BlockFrom the record
16 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Spalding County, Georgia
22 topographic sheets and 9 fire insurance atlases across 1 place.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 1 place in this county was surveyed for fire insurance: Griffin, between 1885 and 1949.
- 9 fire insurance atlases survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
- 197 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 16 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 15 buildings and 1 district.
- 10 of the 16 listings were added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 21 populated places in this county; 21 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Photographs
7 photographs, 1942Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.
Photographer not recorded, 1942. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded, 1942. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Places on the National Register
16Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bailey-Tebault House | building | 1973 | 73002146 |
 | Double Cabins | building | 1973 | 73002147 |
 | Griffin Commercial Historic District | district | 1988 | 88002310 |
 | Hawkes Library | building | 1973 | 73002140 |
 | Hill-Kurtz House | building | 1973 | 73002141 |
| Hunt House | building | 1973 | 73002142 | |
 | Marian Apartments | building | 2007 | 07000936 |
 | Mills House | building | 1972 | 72001468 |
| Mills House and Smokehouse | building | 1980 | 80004308 | |
| Milner-Walker House | building | 2019 | 100004786 | |
 | Old Gaissert Homeplace | building | 1973 | 73002145 |
| Old Medical College Historical Area | building | 1972 | 72001469 | |
 | Pritchard-Moore-Goodrich House | building | 1973 | 73002143 |
 | Sam Bailey Building | building | 1973 | 73002144 |
 | Spalding County Courthouse-Spalding County Jail | building | 2000 | 00001389 |
 | St. George's Episcopal Church | building | 1994 | 94000284 |
Photographs from libraries nationwide
8 shownSelected from the Digital Public Library of America's 8 image records catalogued for this county. Every one shown here carries a public-domain status or a licence that permits reuse on a site that carries advertising; non-commercial, share-alike and restricted images are excluded. The selection is spread across the county's towns (at most eight per town), so no single institution's bulk upload crowds out the rest. Each opens the holding library's record, and the complete set at the Digital Public Library of America is one click away.
The county from the air
37 shownFlown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 622 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 37 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.
Weather records
11 stations, 4 gagesThe thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.
- GRIFFIN 1892 to 1969, hottest 42.2 C, coldest -18.3 C
- EXPERIMENT 1900 to 2004, hottest 40.0 C, coldest -42.2 C
- SUNNYSIDE 1969 to 1976, hottest 37.2 C, coldest -16.7 C
- GRIFFIN 4.2 SW 2008 to 2013
- SUNNY SIDE 1.6 SW 2008 to 2017
- GRIFFIN 0.5 ESE 2008 to 2026
- GRIFFIN 4.3 NW 2009 to 2012
- GRIFFIN 2.9 S 2011 to 2014
- GRIFFIN 5.5 E 2012 to 2014
- GRIFFIN 5.8 WNW 2021 to 2026
- GRIFFIN 5.2 NW 2024 to 2026
- FLINT RIVER NEAR GRIFFIN, GA 1937 to 2026
- CABIN CREEK AT NORTH SECOND STREET, NR GRIFFIN, GA 2003 to 2026
- POTATO CREEK AT COUNTY LINE RD, NR ORCHARD HILL,GA 2003 to 2026
- SHOAL CREEK AT SHOAL CREEK ROAD, NEAR GRIFFIN, GA 2003 to 2026
The 1950 census, district by district
43 districtsWho lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.
