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Community
Measuring Meriwether.
A county that lives up to the high standards of its history and the critical needs of the future.
To take the measure of Meriwether County it’s necessary to start high. Our location on the scenic Piedmont Plateau puts our average altitude at 900 feet above sea level, 1200 feet at Pine Mountain. An accurate measure would have to go deep, too, to the subterranean springs that have proven irresistibly life-enhancing to humans throughout the ages, from the people of prehistory to the leaders who made history, from industrial titans like John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt to President Franklin Roosevelt, who made Meriwether County his retreat for two decades, and his auxiliary White House home.
A rich life for all: The measurement would also have to go wide, in a county that rolls out over 500 miles of scenic land and half a dozen thriving communities. And this is where the measurement gets really interesting, because these vibrant historic communities offer a quality of life that is richly and delightfully, well, immeasurable. Not that there aren’t plenty of assessments where Meriwether shines—in public and private schools, for example, where accountability and choice are just one benchmark of how well our students are being prepared for the global future. And speaking of shine, there is the actual sunshine and the mild, inviting climate that results from high altitude combined with a Deep South location.
Deeper satisfactions: But to really take the measurement of our communities, you’ll need more than a yardstick. You’ll need to take some time to peruse our art in Greenville, our antiques in Woodbury, or go deep into history at Warm Springs, where more than 100,000 people are drawn annually to Georgia’s most visited historic site. Our festivals are also noteworthy, from the Cotton Pickin’ Festival at Gay to Rail Days at Manchester. But then everyday can be an occasion to savor at welcoming cafes, shops and emporiums. Dive into Lake Meriwether or the Flint River; take a drive, hike or horseback ride through FDR State Park. Or take in the lush farms and fields of Lone Oak and Luthersville.
Cosmopolitan proximity: And also remember when you’re measuring, that here in Meriwether you’re only 35 miles from Atlanta’s international airport, and only a bit farther to the shopping and other metro amenities of the eighth largest economy in the world. One of the few American cities that continue to host permanent professional performance companies in all the premiere arts—opera, ballet, orchestra, theatre—Atlanta offers the culture and cuisine of a true cosmopolitan center.
Yes, for Meriwether tomorrow looks bright, as a county certified “Camera-Ready” by the state of Georgia for picture-perfect film locations (and already the starring backdrop in several Hollywood films), and certified “Work-Ready” for a labor force trained and primed for the rigorous demands of global manufacturing.
We’re measuring up in Meriwether County. Come look us up (and down and all around) and we think you’ll agree.
HISTORY: How Meriwether County helped save the world.
