Archery, Georgia | |
---|---|
Location in
Georgia (US state) | |
Coordinates: 32°01′33″N 84°26′01″W / 32.02583°N 84.43361°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Georgia |
County | Webster |
Elevation | 476 ft (145 m) |
Time zone | UTC−5 ( Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer ( DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP Code | 31880 |
Area code | 229 |
GNIS feature ID | 326158 [1] |
Archery is an unincorporated community in Webster County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. [1] The community lies about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Plains. [2]
Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, grew up in Archery on a farm which is now known as the "Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm" and is part of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. [3]
Archery was laid out in 1913. [4] The community was named by William D. Johnson, an A.M.E. bishop, after the "Sublime Order of Archery", an A.M.E. social service organization benefiting poor blacks. [5] The historic railroad community was originally built up chiefly by African Americans, who then formed a majority of its population. [6] A large share of the residents engaged in sharecropping. [7] Archery was first electrified in 1938. [8] Amenities in the community included a train depot, schoolhouse, and country store. [5]
U.S. President Jimmy Carter grew up at Archery on his family's farm from age four, in 1928, until he left for college in 1941. [3] In Carter's time, the population consisted of approximately 25 black families and two white families, namely the Watsons and Carters. [5] President Carter recalled in 1976 that Bishop Johnson was "the best-educated, most famous, the most widely traveled, and the richest member of the community". [9] The Carter family remained at Archery until 1949; ownership of the Carter property was transferred to the National Park Service in 1994. [10]
The Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm, open to visitors, has been restored to its original rustic appearance. [11] SAM Shortline Railway, a heritage railway open to the public, makes a stop on its route at the Archery Depot where visitors lead a self-guided tour. [12]