Academy of Richmond County High School - Arc Yearbook (Augusta, GA)

Page 12 text:

i U. ijgjtlia aac .H Foundation of The Acadein of Richmond County 'T' HE Academy of Richmond County is the oldest educational institution in Georgia, aml the fourth oldest in the lvnited States. The Statute of 1783, under which it was c1'eated, may not be a teclmical charter, and no corporate name was given to the Board, which, though not called Trustees of the Richmond Academy, was referred to sometimes as the C0111- missioners of Richmond County, sometimes as the Trustees of Augusta, and sometimes as the Trustees of the Academy and the Church. The original act did not designate the duties of the Board. They exercised all manner of powers, many of them diverse, and from our present standpoint incongruous. It laid out the town, numbered the lots, named the streets, built St. Paulis Church, managed the Academy and chose the teachers, ran a lottery, repaired the river bank, narrowed Broad aml Greene Streets, and performed many other functions not recorded here. In 1783, immediately after the close of the war, the first demand of the citizens was for the establishment of an Academy. The new State had no money and no means of raising it, but it took advantage of the fact that the land in and around Augusta was held under royal grants, containing a provi- sion that the purchaser should improve the property within a given time, 01' else that the lot should revert back to the King. Many of these lots had been bought up by those who did not improve them. and hence were liable to fo1'- feiture. These, together with the Public Reserve, originally laid out as a com- mon around the Fort, were vested in Trustees to be sold, and the proceeds used for building a church, and for the building of an academy or seminary of learning, It was, of course, necessary to sell lots and raise money before the school could be established. But the citizens were not willing to wait on that slow progress for raising R11 endowment sulticient enough to maintain the academy. They did not want their children to be deprived of that which was instantly needed. But the Board looked at it from a linancial standpoint, and took no steps either towards hiring a teacher or erecting a building. The public was not satisfied with the progress made and the Grand Jury, on March 27, 1784-, presented as a grievance the want of a seminary of learning. This stimulated the Board, and they let a contract for the erection of a schoolhouse. rllllis contractor died before any work was done, and the Grand Jury again in Octo- ber, 17841, presented as a grievance the languishinv situation of the CJ intended academy or seminary of learning. The Board then res- cinded the contract with the executor of the deceased contractor, but appeared to have been unable to forward the building. The Grand Jurv, awain res ,iondin to the Jublic im atience on March . D . 9 ZH, 1785, mresented as a 0'l'1L'Vil.IlCQ the Commissioners for the ubhe . 1 nl Q . D . . . s P buildings ot this town tor not making proper exertions in getting the church and academy erected, notwithstanding the tunds appropriated for the purpose and which are deemed more than adequate to carry the same into execution. This presentment stirred them into motion, and on the next day, March 25, 1785 the Board havinu' consulted u Jon the em loyment of a Blaster for the 7 D . ISI

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D U X U T H E A R C E' Academy, and Mr. YVm. Rogers, late of the state of Maryland, having been well recommended, as being of good fame and sutticiently learned in the sciences, appointed him Blaster at a salary of 5200 and the use of the buildings and garden, for which the said Master should give his whole time, shall teach the Latin. Greek and English languages, and the common practical branches of mathematics, according to the rules established and practiced in the seminaries of learning and reading in the Vnited States. Children learning letters and reading, will be charged Sli-1.00: those learning the principles of the English grammar anll ciphering, 555.001 and those learning the Latin and Greek lang- uages, or any branch of the mathematics, 3510.00 per quarter. The school established was for boys and girls and remained so for a long period, its exact termination not being known. On the same day they resolved that a merchant be employed to import books, the list of which shows a high standard for the new school. Also French and English tutors were employed at a salary of 2145500 each. The school was first held in some building that had formerly been used in pre-revolutionary days, and was opened in April, 1785, the first commence- ment being on October 241, 1786. lVe cannot determine exactly where the first schoolhouse was located, but the minutes of May, 1784, show that the Board let the contract for a building which was to he erected on the square bounded by Yvashington, Reynolds, McIntosh and Bay, the academy to be exactly in the centerg a large gate, avenue and court to he exactly in the front, and a garden from the back to the rear. This site was abandoned, and the first schoolhouse wsa erected on Bay between Elbert and Lincoln. In it court was held, and also church services, until 1789, when Paul's was built. This building was spoker of as tenement No. 9. There was evidently another large building on the adjoining lot, for, at the same time, it was resolved that the lot No. 8 'should be reserved until the further order ot' the Board for the sessions of the General Assembly, and for the holding of the Superior and Inferior Courts of the county, together with the Circuit and District Courts of the United States, and that for that purpose the keys were to be given to his Excellency upon his application, who is required after the rising ot' the Legislature to deliver the same to the sheritt' for the uses last namedf' The Public Examinations were held in the spring and fall, and it is most interesting to note to what great importance they were considered by the entire community. They were attended by the Board officially and by the public generally, sometimes by the Governor and the Executive Council, later by the City Council in a body. The first of which we have any record is that of March 30, 1786, and another in July, 1789. The above a1'ticle was written by Felton Davis of t.he Class of 1916, and was published in last year's MARC. XVe are publishing it again this year because of its unusual merit. :El