- 126-1Militia District 490, Cabin - That part southeast of State Hwy. 16 and east of State Hwy. 155
- 126-2Militia District 490, Cabin - That part west of State Hwy. 155 and northwest of State Hwy. 16
- 126-3Griffin city - That part of Ward 1 in Militia District 1001, Town and part of Militia District 1065, Orrs: Griffin city - That part of Ward 1 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by City limits; N. Hill; W. Cherry; N. Ninth
- 126-4Griffin city - That part of Ward 1 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by City limits; N. Ninth; W. Cherry, N. Twelfth, W. Quilly; City limits
- 126-5Griffin city - That part of Ward 1 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Cherry; N. Ninth, S. Ninth; W. Broadway; Mulberry, W. Quilly, N. Twelfth
- 126-6Griffin city - That part of Ward 1 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Cherry; N. Hill, S. Hill; W. Broadway; N. Ninth
- 126-7Griffin city - That part of Ward 1 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Quilly, Mulberry, W. Broadway; S. Hill; W. Broad, Experiment Ave., Wright, S. Fourteenth, W. Broad; City limits
- 126-8Griffin city - That part of Ward 1 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Broad, S. Fourteenth, Wright, Experiment Ave., W. Broad; S. Hill; W. Solomon; City limits
- 126-9Griffin city - That part of Ward 2 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by City limits; N. Second; E. Tinsley, N. Third, Jefferson Ave., N. Fifth, W. Tinsley; N. Hill
- 126-10Griffin city - That part of Ward 2 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Tinsley, N. Fifth, Jefferson Ave., N. Third, E. Tinsley; N. Second; E. Chappel, W. Chappel; N. Hill
- 126-11Griffin city - That part of Ward 2 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by City limits; E. Broadway; S. Second, N. Second
- 126-12Griffin city - That part of Ward 2 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Chappel, E. Chappel; S. Second; E. Broadway, W. Broadway; S. Hill
- 126-13Griffin city - That part of Ward 2 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Broadway, E. Broadway; City limits; Ward line, Starr, Ward line, E. Solomon, W. Solomon; S. Hill
- 126-14Griffin city - That part of Ward 3 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Solomon, E. Solomon, Ward line, Starr, Ward line; City limits; State Hwy. 7; S. Hill
- 126-15Griffin city - That part of Ward 3 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by State Hwy. 7; City limits, Militia District line; E. College, W. College; S. Hill
- 126-16Griffin city - That part of Ward 3 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. College, E. College; Militia District line, City limits; S. Hill
- 126-17Griffin city - That part of Ward 4 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Solomon; S. Hill; W. Poplar, Meriwether; S. Twelfth
- 126-18Griffin city - That part of Ward 4 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Solomon; S. Twelfth; Meriwether; City limits, Militia District line, City limits
- 126-19Griffin city - That part of Ward 4 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Poplar; S. Ninth; City limits; Meriwether
- 126-20Griffin city - That part of Ward 4 in Militia District 1001, Town Bounded by W. Poplar; S. Hill; City limits; S. Ninth
- 126-21Griffin city - That part of Ward 3 in Militia District 1065, Orrs Bounded by Militia District line; City limits; City limits; City limits
- 126-22Griffin city - That part of Ward 4 in Militia District 1065, Orrs Bounded by City limits; Militia District line, City limits; City limits; City limits
- 126-23Experiment, unincorporated, comprising parts of Militia Districts 1065, Orrs, and 1825, Experiment. Experiment, unincorporated - That part in Militia District 1065, Orrs Bounded by Militia District line; Griffin City limits; Broad; U.S. Hwy. 41
- 126-24Experiment, unincorporated - That part in Militia District 1065, Orrs Bounded by Broad; Griffin city limits; U.S. Hwy. 41; U.S. Hwy. 41
- 126-25Experiment, unincorporated - That part in Militia District 1825, Experiment Bounded by Unnamed road, Central of Georgia Railroad, Unnamed stream; Unnamed stream, Unnamed road, Southern Railroad; State Hwy. 92; U.S. Hwy. 41
- 126-26Experiment, unincorporated - That part in Militia District 1325, Experiment Bounded by Unnamed road; U.S. Hwy. 41; Unnamed road
- 126-27Experiment, unincorporated - That part in Militia District 1825, Experiment Bounded by State Hwy. 92; Southern Railroad; Militia District line; U.S. Hwy. 41
- 126-28Experiment, unincorporated - That part in Militia District 1825, Experiment Bounded by Southern Railroad; Unnamed road; Griffin city limits; Southern Railroad
- 126-29Militia District 1065, Orrs, outside Griffin city and the unincorporated place of Experiment: Militia District 1065, Orrs - That part north of State Hwy. 16, outside Griffin city and the unincorporated place of Experiment (See separate map for boundaries of Experiment)
- 126-30Militia District 1065, Orrs - That part south of State Hwy. 16 and northwest of Southern Railway, outside Griffin city
- 126-31Militia District 1065, Orrs - That part southeast of Southern Railway, outside Griffin city (Remainder of Militia District 1065, Orrs, is in Griffin city and the unincorporated place of Experiment)
- 126-32East Griffin, unincorporated, comprising parts of Militia District 1066, Akins, and 1830, East Griffin: East Griffin, unincorporated - That part in Militia District 1066, Akins (See boundaries shown on aerial photo LL-2B-23)
- 126-33East Griffin, unincorporated - That part in Militia District 1830, East Griffin (See boundaries shown on aerial photo LL-2B-23)
- 126-34Militia District 1066, Akins, outside the unincorporated place of East Griffin: Orchard Hill town
- 126-35Militia District 1066, Akins - That part outside Orchard Hill town and the unincorporated place of East Griffin (See aerial photo LL-2B-23 for boundaries of East Griffin) (Remainder of Militia District 1066, Akins, is in the unincorporated place of East Griffin)
- 126-36Militia District 1067, Mount Zion
- 126-37Militia District 1068, Union
