Pike Road in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Georgia Washington School

Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 27, 2014

1. Georgia Washington School Marker

Inscription. Miss Georgia Washington founded the Peoples Village School for black students on this site in 1893. Georgia Washington was born a slave November 23, 1851 in Virginia. As a student at Hampton Institute, Virginia, she met Dr. Booker T. Washington who later recruited her to teach here in Mt. Meigs. The first year the enrollment grew from four to 100 students. She retired in 1936, after 43 years of service, and the school was deeded to Montgomery County. A new school building was dedicated in February 1950 and was named Georgia Washington School. She died October 5, 1952 and is buried here on the grounds of her beloved school.

Erected 2001 by the East Montgomery County Historical Society & the Alabama Historical Association.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Association, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1950.

Location. 32° 21.268′ N, 86° 6.087′ W. Marker is in Pike Road, Alabama, in Montgomery County. Marker is at the intersection of Georgia Washington Road and Antioch Lane, on the right when traveling south on Georgia Washington Road. Touch for map

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. Marker is at or near this postal address: 696 Georgia Washington Road, Pike Road AL 36064, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Antioch Baptist Church (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Grace Episcopal Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Chantilly Plantation (approx. 0.7 miles away); Ray Cemetery (approx. 2.1 miles away); Taylor Field (approx. 3.2 miles away); The Oaks Plantation (approx. 3.3 miles away); Lucas Tavern (approx. 3.6 miles away); Lucas Hill Cemetery (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pike Road.

Regarding Georgia Washington School.
History of Georgia Washington Junior High School

Georgia Washington arrived in the village of Mt. Meigs in 1893 to recognize her own dream and establish a school. She found that no place had been provided for herself or the school. The pastor of the church gave her lodging for the first month. By October 1893, she had rented a cabin, 12'x13', and opened the public village school at Mt. Meigs with an enrollment of four small boys. Shortly afterward enrollment had increased so much that they moved into the Antioch Baptist Church.

During her first year at Mt. Meigs, Miss Washington lived alone in a cabin she had rented

Georgia Washington School Marker area image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 27, 2014

2. Georgia Washington School Marker area

for herself about a quarter of a mile from the school. By February the people had bought and paid for two acres of land and built a small school house, 18' by 36'. The enrollment that first year was one hundred. After that first year, however, the school grew rapidly. Outside aid came, new buildings were added and two Hampton teachers joined Miss Washington.

Georgia Washington's dream of planting a school in the wilderness was being realized. By 1916 the Peoples Village School had grown from an enrollment of four small boys and one teacher to an enrollment of 225 students and five teachers. From having no place at all, now there was a two-story school house with three recitation rooms, an assembly hall, and rooms for teaching industries to both boys and girls. There was also a teachers house, a dormitory, and a kitchen; the school owned 27 acres of land. The land was cultivated and provided a means of teaching the boys and girls how to farm and live a farm life. It also supplied food for the students and teachers. Graduates were encouraged to seek higher learning, and many did, attending such school as Hampton Institutes, Tuskegee Institute , Meharry Medical College, and others. Others went back home to apply knowledge gained at people's village School in living clean useful lives

Changes were occurring in the Mt. Meigs community during this time. In 1932, Miss

School changed to Georgia Washington Middle School, now Pike Road High School. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 27, 2014

3. School changed to Georgia Washington Middle School, now Pike Road High School.

Washington wrote in a letter to school supporters that over one hundred families owned their homes and small tracts of land in and about Mt. Meigs and that all the land touching the school ground was owned by African Americans." They like to live near the school". The life of Mt Meigs was centered around the church and the school. The people's Village school and campus was described as a"stately", the buildings were all painted a warm brown and were trimmed in beige. All students were required to assume some work responsibility at the school in addition to classroom activities. The results could be seen in the clean, neat, well kept appearance of the school and its grounds. The school is credited with having the first electric lights in Mt Meigs and, at one time, the big school bell served as a clock for the community.

In 1936, after 43 years of dedicated service, Ms. Georgia Washington retired. Mr. Oscar Pinkston, a former student at Peoples Village School , succeeded her as principal. Miss Washington spent her retirement living in her same residence quarters at the Peoples Village School. She saw change and progress continue and she continued to work among the people of Mt Meigs until her death in 1952. She was buried where she lived and worked on the school campus. At the time of her death, the school that stands on the site of the Peoples Village School was renamed

Grave of Georgia Washington located on school grounds. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton

4. Grave of Georgia Washington located on school grounds.

Right photo: A native of Virginia, graduate of Hampton Institute. Matron of Indian Girls at Hampton Institute for 10 years. Founded People’s Village School, Mount Meigs, Alabama (Georgia Washington High School). 71 years of service to humanity.

Georgia Washington High School in her honor.

In 1974, the school system converted the Georgia Washington School into a middle school. It served most of eastern Montgomery County. 99% of the student body was transported, by bus. The present-day building was completed in 1950 and a new wing was added in 2004. The Middle School had a student enrollment of about 600.

In 2018, the nearby Town of Pike Road paid $9.85 million for the Georgia Washington Middle School campus, and agreed to the terms that Georgia Washington’s name would stay on the school and her grave, on the school’s property, be maintained. The school is now the Pike Road High School.

Now the Pike Road High School - Georgia Washington Campus. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, January 5, 2019

5. Now the Pike Road High School - Georgia Washington Campus.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2019. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,039 times since then and 202 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 27, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 4, 5. submitted on January 5, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.