Damascus, Georgia

An early variant name was Kestler.{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/d.pdf | title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=57 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}} An act of Georgia General Assembly officially changed the name to Damascus in 1914.{{cite book|title=Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia|url=https://archive.org/details/actspassedbygen01georgoog|year=1914|publisher=J. Johnston|page=[https://archive.org/details/actspassedbygen01georgoog/page/n937 932]}} The present name is a transfer from nearby Old Damascus, which it was named for Damascus, Syria. Old Damascus would be bypassed when a new railroad line was being built through the area.

In 2021, an EF2 tornado struck the area south of town, causing major damage and injuring five people.{{cite report|via=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Tallahassee, Florida|title=NWS Damage Survey for 02/15/2021 Tornado Event – Update #2|url=https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=PNSTAE&e=202102172300|date=February 17, 2021|access-date=February 17, 2021}}{{cite report|via=National Centers for Environmental Information|title=Storm Events Database February 15, 2021|url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=942828|publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information|access-date=May 19, 2021}}

On June 14, 2023, a tornado struck the town destroying a home and slightly injuring three people.

Damascus is located in eastern Early County at {{coord|31|17|55|N|84|43|3|W|type:city}} (31.298580, -84.717429).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} Georgia State Route 45 passes through the community, leading north {{convert|10|mi|0}} to Arlington and south {{convert|9|mi|0}} to Colquitt. Georgia State Route 200 also passes through the center of town, leading east {{convert|24|mi}} to Newton and northwest {{convert|15|mi}} to Blakely, the Early County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Damascus has a total area of {{convert|4.6|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.02|km2|order=flip|2}}, or 0.48%, is water.

{{US Census population

|1910= 413

|1920= 373

|1930= 436

|1940= 477

|1950= 402

|1960= 297

|1970= 272

|1980= 403

|1990= 290

|2000= 277

|2010= 254

|2020= 212

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1850-1870{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1870|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}} 1870-1880{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-09.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}
1890-1910{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1910 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1910|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ga.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}} 1920-1930{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1930 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1930|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|pages=251–256}}
1940{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1940 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1940|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1950{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1950 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1950|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/37779083v2p11ch2.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1960{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1960|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-12-c.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}
1970{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1970|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ga-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1980{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1980|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_gaABC-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1990{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1990|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cph-5/cph-5-12.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}
2000{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 2010{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 2010|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-12.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}

}}

In 2020, the city had a population of 212, down from 254 in 2010 and 277 in 2000.

File:Southwest Georgia Academy, Damascus.jpg, located on the grounds of the former Damascus High School]]

Public school students are zoned to the Early County School District which operates three schools in Blakely: Early County Elementary School, Early County Middle School, and Early County High School.

Damascus is home to Southwest Georgia Academy, which was founded in 1970 as a segregation academy{{cite news |title=A town lost in time |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53560861/southwest-georgia-academy-a/ |access-date=16 June 2020 |publisher=Atlanta Constitution |date=March 2, 1980}} and participates in the Georgia Independent School Association. Its property formerly housed Damascus High School."[http://www.sgawarriors.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=199958&type=d&pREC_ID=432415 Welcome]." Southwest Georgia Academy. Retrieved on July 31, 2017.

File:Early County Fire Damascus District 601.jpg|Early County Fire Damascus District fire station

File:Damascus Post Office, Georgia.jpg|Damascus Post Office

• Robbie Robinson, bodybuilder, actor, three-time Mr. Universe overall winner
• Shawn Williams (American football), football player, Atlanta Falcons

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{{Early County, Georgia}}

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Category:Cities in Early County, Georgia

Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)