- 126-38Militia District 1069, Africa: Sunnyside village
- 126-39Militia District 1069, Africa - That part east of Central of Georgia Railway outside Sunnyside village
- 126-40Militia District 1069, Africa - That part west of Central of Georgia Railway, outside Sunnyside village
- 126-41Militia District 1159, Line Creek
- 126-42Militia District 1825, Experiment - That part outside the unincorporated place of Experiment (see separate map for boundaries of Experiment) (Remainder of Militia District 1825, Experiment, is in the unincorporated place of Experiment)
- 126-43Militia District 1830, East Griffin - That part outside the unincorporated place of East Griffin (See aerial photo LL-2B-23 for boundaries of East Griffin) (Remainder of Militia District 1830, East Griffin, is in the unincorporated place of East Griffin)
Wildfire, 1992 to 2020
842 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 842 of them, burning about 1,844 acres. 20 started naturally and 127 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 523 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 127 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 60 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 41 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 35 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 21 |
| Natural | 20 |
| Smoking | 14 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Three of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 November 2016 | Debris and open burning | 114 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2017-SPALDING-010 |
| 2 June 1994 | Natural | 84 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 14 September 1993 | Arson/incendiarism | 46 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 24 May 1993 | Arson/incendiarism | 27 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 November 2001 | Arson/incendiarism | 24 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2002-SPALDING-015 |
| 28 May 1994 | Recreation and ceremony | 24 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 April 2002 | Debris and open burning | 23 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2002-SPALDING-052 |
| 28 October 2001 | Debris and open burning | 22 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2002-SPALDING-010 |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1955 to 2026
60 of 318 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 318 reports for this county, causing 3 deaths, 41 injuries and about $35,569,450 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 208 |
| Hail | 55 |
| Tornado | 27 |
| Lightning | 14 |
| Flash Flood | 9 |
| Flood | 4 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF3) | Blantons Mill | 2 killed, $25,000,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the EF3 tornado that first touched down in northeast Meriwether county around 1155 pm EDT continued into western Spalding county. The tornado entered Spalding county approximately three miles south of Digbey, then continued northeast across the communities of Vaughn, Birdie, and Sunny Side before moving into southern Henry county and then lifting just across the Henry county line, approximately two miles south of Hampton. Approximately 15.6 miles of the near 20-mile long path of this EF3 tornado were within Spalding county. The total path length of the tornado within Spalding county was approximately 15.6 miles. The path width remained at 1/2 mile wide with maximum winds estimated to be 140 mph. Two fatalities were recorded in Spalding county in the southwest part of the county, southwest of Vaughn, as a result of this tornado. These deaths occurred when a mobile home was overturned and destroyed. Within Spalding county there were 400 structures affected including 45 homes and/or businesses destroyed, 280 with major damage, and 75 with minor damage. Thousands of trees and dozens of power lines were down along the entire path of the tornado. The tornado crossed both Georgia Highway 16, Georgia Highway 92, and U.S. Highway 19/41 on its path across the county. Along Georgia Highway 92, just one mile east of the Flint River and the Fayette county line, trees were completely flattened within a 1/4 mile wide area on both sides of the road. Several commercial businesses were destroyed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 19/41 and School Road, just south of the Henry county line.||[04/27-04/28/11: Tornado #11, County #2-3, EF3, Meriwether-Spalding-Henry, 2011:020]. |
| January 2023 | Tornado (EF2) | Rio | 1 killed, 10 hurt | Radar data, areal surveys and ground surveys confirm that a long track EF2 tornado occurred beginning a few miles east of Griffin GA through Butts, Newton and into Jasper counties. The tornado was part of a larger mesocyclone which can be traced west all the way back to the Selma Alabama tornado which spawned numerous tornadoes during its lifecycle. This particular tornado first touched down in an area around Crouch road and Wild Plum Road snapping and uprooting trees. The tornado struck a Rinai building causing damage to the roof, windows and outside walls. The tornado continued northeast snapping and uprooting trees quickly intensifying as it crossed hwy 19 becoming and EF2. Widespread tree damage was noted along S. McDonough Road and Walnut Grove Road north of Hwy 16. A well built home sustained significant roof and structure damage consistent with high end EF2 winds. The tornado continued northeast crossing High Falls Road, N. Walkers Mill Road, Yamacraw road snapping and uprooting trees consistent with EF1 damage. As the tornado continued northeast, it became the dominant circulation within the larger mesocyclone as the previous Griffin tornado began to occlude within the large circulation. The tornado crossed Jackson road and paralleled Jenkinsburg road before crossing I75 near Jenkinsburg Road. Snapped and uprooted trees were noted along both sides of I75 where the tornado crossed. As the storm became the dominant circulation within the mesocyclone, the wind field expanded and the damage became fairly consistent with high end