Archery, Georgia
Unincorporated community in Georgia, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Archery, Georgia | |
|---|---|
  Archery, Georgia Location in Georgia (US state)  Archery, Georgia Location in United States | |
| Coordinates: 32°01′33″N 84°26′01″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] |
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]
History
Archery was laid out in 1913.[4] The community was named by William Decker Johnson, an A.M.E. Bishop, after the "Sublime Order of Archery", an A.M.E. social service organization benefiting poor blacks.[5][6] William Decker Johnson had also founded the Johnson Home Industrial College in Archery in 1912.[6]
The historic railroad community was originally built up chiefly by African Americans, who then formed a majority of its population.[7] A large share of the residents engaged in sharecropping.[8] Archery was first electrified in 1938.[9] 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".[10] The Carter family remained at Archery until 1949; ownership of the Carter property was transferred to the National Park Service in 1994.[11]
Arts and culture
The Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm, open to visitors, has been restored to its original rustic appearance.[12] SAM Shortline Railway, a heritage railway open to the public, makes a stop on its route at the Archery Depot, where visitors may make a self-guided tour.[13]
Jimmy Carter in 1937
Map of Carter Farm
