Lawrenceburg is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States. The largest city on the state's southern border between Chattanooga and Memphis, it lies on the banks of Shoal Creek. The population was 11,633 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is named after War of 1812 American Navy officer James Lawrence.

Located around southwest of Nashville at the junction of U.S. Routes 43 and 64, Lawrenceburg is called the "Crossroads of Dixie."

History

According to a recent theory, the Lawrenceburg area is the likely site of "Chicasa"—the place where Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his men wintered in 1540–41 (though earlier theories have suggested this campsite to have been in northern Mississippi). The Chickasaw Nation sold the area to the US in 1816.

Upon moving from East Tennessee into the region around 1817, David Crockett served as a justice of the peace, a colonel of the militia, and a state representative. David Crockett established a powder mill on Shoal Creek originally called the Sycamore River. This area is now home to David Crockett State Park. Crockett was elected as a commissioner and served on the board that placed Lawrenceburg west of the geographic center of Lawrence County. Crockett was opposed to the city being located in its current location, largely out of fear of flooding. He and his family lived in Lawrenceburg for several years before moving to West Tennessee after a flood destroyed his mill.

After World War II, the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company, a U.S. producer of bicycles and outdoor equipment, moved its manufacturing operations to Lawrenceburg, building a new factory and assembly plant. Over the next several decades, the Murray factory grew to be one of the largest in the United States: under roof.

A flood struck Lawrenceburg in July 1998, killing two people on Shoal Creek.

Following the flood, the city undertook a 10-year flood control project that dramatically reduced risk for major flooding that had plagued the town since the days of Davy Crockett.

Geography

Lawrenceburg is located at (35.243491, −87.334563).

The city of Lawrenceburg has a total area of . It is the largest city on the state line between Chattanooga and Memphis. Located on the southern Highland Rim, Lawrence County and Lawrenceburg are set atop of a large mountain plateau of the Appalachian Mountain range with elevations ranging between to over .

Map of the Appalachian Mountain Range.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Lawrenceburg had a population of 11,633. The median age was 38.4 years, 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18, and 20.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.0 males age 18 and over.

There were 4,836 households in Lawrenceburg, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.6% were married-couple households, 19.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 38.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 9,925 || 85.3%

|-

| Black or African American || 484 || 4.2%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 33 || 0.3%

|-

| Asian || 94 || 0.8%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 248 || 2.1%

|-

| Two or more races || 849 || 7.3%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 572 || 4.9%

|}

2010 census

As of the census

  • Ingram C. Sowell (1892–1947), rear admiral, US Navy, and recipient of the Navy Cross
  • Fred Dalton Thompson (1942–2015), lawyer, U.S. senator, actor, and Law & Order cast-member; sought the GOP nomination for president in the 2008 campaign
  • James David Vaughan, credited as the father of Southern gospel music and founder of the Vaughan Publishing Company in downtown Lawrenceburg
  • William Burton Walbert (1886–1959), Southern gospel singer-songwriter
  • David Weathers, former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds; father of Ryan Weathers
  • Ryan Weathers, professional baseball pitcher in the San Diego Padres organization

References

  • City of Lawrenceburg Government