EF1 to low EF2 thereafter. The tornado crossed Locust Road, Dean Patrick Road and England Chapel Road were numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. Some home damage was noted in the area as well, particularly as it approached Shiloah Road. Several homes were damaged along Plaza Dr and Smith Dr. The tornado continued NE crossing Hwy 23 striking a large warehouse. Severe roof and exterior wall damage was noted as debris was spread across the highway and to the NE of the hwy. As the tornado crossed the highway it struck a train on the tracks and overturned 3 rail cars just west Walter Moore Rd. The storm continued northeast crossing Wolf Creek Road snapping and uprooting trees near several homes consistent with EF1 wind damage. The tornado continued northeast crossing Rising Star Church road and Brown road snapping and uprooting trees. As the storm continued northeast beyond this point, the remnant circulation which last produced damage near Locust Grove regenerated a new tornado a little over a mile to the northwest along Fincherville Road. The two tornadoes would continue to the NE nearly parallel through the Jackson Lake area. This particular tornado continued northeast and would intensify to EF2 as it crossed Hwy 36 north of Keys Ferry Road and Haley Road. The fatality and critical injury directly associated with this tornado occurred along Haley Road when a tree fell onto a vehicle injuring the driver and fatally wounding a passenger. EF2 damage was noted East of hwy36 along Haley Road, Pocahontas St. Chickasaw lane and several neighborhoods along the lake. The tornado crossed into Southern Newton County causing severe damage along Parker Road, Ray Road, Malcom Rd, Quarry Ct, Pebble Ridge Dr, Hunters Trace, Campbell Rd and Hwy 212 as it entered Jasper County near the Franks Restaurant. EF1 to low end EF2 damage was intermittent along Yancy Rd, Dallas Tr, Gem Lane, Lees Cove, Alcovy N. Dr, Rainbow Dr and County Line Road. The Bear Creek Marian was destroyed and several campers were destroyed. The storm continued NE crossing Henderson Mill Road snapping and uprooting trees, County line Trail and Hwy 11 before weakening and lifting as it approached Margery Lake. A second fatality was resulted the following day when a lineman was knocked out of a bucket truck in Jasper County after being struck by a large tree branch while attempting to restore powerlines. The fatality, is considered indirect but will be tied to this particular tornado. Widespread wind damage can be seen via areal survey and ground survey throughout northern Butts, Southern Newton and Western Jasper counties and surveying this particular storm was a challenge to discern where the tornado actually ended and where the severe wind damage started. The path width is an approximation based on the most severe damage swaths which were surveyed however, strong inflow winds occurred for much of the lifecycle of this tornado making a very wide swath of damage along its 30+ mile long path. |
| January 2023 | Tornado (EF3) | Blantons Mill | 18 hurt | New high-resolution areal imagery in concert with a reanalysis of radar data, areal surveys and ground surveys it has been determined that there were multiple tornadoes on the ground simultaneously in southwest Spalding and Northwestern Pike Counties as well as crossing tornado paths. The tornadoes were part of a larger mesocyclone which can be traced west all the way back to the Selma Alabama tornado. Our analysis determined that this tornado would become the dominant circulation which impacted Griffin and much of Spalding County and Southern Henry County. The tornado first touched down in Northwest Pike County along HWY 362 west of Irish Hill Drive where a few trees were snapped and uprooted and quickly increased in intensity to EF1 as it crossed Kings Bridge Road, Huff Creek Rd and Scott Road where numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. As the storm crossed Blanton Mill Road more severe damage was noted both on the ground and areal survey and it was determined that EF2 damage was present in the area around Nunnally Rd and Bethany Road where widespread snapping of trees occurred and a few structures were severely damaged. However, the updated analysis shows that this area also experienced crossing tornado paths both from this tornado and another which struck the area approximately 2 minutes later. The combination of the 2 paths likely resulted in more intense damage indicators. As the storm continued north into southern Spalding County, the circulation briefly weakened causing only sporadic low end EF0 damage northward along Scott Barch Road. It should also be noted that this circulation would pass into southern Spalding County along Scott Barch Road just 2 minutes ahead of another EF1 tornado to cross its path coming in from the west. The tornado continued north crossing Scott Barch Road and uprooting trees in an area south of Blanton Mill Road. Per both radar data and damage on the ground the tornado would pivot within the larger mesocyclone in an area north of Blanton Mill and begin its track east crossing Rover Zetlla Road destroying a barn. It was near this point the tornado and the wind damage would significantly increase as the tornado was intensifying rapidly. The tornado would quickly reach peak intensity of 150-155 mph and several homes were completely destroyed along Kendall Drive and West Road. 2 homes in particular were noted to be completely destroyed down to the foundation however further inspection of the homes revealed that the walls were not anchored fully anchored into the concrete thus a higher rating could not be determined from those homes. The resident of one of those homes rode out the storm in his bathtub, however the bathtub and all plumbing fixtures were torn away from the slab and tossed into the nearby woods. The survivor of the home was miraculously uninjured and got out to help neighbors. Further west along Kendall Drive several homes were also completely destroyed with several others suffering major damage thus the EF3 rating. The damage along West Road in