Washington (originally called Heard's Fort) is a city in
Wilkes CountyWilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,262 . The county seat is Washington, Georgia....
,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,295 at the 2000 census. The city is the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
Wilkes CountyWilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,262 . The county seat is Washington, Georgia....
. The town is often referred to as Washington-Wilkes by locals, distinguishing it from any other Washington in the United States.
Washington has a number of Restored antebellum, Victorian, and colonial homes along the narrow, tree-lined streets. Washington claims to have more antebellum homes, per capita, than any other town its size in Georgia .
Washington (originally called Heard's Fort) is a city in
Wilkes CountyWilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,262 . The county seat is Washington, Georgia....
,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,295 at the 2000 census. The city is the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
Wilkes CountyWilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,262 . The county seat is Washington, Georgia....
. The town is often referred to as Washington-Wilkes by locals, distinguishing it from any other Washington in the United States.
Washington has a number of Restored antebellum, Victorian, and colonial homes along the narrow, tree-lined streets. Washington claims to have more antebellum homes, per capita, than any other town its size in Georgia . Several sites in Washington are on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThis is a part of the list of historic properties and districts in Georgia that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The state list is organized by county.-Union County:-Upson County:-Walker County:-Walton County:-Ware County:...
including the
Wilkes County CourthouseWilkes County Courthouse in Washington, Georgia was built in 1904. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980....
, the
Robert Toombs State Historic SiteRobert Toombs House Historic Site in Washington, Georgia was the home of Robert Toombs, Confederate general and cabinet member. Operated as a state historic site, the 19th century period historic house museum also features exhibits about the life of Robert Toombs.The house was declared a National...
, the Mary Willis library a Victorian building, with original Tiffany stained glass windows, and the first free public library in the state.
Also on the list are The Washington-Wilkes Historical Museum
http://www.kudcom.com/www/att02.html, and the recently restored Fitzpatrick Hotel built in 1899.
Revolutionary Washington
The
Battle of Kettle CreekThe Battle of Kettle Creek was one of the most important battles of the American Revolutionary War to be fought in Georgia. The battle was fought on February 14, 1779, in Wilkes County about eight miles from present-day Washington, Georgia...
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 eight miles (13 km) from present day Washington. The battle resulted in a victory for the American Patriots who took 75 prisoners, and killed roughly 70 Loyalists, while losing 32 men in the battle.
Washington in the Civil War
Although no major battles of the
Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
were fought in or near Washington, the city has the distinction of being the location where the Confederacy was officially dissolved. On April 3, 1865, with Union troops under
Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was general-in-chief of the Union Army from 1864 to 1869 during the American Civil War and the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877....
poised to capture Richmond,
Jefferson DavisJefferson Finis Davis was an American politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history, 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War....
escaped for
Danville, VirginiaDanville is an independent city in Virginia, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for statistical purposes...
, together with the Confederate cabinet. After leaving Danville, and continuing south, Davis met with his Confederate Cabinet for the last time on May 5, 1865 in Washington, and the Confederate Government was officially dissolved. The meeting took place at the Heard house
http://www.kudcom.com/www/hpage9.html (the Georgia Branch Bank Building), with fourteen officials present.
Confederate Gold
One of Washington's most lingering mysteries is that of the lost Confederate gold
http://www.kudcom.com/www/gold.html. As the last recorded location of the remaining confederate gold, Washington, and the surrounding countryside, is thought to be the site where the remaining gold is buried. Worth roughly $100,000 in 1865, when it disappeared, in today's dollars ot's worth would be around one million dollars. The cable channel A & E produced a documentary of this Washington legend.
Washington's List of "Firsts"
The city of Washington claims to be first in many historical events:
- First city in the nation to be established in the name of George Washington, 1780
- First Baptist church in upper Georgia at Fishing Creek, 1783. Historical Marker http://www.kudcom.com/www/mark/mark31.html
- First Methodist church in Georgia was organized at Grant's Meeting House http://www.kudcom.com/www/mark/mark15.html in Wilkes County, 1787. Historical Marker http://www.kudcom.com/www/mark/mark06.html
- First Presbyterian minister ordained in Georgia was John Springer in Wilkes County, 1790. Historical Markerhttp://www.kudcom.com/www/mark/mark12.html
- First Episcopal conference not under the Church of England, 1788
- First successful cotton gin perfected and set up by Eli Whitney in Wilkes county, 1795.
- First woman newspaper editor in U.S. was Sarah Hillhouse http://www.kudcom.com/www/mark/mark34hf.html who became the editor of the Monitor in 1804 (inducted into Georgia Women of Achievement http://www.georgiawomen.org/ in 2006).
- First cotton mill in Georgia erected on Upton Creek in Wilkes County, 1811
- First woman hanged in Georgia occurred in Washington in 1806. She was Polly Barclay.
- First stamp mill for gold in the world was invented and put into use near Washington by Jeremiah Griffin, 1831-1832.
- One of the first plastic garments ever cut in the world was in Wilkes County by Margo and Alfred Moses in February 1946.
Geography
Washington is located at (33.735394, -82.741420).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20.4 km²), of which, 7.8 square miles (20.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.25%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 4,295 people, 1,778 households, and 1,162 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 547.5 people per square mile (211.5/km²). There were 1,974 housing units at an average density of 251.6/sq mi (97.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.04% White, 60.75% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.05% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 1,778 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,667, and the median income for a family was $32,500. Males had a median income of $27,281 versus $21,230 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $13,659. About 17.6% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.7% of those under age 18 and 23.2% of those age 65 or over.
As Heard's Fort
Heard's Fort
http://www.kudcom.com/www/mark/mark29.html was built as a stockade in 1774, by
Stephen HeardStephen Heard was briefly Chairman of the Executive Council of Georgia from when he was appointed on February 18, 1780 until Nathan Brownson was elected governor in August of 1781...
. Heard's Fort was designated the Seat of Government for Georgia on February 3, 1780, a position it held until 1781.
External links