The following is taken from"The History of Wilkes County, Georgia", by Robert M. Willingham, Jr. on page 67: "Locust Grove Academy was chartered in 1818, near Sharon, as was the first Roman Catholic school chartered in Georgia. The Female Academy in 1819 occupied the old theatre building. The Male Academy was moved from the hill west of town to a lot facing Main and Jefferson Streets near the new Methodist Church. During this era Duncan G. Campbell conducted the Select School for Girls which was a popular finishing school for young ladies. Another teach was Robert Mabry who had come from South Carolina in 1820, to hold classes as well as oversee one of the plantations. He married Hettie Lunsford of Wilkes and moved to Cobb County in 1838. In general, the school term began in July in order to allow the pupils time off during the planting and harvesting season. This did not indicate a lack of concern for education, but a mutual adherence of one to other. Among the pupils at the Washington Academy during these years was Alexander Stephens who, owning devotion to his tutor Alex! ander Hamilton Webster, added Hamilton as his middle name, eventually becoming the great statesman, Alexander Hamilton Stephens." I recommend the book. Don ----- Original Message ----- From: RhodaFone@aol.com To: GATALIAF-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 12:03 PM Subject: RE: Locust Grove Academy Hi Jason. The following is on the Washington, Georgia website: _http://www.kudcom.com/www/mark03/mark13.html_ (http://www.kudcom.com/www/mark03/mark13.html) The Church of the Purification Locust Grove Academy In 1790 several Catholic families of English descent from Maryland settled near Locust Grove. They established the first Roman Catholic Church in Georgia and erected a log church in 1792. A priest, Father John LeMoin, was sent to it from Baltimore. French families, fleeing the French Revolution and, later, several Irish families joined the colony. After 1860 a church was erected in Sharon, as the Locust Grove location had become too remote. Locust Grove Academy, the first chartered Roman Catholic Academy in Georgia, was formed about 1818. Many prominent Georgians have come from these early Catholic families. Located on GA 47 at the church in Sharon, Georgia GHM 131-5, 1956 ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx