Washingtonis thecounty seatofWilkes County,[4]Georgia,United States. Under its original name, Heard's Fort, it was for a brief time during the American Revolutionary War the Georgia state capital. It is noteworthy as the place where theConfederacyvoted to dissolve itself, effectively ending theAmerican Civil War.
Washington, Georgia | |
|---|---|
| City of Washington | |
 | |
 Flag | |
 Location inWilkes Countyand the state ofGeorgia | |
  Washington Location of Washington in the US | |
| Coordinates:33°44′12.5″N82°44′21.5″W/ 33.736806°N 82.739306°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| County | Wilkes |
| Settled | 1774 |
| Incorporated | 1804 |
| Founded by | Stephen Heard |
| Named for | George Washington |
| Government | |
| •Mayor | Bruce Baily |
| •Council | Washington City Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.75 sq mi (20.08 km2) |
| • Land | 7.70 sq mi (19.94 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 607 ft (185 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,754 |
| • Density | 487.66/sq mi (188.29/km2) |
| Demonym | Washingtonian |
| Time zone | UTC-5(Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4(EDT) |
| ZIP code | 30673 |
| Area code(s) | 706/762 |
| FIPS code | 13-80704[2] |
| GNISfeature ID | 0356620[3] |
| Website | cityofwashingtonga |
The population was 4,134 as of the 2010 census. The city is often referred to as Washington-Wilkes, to distinguish it from other places named Washington.
History
editHeard's Fort was established in 1774 by colonistStephen Heard.The settlement served as the temporarycapitalof the new state of Georgia from February 3, 1780, until early 1781.[5]
American Revolutionary War
editTheBattle of Kettle Creek,one of the most important battles of the American Revolutionary War to be fought in Georgia, was fought on February 14, 1779, in Wilkes County, about eleven miles (17.7 km) from present-day Washington. The American Patriots were victorious, taking 75 prisoners and killing roughly 70 Loyalists, while losing 32 of their own men.
American Civil War
editAs a child,Alexander H. Stephenshad studied at the school in Washington presided over byPresbyterianminister Alexander Hamilton Webster. He later became a politician and was elected as Vice-President of the Confederacy.
No major battles of theCivil Warwere fought in or near Washington, but the city is notable as the site where Confederate PresidentJefferson Davisheld his last meeting with his cabinet. On April 3, 1865, with Union troops under GeneralUlysses S. Grantpoised to capture the capital atRichmond, Virginia,Davis escaped forDanville,together with the Confederate cabinet.
After leaving Danville, and continuing south, Davis met with his Cabinet for the last time on May 5, 1865, in Washington, along with a hand-picked escort led by Given Campbell, including his personal body guard, Sgt. Joseph A Higgenbotham, Jr., of Amherst/Nelson County, Virginia. The meeting took place at the Heard house[6](now used as the Georgia Branch Bank Building), with fourteen officials present.
Historic sites
editSeveral historic sites in Washington are on theNational Register of Historic Places,including theWilkes County Courthouse,theRobert Toombs House State Historic Site,theWashington-Wilkes Historical Museum,[7]theMary Willis Public Library,[8]Cherry Grove Baptist Church Schoolhouse,and the recently restored historicFitzpatrick Hotel,built in 1898.[9]
Geography
editWashington is located at33°44′7″N82°44′29″W/ 33.73528°N 82.74139°W(33.735394, −82.741420).[10]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20 km2), of which 7.8 square miles (20 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.25%) is water.
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 596 | — | |
| 1820 | 695 | 16.6% | |
| 1850 | 462 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,506 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,199 | 46.0% | |
| 1890 | 2,631 | 19.6% | |
| 1900 | 3,300 | 25.4% | |
| 1910 | 3,065 | −7.1% | |
| 1920 | 4,208 | 37.3% | |
| 1930 | 3,158 | −25.0% | |
| 1940 | 3,537 | 12.0% | |
| 1950 | 3,802 | 7.5% | |
| 1960 | 4,440 | 16.8% | |
| 1970 | 4,094 | −7.8% | |
| 1980 | 4,662 | 13.9% | |
| 1990 | 4,279 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 4,295 | 0.4% | |
| 2010 | 4,134 | −3.7% | |
| 2020 | 3,754 | −9.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,226 | 32.66% |
| Black or African American | 2,277 | 60.66% |
| Native American | 12 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 24 | 0.64% |
| Other/Mixed | 122 | 3.25% |
| HispanicorLatino | 93 | 2.48% |
As of the2020 United States census,there were 3,754 people, 1,646 households, and 904 families residing in the city.
Education
editTheWilkes County School Districtholds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one primary school, one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[13]The district has 116 full-time teachers and over 1,858 students.[14]
- Washington-Wilkes Elementary School
- Washington-Wilkes Primary School
- Washington-Wilkes Middle School
- Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School
Dr. Rosemary Caddell is the Superintendent of Schools.[15]
In popular culture
editOne of Washington's most lingering mysteries is that of the lost Confederate gold.[16]As the last recorded location of the remaining Confederate gold, the Washington area is thought to be the site where it is buried. Worth roughly $100,000 when it disappeared in 1865, at 2016 prices its value would be around $3.6 million. The cable television channelA&Eproduced a documentary focusing on this legend.
Notable people
edit- Edward Porter Alexander– officer in theU.S. Army,Confederategeneral in theAmerican Civil War,railroad executive
- James Osgood Andrew– bishop
- Edward McKendree Bounds– clergyman and author
- Lloyd D. Brown–United States Armymajor generalwho commanded the28th Infantry DivisioninWorld War II[17]
- Ernie Harwell– broadcaster for Major League Baseball, "The Voice of the Tigers"
- Hillary Lindsey–Grammy Award–winning songwriter
- Tom Nash– professional football and baseball player
- Robert Toombs– first Secretary of State of the Confederacy, slaveholder,Confederategeneralin theCivil War
- William Henry Pope–Texaspolitician
- Fred Thomas– guitarist forJames Brown
See also
edit
References
edit- ^"2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 18,2021.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^"US Board on Geographic Names".United States Geological Survey.October 25, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
- ^"Washington, Georgia".kudcom.
- ^"Washington, Georgia".kudcom.
- ^"Washington, Georgia".kudcom.
- ^"General Info".n-georgia.RetrievedJuly 14,2011.
- ^"The Fitzpatrick Hotel in Washington, Georgia – A Brief History".thefitzpatrickhotel.
- ^"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".United States Census Bureau.February 12, 2011.RetrievedApril 23,2011.
- ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
- ^"Explore Census Data".data.census.gov.RetrievedDecember 7,2021.
- ^Georgia Board of Education,Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ^School Stats,Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ^"Wilkes County Board of Education".Wilkes County Schools.RetrievedJune 16,2012.
- ^"Washington, Georgia – Lost Confederate Gold".kudcom.
- ^Associated Press,Thomasville Times Enterprise,"Maj. Gen. Lloyd Brown, Retired Army Officer, Died in Washington," February 18, 1950
Further reading
edit- Davis, William C.,ed. (1990).Diary of a Confederate Soldier: John S. Jackman of the Orphan Brigade.American Military History. Columbia, South Carolina:University of South Carolina Press.pp.2, 5, 6, 164, 166–68.ISBN0-87249-695-3.LCCN90012431.OCLC906557161.
External links
edit
- Government
- General information
