George Washington Papers

[Diary entry: 17 May 1791]

Tuesday 17th. Breakfasted at Skinners 17 Miles—dined at Lamberts 13—and lodged at Waynesborough (wch. was coming 6 miles out of our way) 14 in all 43 Miles. Waynesborough is a small place, but the Seat of the Court of Burkes County—6 or 8 dwelling houses is all it contains; an attempt is making (without much apparent effect) to establish an Accademy at it as is the case also in all the Counties.

Waynesboro, Ga., named in honor of Anthony Wayne, was established by an act of the General Assembly in July 1783. The same act, in obedience to a stipulation made in Georgia’s 1777 constitution that schools should “be erected in each county and supported at the general expense of the State,” provided for an academy for Burke County at Waynesboro, an academy for Richmond County at Augusta, and a “free school” for Wilkes County at newly created Washington, Ga. (CANDLER [2] description begins Allen D. Candler, comp. The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia. 26 vols. Atlanta, 1904–19. description ends , 19:248–56, pt.2; KILPATRICK description begins William H. Kilpatrick. “The Beginnings of the Public School System in Georgia.” Georgia Historical Quarterly 5 (1921): 3–19. description ends , 4; COULTER description begins E. Merton Coulter. “The Ante-Bellum Academy Movement in Georgia.” Georgia Historical Quarterly 5 (1921): 11–42. description ends , 11–12).

Index Entries