7.2% of those age 65 or over. History The land where Demorest is now located was given by the State of Georgia to W. Stripling in 1829. Stripling did little with the land aside from maintaining a family farm. In 1840, the land was transferred to Dr. Paul Rossignol who built a summer home on the west side of Lake Demorest. That house became significant to the history of Demorest. Among other things, it was one of the first buildings used by Piedmont College, now Piedmont University, which was established in 1897. Demorest was platted in 1890 as a temperance town, and named after William Jennings Demorest, a prohibition advocate. Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the "City of Demorest" in 1889. Notable landmarks Notable landmarks in the city include Demorest Springs Park, the Old Demorest Train Depot, Demorest Women's Club and the former Lake Demorest. One of Demorest's most popular landmarks is the Johnny Mize Athletic Center and Museum. The museum is owned by Piedmont University and is named for Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize. Mize was born in Demorest, and played baseball at Piedmont. The museum houses Mize memorabilia from his time at Piedmont as well as from his professional baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and the New York Yankees. In addition to the museum, Mize's childhood home is a Georgia Historical site with a private owner. The most recent landmark is the new addition of the pedestrian bridge over a span of Historic U.S. 441 in front of the Piedmont University campus. The new bridge was assembled off-site and lowered into place by crane. The bridge was modeled after the Vanderbilt University 21st Avenue Pedestrian Bridge. The installation of the bridge was a joint project of the Georgia Department of Transportation, Piedmont College and the city of Demorest. References External links Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Habersham County, Georgia