particular garnered a slight upgrade in the wind speed to high end EF3 damage per a reanalysis. Major to severe damage was also noted along Maloy Road, Hwy 16, areas around Griffin High School, The club at Shoal Creek and North Pine Hill Road. As the tornado approached Hwy 19, per UGA faculty, the UGA facility at Dempsey Farm recorded a wind speed of 81.1 mph before the anemometer/wind combo instrument blew off the tower. The tornado continued ENE through the community of Experiment to the NW of the town of Griffin crossing HWY 92 where numerous business and homes suffered damage either from wind or fallen trees consistent with EF0 through EF1 damage. A weather instrument on the south end of the tornado swath at the UGA Griffin Campus recorded a 73.9 mph wind gust as the storm passed by. Damage in the area was consistent with EF0 type wind damage. The tornado struck a Hobby Lobby building in an around Experiment St and Hwy 92 which suffered severe damage to the roof, and exterior walls on the northeast side. Damage to the building was consistent with EF2 winds of approximately 130 mph. The tornado continued Northeast through the northside of Griffin with mostly EF0-EF1 type wind damage. Pockets of more severe damage were noted along Northside Drive and McIntosh Road consistent with high end EF1 damage. The tornado continued northeast crossing Smoak Road and N. McDonough road where it was noted both on the ground and from the air that the circulation weakened and the damage become more sporadic in nature particularly the area from Amelia rd eastward to I75 in southern Henry County. Once the circulation crossed I75 intensity of the tornado increased to a mid to high end EF1 with damage in the city of Locust Grove. The tornado crossed LG Griffin Road where it impacted numerous homes in a subdivision and snapped or uprooted trees. The storm crossed Stanley K Tanger Road and through another neighborhood affecting several homes including some high end EF1 damage. As the storm crossed Hwy 23 numerous trees were snapped or uprooted and a new TDS appeared on radar. The tornado continued NE across Jackson St, Grove Park Drive, Skyland Dr, S. Unity Grove Road and S Ola grove road snapping and uprooting trees as well as causing EF0 or in some cases EF1 damage to homes. The storm continued ENE snapping and uprooting trees through Peaksville Road where it shortly thereafter become less defined and eventually merged with the circulation/tornado ongoing to the south in the Jenkinsburg area. |
| November 1992 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 3 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 3 hurt, $150,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees all over the county. Several businesses in Griffin had windows broken. Some of the trees that fell in Griffin were at least three feet in diameter, damaging several homes and blowing at least one turbine across a roof. One 19-year-old male was injured when a tree fell on him as he was trying to take shelter. Two more people were injured when trees fell onto their cars. |
| April 2014 | Tornado (EF0) | Vaughn | 3 hurt, $100,000 | A National Weather Service storm survey team determined that a short-lived EF-1 tornado touched down 8 miles northwest of Griffin. Around 200 trees were downed by the tornado and at least a dozen homes sustained minor roof damage. The most significant damage was a tree that fell onto a home along Highway 92. Several outbuildings sustained minor to moderate damage as well. Three people were injured when their cars were struck by or ran into downed trees along Highway 92 near Bicycle Road.|[04/07/14: Tornado #1, County #1-1, EF1, Spalding, 2014:003]. |
| August 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Orchard Hill | 2 hurt, $300,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service concluded that an F1 tornado had touched down in a rural area of southeast Spalding county approximately five miles north of Orchard Hill in the vicinity of Wild Plum and McDonough Roads. The tornado continued north from this location for approximately one mile. The overall tornado path was one mile long and 100 yards wide. One small home was completely destroyed and another nearby brick home under construction suffered major damage. A sport utility vehicle was also damaged at this home when the garage collapsed. Two people in the small home were injured during the tornado. A few other homes nearby sustained minor damage. A number of trees and some power lines were also down in the area. A horse trailer was thrown about 200 yards from its original location. |
| February 2009 | Lightning | Griffin | 1 hurt | The Spalding County Emergency Management Director reported that a person was struck and injured by lightning. |
| August 1992 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| April 1980 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| March 2011 | Hail | Digbey | $888,000 | The Spalding County Emergency Management Director and the public observed quarter to golf ball-sized hail along Georgia Highway 16 near Griffin. Quarter to golf ball-sized hail was also observed in Coweta county near the Spalding county line. Radar data suggested that similar-sized hail continued across much of central Spalding county along Georgia Highway 16. |
| February 2009 | Tornado (EF2) | Blantons Mill | $825,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the tornado that initially touched down in Meriwether county, then tracked across southern Coweta county, crossed into Spalding county approximately four miles east-northeast of Haralson or 7 miles west of Zetella. The tornado remain an EF2 as it tracked across southwest and into south central Spalding county, lifting just shy of the Pike county line about five miles west of Rover. Extensive damage was observed along the track of the tornado Four homes were completely destroyed and 40 others sustained minor to moderate damage. Dozens of trees were also down along the path of the tornado. The tornado tracked roughly five miles with southern Spalding county with a maximum path width of one mile and maximum winds of 120 mph. |
