City of Oxford

110 West Clark Street, Oxford, GA 30054
Phone: 770.786.7004     Fax: 770.786.2211
www.cityofoxfordga.com

Incorporated: 1839
Population: 2,040
Total Area: 2.56 square miles

Oxford is the birthplace of Emory University, founded by the Methodist Church.  Oxford College of Emory University still thrives on the original campus.  The town, named in honor of John and Charles Wesley's alma mater in England, was chartered in 1839.

Edward Lloyd Thomas, a Methodist minister and surveyor, designed the town with exceedingly broad rights of way radiating in spokes from the college.  Its original 125 lots were offered on a 999 year lease with the provision that no intoxicating liquors shall be sold nor any game of hazard be allowed on the lots under penalty of forfeiture.  These lots were later sold for private ownership.  The original streets were all named for notable Methodists.  Many 19th century buildings and sites related to Methodism are still standing.

Old Oxford did have several small business enterprises to accommodate the townspeople and the campus.  Reportedly, the first Coca-Cola sold outside of Atlanta was in one of Oxford's general stores.  A mule drawn trolley (the old trolley barn was at Wesley and Fletcher Streets) provided public transportation between Oxford and the City of Covington.  The entire town, including the college, was designated a Shrine of the United Methodist Church in 1972, the first town in the country to be so designated.

narrative source: www.georgia.gov

Basic Demographics for the City of Oxford
www.georgia2000.com