This article is about the city of Washington in Georgia. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Washington County, Georgia.
Washington, Georgia
City
Coordinates33°44′12.5″N 82°44′21.5″W
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyWilkes
MayorBruce Baily
CouncilWashington City Council
Settled1774
Incorporated1804
FounderStephen Heard
Named forGeorge Washington
Unit prefImperial
Area total20.08 km²
Area land19.94 km²
Area water0.14 km²
Area total7.75 sq mi
Area land7.70 sq mi
Area water0.05 sq mi
Population as of2020
Population total3754
Population density188.29 km²
Population density487.66 sq mi
Population demonymWashingtonian
Time zoneEastern (EST) (UTC-5)
Time zone (DST)EDT (UTC-4)
Elevation185 m
Elevation607 ft
ZIP code30673
Area codes706/762
FIPS code13-80704[1]
GNIS feature ID0356620[2]
Websitecityofwashingtonga.gov

Washington is a city in and the county seat of Wilkes County, Georgia, United States.[3] 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 the Confederacy voted to dissolve itself, effectively ending the American Civil War.

As of the 2020 census, Washington had a population of 3,754.[4] The city is often referred to as Washington-Wilkes, to distinguish it from other places named Washington.

History

Heard's Fort was established in 1774 by colonist Stephen Heard. The settlement served as the temporary capital of the new state of Georgia from February 3, 1780, until early 1781.[5]

American Revolutionary War

The Battle 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 11 miles (18 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

As a child, Alexander H. Stephens had studied at the school in Washington presided over by Presbyterian minister Alexander Hamilton Webster. He later became a politician and was elected as vice-president of the Confederacy.

No major battles of the Civil War were fought in or near Washington, but the city is notable as the site where Confederate President Jefferson Davis held his last meeting with his cabinet. On April 3, 1865, with Union troops under General Ulysses S. Grant poised to capture the capital at Richmond, Virginia, Davis escaped for Danville, 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

Several historic sites in Washington are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Wilkes County Courthouse, the Robert Toombs House State Historic Site, the Washington-Wilkes Historical Museum,[7] the Mary Willis Public Library,[8] Cherry Grove Baptist Church Schoolhouse, and the recently restored historic Fitzpatrick Hotel, built in 1898.[9]

Geography

Washington is located at 33°44′7″N 82°44′29″W (33.735394, −82.741420).[10]

According to the United 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

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 3,754 people, 1,646 households, and 904 families residing in the city. The median age was 46.8 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 80.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 77.0 males age 18 and over.[11][12]

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[13]

There were 1,978 housing units in Washington.[12] Of all households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 30.9% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 44.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.7%.[11]

Washington racial composition 2020[14]
RaceNum.Perc.
White1,22632.66%
Black or African American2,27760.66%
Native American120.32%
Asian240.64%
Other/Mixed1223.25%
Hispanic or Latino932.48%

Education

The Wilkes County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one primary school, one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[15] The district has 116 full-time teachers and over 1,858 students.[16]

Michelle Smith is the Superintendent of Schools.[17]

One of Washington's most lingering mysteries is that of the lost Confederate gold.[18] 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 channel A&E produced a documentary focusing on this legend.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  5. ^ "Washington, Georgia". www.kudcom.com
  6. ^ "Washington, Georgia". www.kudcom.com
  7. ^ "Washington, Georgia". www.kudcom.com
  8. ^ "General Info". n-georgia.com. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  9. ^ "The Fitzpatrick Hotel in Washington, Georgia – A Brief History". thefitzpatrickhotel.com
  10. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  11. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  12. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  13. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  14. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  15. ^ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  16. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  17. ^ "Wilkes County Board of Education". Wilkes County Schools. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  18. ^ "Washington, Georgia – Lost Confederate Gold". www.kudcom.com
  19. ^ Associated Press, Thomasville Times Enterprise, "Maj. Gen. Lloyd Brown, Retired Army Officer, Died in Washington," February 18, 1950

Further reading

Government
General information