		38.2%
1880	6,497		20.9%
1890	13,420		106.6%
1900	14,317		6.7%
1910	15,720		9.8%
1920	19,370		23.2%
1930	19,400		0.2%
1940	21,920		13.0%
1950	29,046		32.5%
1960	41,954		44.4%
1970	50,528		20.4%
1980	54,981		8.8%
1990	62,496		13.7%
2000	67,568		8.1%
2010	79,626		17.8%
2019 (est.)	85,292	[7]	7.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2013[2]

2000 census[]

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 67,568 people, 27,208 households, and 18,392 families living in the county. The population density was 160 per square mile (62/km²). There were 32,636 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile (30/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 70.66% White, 26.45% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to census 2000 the largest European ancestry groups in Glynn County are:

• 40.7% English
• 10.1% Irish
• 8.0% German
• 3.0% Scots-Irish
• 2.2% Scottish
• 1.0% Polish
• 1.0% Welsh

There were 27,208 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.50% were married couples living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,765, and the median income for a family was $46,984. Males had a median income of $34,363 versus $23,558 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,707. About 11.60% of families and 15.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.10% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 79,626 people, 31,774 households, and 21,259 families living in the county.^[13] The population density was 189.7 inhabitants per square mile (73.2/km²). There were 40,716 housing units at an average density of 97.0 per square mile (37.5/km²).^[14] The racial makeup of the county was 67.6% white, 26.0% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.0% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.4% of the population.^[13]

2015[]

In terms of European ancestry, 40.8% were English, 10.6% were "American", , 10.2% were Irish, and 7.9% were German.^[15]

Of the 31,774 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 39.4 years.^[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $50,337 and the median income for a family was $62,445. Males had a median income of $43,240 versus $32,112 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,040. About 11.7% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.^[16]

Education[]

Glynn County's public schools are operated by Glynn County School System.

Superfund sites[]

Glynn County is home to four Superfund sites. Those include the "LCP Chemicals Georgia" site,^[17] the "Brunswick Wood Preserving" site,^[18] the "Hercules 009 Landfill" site,^[19] and the "Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules Outfall" site.^[20]

The Hanlin Group, Inc., which maintained a facility named "LCP Chemicals" in Glynn County just outside the corporate limits of Brunswick, was convicted of dumping 150 tons of mercury into Purvis Creek, a tributary of the Turtle River and surrounding tidal marshes between the mid-1980s and its closure in 1994. Three executives were sentenced to prison time over the incident.^[21]

The LCP facility had been declared a Superfund site when it closed in 1994. It had been under scrutiny by the EPA after Service biologists discovered mercury poisoning in endangered wood storks on St. Simons Island. Fish, shellfish, crabs, and shrimps taken in coastal waters, as well as other bird species, also contained the toxic metal. The Service traced the source of the contamination to the LCP plant and documented the extent of the damage to wildlife resources. Their effort resulted in the addition of Endangered Species Act charges to those that would be brought against Hanlin and its officers.^[22]

Mass murder in 2009[]

On August 29, 2009, the county suffered the worst mass murder in Georgia state history. Seven individuals were found dead at a trailer in New Hope Mobile Home Park. Two others were critically injured, one of them dying later in hospital. Guy Heinze Jr. was later convicted of the murders.

Killing of Ahmaud Arbery[]

On the afternoon of February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Marquez Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old African-American man, was fatally shot after being pursued and confronted by Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael.^[23] The incident took place in Satilla Shores, a community near Brunswick.^[24]

Communities[]

City[]

• Brunswick

Census-designated places[]

• Country Club Estates
• Dock Junction
• St. Simons

Unincorporated community[]

• Altamaha Park
• Sterling
• Zuta

Ghost towns[]

• Belle Vista 31.3577237°N, 81.7373332°W
• Bladen 31°14'40" N, 81°42'8" W
• Thalmann^[25] 31.29 N, 81.69 W

Politics[]

See also[]

• Glynn County Police Department
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Glynn County, Georgia

References[]

External links[]

• Glynn County
• GlynnCounty.com
• Coastal Georgia in Photographs and much more
• Sherpa Guide
• Glynn County historical marker
• Emanuel United Methodist Church historical marker
• Needwood Baptist Church and Needwood School historical marker

Coordinates: 31°13′N 81°29′W / 31.22°N 81.49°W / 31.22; -81.49