| March 2009 | Hail | Griffin | $600,000 | An amateur radio operator relayed a report of golf ball-sized hail on the east side of Griffin. Nickel-sized hail was observed in Griffin. Radar data suggests that hail of nickel or larger size likely continued to the far east central portion of the county as the storm produced hail just across the line in Henry county. |
| April 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Griffin | $400,000 | The Spalding county EMA reported 30 homes suffered minor to heavy damage. One on North Walkers Mill Road was completely destroyed. In the Amelia Road area, homes sustained moderate damage with one shifted off its foundation. Light to moderate damage was in the Gainer Road area. The path length and width were estimated, but the storm apparently only touched down intermittently along the track. |
| September 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Griffin Spalding Arpt | $250,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service and the Spalding County Emergency Management Director concluded that a high end F0 tornado affected a small, 1/5-mile long and 50-yard wide path just southeast of the Griffin-Spalding Airport near the intersection of Maddox and Etheridge Roads. Extensive damage to around one dozen large mature pecan trees was observed, along with minor damage to several surrounding trees in a residental neighborhood. Minor roof damage was also noted to several of the homes. Many of the trees were uprooted inward to the path showing convergence and consistent with high end F0 70 mph tornado damage. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $250,000 | Several trees were knocked down on houses near the Spalding county airport. The most substantial damage was several aircraft which were parked at the airport. Five planes received irreparable damage with at least three planes flipped onto their backs, and one on its nose. As many as six other aircraft were damaged to a lesser degree due to wind stress on the ropes tying them down , or contact with the other aircraft. One airplane was lifted off the groung, and then carried approximately 70 feet over a fuel truck along the edge of the airport property, landing upside-down on the county fairgrounds. The terminal building at the airport also experienced significant damage to its roof. One airplane, a DC-3, awaiting restoration at the field was turned like a wind vane from facing southwest to facing west-northwest. The county fairgrounds to the east of the airport also sustained damages. A free standing ticket booth was destroyed and a storage trailer was toppled along the western edge of the fairgrounds. Further east, five small sets of aluminum bleachers were rolled by the winds and destroyed. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Digbey | $150,000 | The Spalding County Emergency Management Director reported extensive damage to trees and power lines throughout the county. Several homes were damaged from downed trees. |
| July 2010 | Lightning | Walker Mill | $150,000 | The Griffin Daily News reported that lightning struck the McDonough Road Baptist Church located at 1370 North McDonough Road. The lightning struck the front gable, setting the attic on fire. The resulting fire caused severe damage to the attic, foyer, and roof. The rest of the building suffered minor smoke and water damage. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $150,000 | The Griffin Daily News reported that more than 15 roads around the county suffered extensive damage from flash flooding. |
| December 2005 | Hail | Orchard Hill | $100,000 | The public reported golf ball-sized hail. |
| September 2004 | Lightning | Griffin | $100,000 | The Griffin Daily News reported that lightning struck a home on Manley Road. The home suffered significant damage as the attic and some of the living area was set on fire. Even areas that did not burn suffered extensive smoke damage. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $100,000 | The squall line moved through Spalding county downing numerous trees and large limbs in Griffin. A large oak tree fell on 1 home destroying it. Other houses and vehicles were damaged by falling trees and limbs. Power outages resulted to 80 percent of Griffin Electric's 14,000 customers as power poles snapped and lines fell. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pomona | $60,000 | The Spalding County Fire Department reported a few trees down across Griffin. Two of the trees fell on houses. |
| August 1999 | Lightning | Griffin | $60,000 | Six structural fires were caused by lightning. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Caruso | $50,000 | The Spalding County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees blown down between Griffin and Sunny Side. Several mobile homes were damaged by falling trees north of Griffin near Experiment and south of Sunny Side, no injuries were reported. A power pole was snapped by the wind a couple of miles southeast of Sunny Side. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sunny Side | $50,000 | Spalding County Emergency Services reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the county in a swath about five miles wide from Manley Road south of Sunny Side across the city of Griffin. |
| April 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | Experiment | $50,000 | A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF-0 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 85 MPH and a maximum path width of 150 yards occurred in central Spalding County. The tornado touched down just northwest of the town of Griffin, near the University of Georgia-Griffin campus around the intersection of Melrose Avenue and Baker Street. The tornado travelled east snapping or uprooting numerous trees with some falling on several homes causing extensive structural damage. This damage occurred in a narrow path between Melrose Avenue and Cedar Avenue, along and near Ellis Road. No injuries were reported. [04/03/17: Tornado #10, County #1/1, EF-0, Spalding, 2017:042]. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $50,000 | The public reported that a downburst or microburst caused extensive damage to trees and power lines from the south side of Griffin, near the Spalding Regional Medical Center, to the southern border of the county east of Orchard Hill. The most significant damage was noted along Maple Drive, East College Street, and Macon Road heading south toward Orchard Hill. More than 200 trees and power lines were down along the roads blocking the roadways. Trees were also down in several residential neighborhoods in these areas as well. Some minor structural damage was reported from downed trees. Power was out for several hours to as many as 4000 people in the area. |
