Irwinton (Georgia)

Wilkinson County

13-41400

Irwinton is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located in Wilkinson County and is its administrative center.

Geography

Irwinton is centrally located in Wilkinson County. The nearby towns are McIntyre, Toomsboro and Ivey. The nearest major town, Macon, located approximately 53 kilometers west, the capital of Georgia, Atlanta, about 172 miles northwest. The city covers an area of 8.2 km ².

Population

The population is 587, of which 47 % are men and 53 % women (as of 2000). Since 1990, the population has declined by 8.4 %. The average age of the people of Irwinton is 36 years. 57.1 % of residents are African American and 42.8 % White. In 1999, the average annual per capita income was $ 13,782, well below the U.S. average ( $ 21,587 ). Approximately 21.7% of the total population and 14.9 % of families are below the poverty line. Thus, the share of the poor is much higher than the national average.

Education

Irwinton has four public schools, the Wilkinson County Primary, Elementary, Middle and High School.

History

Irwinton is named after Jared Irwin, who was from 1796 to 1798 and from 1806 to 1809 Governor of Georgia. The original name of the place was Bethel and then High Hill Fraction. During the Civil War, the city of General William T. Sherman was in the course of his Atlanta campaign almost completely destroyed and burned down.