employees who otherwise would have been thrown out of work." Among fundraising activities for the poor, wealthier residents bought tickets to a show put on by local performers; the fares were paid to grocers, who made boxes of food to sell at a discount price to needy families. In a private "works project" to provide employment to men out of work, S.H. Smith Sr. decided to replace the Armstrong Hotel. After demolishing it, he employed many people to help build the towering Greystone Hotel at the corner of Broad and East Second streets. The Rome News-Tribune reported on November 30, 1933, an increase in local building permits for a total of $95,800; of this amount, $85,000 were invested by S.H. Smith Sr. in the construction of the Greystone Hotel. He added the Greystone Apartments in 1936. Geography Rome is located at the confluence of the Etowah and the Oostanaula rivers, which form the Coosa River. This gave the city access to the waterways, the major transportation routes of the era. Because of this water feature, Rome developed as a regional trade center, based originally on King Cotton. As cotton plantations were developed in the area, Rome was an increasingly important market town, shipping the commodity downriver to other markets. It was designated as the county seat of Floyd County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.29%, are covered by water. The seven hills that inspired the name of Rome are known as Blossom, Jackson, Lumpkin, Mount Aventine, Myrtle, Old Shorter, and Neely Hills (the latter is also known as Tower or Clock Tower Hill). Some of the hills have been partially graded since Rome was founded. Climate The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen climate classification, Rome has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps. Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 United States census, there were 37,713 people, 14,169 households, and 8,870 families residing in the city. 2000 census At the 2000 census, 34,980 people, 13,320 households and 8,431 families were residing in the city. The population density was . The 14,508 housing units averaged 493.7 per square mile (190.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 63.12% White, 27.66% African American, 1.42% Asian, 0.39% Native American,