| September 2004 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $50,000 | The Griffin Daily News reported significant flooding across much of the county. A number of roads were flooded and rendered impassable. Old Atlanta Road was submerged by flood waters at two intersections. The Main Street Players headquarters building in Griffin sustained damage from flooding. |
| February 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin Spalding Arpt | $25,000 | The Spalding County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the county in a swath about 10 miles wide from the southwest side of Griffin across the city of Griffin to east of Experiment. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Griffin | $25,000 | The Spalding County 911 Center reported that two trees were down on the east side of Griffin. One tree fell on a home causing damage to the structure. The other tree fell on a power line. |
| March 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Experiment | $25,000 | The public reported that a number of trees were down in the Griffin area. One building sustained damage when a tree fell on the structure. In addition, roof damage was noted to some homes. |
| April 2005 | Hail | Griffin | $25,000 | The public reported penny to half-dollar-sized hail. The hail dented some vehicles in the area. |
| August 2005 | Lightning | Griffin | $25,000 | The Griffin Daily News reported that lightning struck a home on Amberwood Lane, setting the structure on fire. The fire was contained fairly quickly with only minor damage. |
| July 1987 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 1984 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| January 2020 | Tornado (EF0) | Walker Mill | $24,000 | A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF0 tornado with peak winds of 85 mph and a maximum path width of 50 yards touched down around the intersection of Oxford Road and Jessica Drive. The tornado moved east along Oxford Road crossing North McDonough Road snapping or uprooting several trees. A workshop near this intersection had a carport and a large section of its roof blown off. A home east of the intersection sustained minor wind damage with a few trees blown down elsewhere on the property. The tornado lifted just east of this location in forested land. [01/14/20: Tornado #2, County #1/1, EF-0, Spalding, 2020:005]. |
| May 2021 | Flash Flood | Blantons Mill | $20,000 | The Emergency Manager reported a road washed out near Line Creek Road and Blanton Mill Road due to high water on the Flint River and Flat Creek. Radar estimates indicate that 2.5 to 4 inches of rain occurred over the area, resulting in the flash flooding. |
| April 2019 | Tornado (EF0) | Orchard Hill | $20,000 | A National Weather Service survey determined that an EF0 tornado with maximum wind speeds 75 mph and a maximum path width of 150 yards moved northeast out of Lamar County into southeast Spalding County near Brown Road. The tornado snapped or uprooted a few trees as it crossed Swint Road and Ellis Dairy Road before dissipating west of Barnesville Road and south of Rehoboth Baptism Branch. No injuries were reported. [04/14/19: Tornado #4, County #2/2, EF-0, Spalding, 2019:024]. |
| February 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rover | $20,000 | The public reported shingles blown off the roofs of a few houses around Quarry Circle and Stonebriar Road. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sunny Side | $20,000 | The Spalding County 911 center reported numerous trees and several power lines blown down across the county from Sunnyside to south of Griffin. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orchard Hill | $15,000 | The Spalding County Emergency Manager reported several trees blown down and a small barn destroyed near the intersection of South 6th Street and Runnymede Road. |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Vaughn | $12,000 | The Spalding County 911 Center reported several trees blown down across the western portion of the county. Some of these trees brought down power lines as well. |
| February 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Birdie | $10,000 | Numerous trees down northwest of griffin from w mcintosh rd to minter rd and along hwy 92. |
| February 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rover | $10,000 | Em reports numerous trees down on the southwest side of griffin between williamson rd and sr41 to around moreland rd powerlines also involved. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Digbey | $10,000 | The Spalding County Emergency Manager reported several trees blown down across the county from Tri County Road near Digby, across Griffin and Experiment to Orchard Hill and Towalaga. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Birdie | $10,000 | The Spalding County 911 Center reported that more than 20 trees were blown down across the county. Most of the downed trees were within the city limits of Griffin. Widespread power outages were observed within the county from downed power lines. No structural damage was reported, however. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sunny Side | $10,000 | The Spalding County 911 Center reported that a number of trees and power lines were down from Sunny Side to the west side of Griffin. Trees were down on Manley Road west of Atlanta Road in the north part of the county, near Sunny Side. The Griffin Daily News reported that the downed trees also caused several power lines to be knocked down. Power lines were down across Manley Road resulting in several vehicle accidents. The public reported minor damage to a home in Griffin. A few shingles, parts of a gutter and siding were damaged. Loose items, such as lawn furniture, were blown from one yard into another. |
| April 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $10,000 | The Spalding County 911 Center reported that many trees were down throughout the county. In addition, four power lines were down in Griffin at Cherokee Avenue and Fayetteville Road. |
| December 2005 | Lightning | Griffin | $10,000 | The Griffin Daily News reported that lightning struck three homes on McDonough Road. The lightning struck a phone line adjacent to the homes and traveled through the phone line and electrical wires inside the homes. While two of the homes only suffered minor electrical damage, about $8,000 in smoke damage was sustained a the bedroom of the third home. |
| February 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $10,000 | The Griffin Daily News reported that numerous trees and power lines were blown down, especially on the west side of Griffin. Several traffic signals were also blown down at busy intersections in Griffin. In addition, several hundred residents were without power because of the downed trees and power lines. |
| May 2002 | Lightning | Griffin | $10,000 | The Griffin Daily News reported that lightning caused fire to two homes on the northwest side of Griffin, one on West McIntosh Road and one on Fayetteville Road. The first home sustained some roof and ceiling damage and the other home sustained fire damage to the flooring and some of the crawl space area. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $10,000 | A newspaper account said thunderstorm winds blew trees into power lines, causing power outages to some 4000 customers in central and western Spalding county. Most of the damage was on the north side of Griffin. Also, the wind damaged a gas pump shelter at a filling station. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $10,000 | Spalding county 911 reported numerous trees and power lines were blown down county-wide. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $8,000 | An amateur radio operator reported trees blown down from S. 17th Street to Kennedy and N. 2nd Street. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Griffin | $8,000 | An amateur radio operator reported multiple trees and power lines blown down around the intersection of Poplar Street and 13th Street. |
| December 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pomona | $7,000 | The public reported that strong winds separated a portion of a roof on a home from a wall. The Spalding County Emergency Management Director and the Spalding County 911 Center reported that a few trees and a couple of power lines were down between Sunny Side, Pomona, Griffin, and the east side of Griffin. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Experiment | $6,000 | The Spalding County Emergency Manager reported several trees and a few power lines blown down in the north Griffin area south of Experiment. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Griffin | $5,000 | Multiple trees down on roadways and on powerlines in SE Griffin. |
Mines and quarries
7 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 7 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 5 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 2 |
| Gemstone | 2 |
| Iron | 1 |
| Manganese | 1 |
| Granite | 1 |
| Mica | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melton Prospects | Mica | Prospect | ||
| The Turner Quarry | Granite | Past Producer | ||
| Walker Property | Iron, Manganese | Prospect | ||
| Allen Prospect | Gemstone | Prospect | ||
| Griffin Granite Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Griffin Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unnamed Beryl Deposit | Gemstone | Occurrence |
Every populated place in the county
21Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on. The 1 place that was also surveyed for fire insurance comes first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.
-
Griffin
Griffin census division · 30224 · Griffin South quadrangle
9 sheets, 1953 to 1979
Fire insurance: 9 atlases
-
Blantons Mill
Vaughn census division · 30292 · On Flat Creek · Hollonville quadrangle
9 sheets, 1953 to 1979
-
Burdett
Sunny Side census division · 30223 · Griffin North quadrangle
9 sheets, 1953 to 1979
No longer a settlement
-
East Griffin
Griffin census division · 30223 · Near Barrow Hill · Orchard Hill quadrangle
11 sheets, 1951 to 1979
-
Pleasant Grove
Towalaga census division · 30223 · On Troublesome Creek · Luella quadrangle
10 sheets, 1953 to 1979
-
Towalaga
Towalaga census division · 30223 · On Thompson Creek · Luella quadrangle
10 sheets, 1953 to 1979
-
Valdo
Vaughn census division · 30223 · Brooks quadrangle
9 sheets, 1953 to 1979
No longer a settlement
The vanished settlements of Spalding County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
Recorded here
Griffin, Georgia
9 topographic sheets and 9 fire insurance atlases, 1885 to 1949
Everything this county holds
The complete index, with nothing left out. Each of these is a separate record with its own page: a federal survey report, or the case file that argued a property on to the National Register. Both are public domain and reproduced word for word.
Surveyed structures
6 structures- Bailey-Tebeault House
- Drewry House
- J. P. Nichols House
- Jack Collins Texaco Station
- Reverend Obediah C. Gibson House
- Sixth Street Bridge
The vanished settlements of Spalding County, the places these records name that are no longer on the map.
Provenance
- Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
- Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
- Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
- Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
- Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
- Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.