Jones County GaArchives History - Schools Fortville Academy 9th December, 1822 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Virginia Crilley varcsix@hot.rr.com October 5, 2003, 12:08 pm Source: Galileo ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, PASSED AT MILLEDGEVILEE, AT AN ANNUAL SESSION, IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 1822. [missing title] ACADEMIES. 1822 Vol. 1 -- Page: 3 Sequential Number: 001 Short Title: To incorporate Fortville Academy, in Jones County Type: AN ACT Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Georgia in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That from and immediately after the passage of this act, the academy in Jones county, now known by the name of Fortville Academy, shall be known and called by that name; and that Robert Hutchings, John W. Gordon, Thomas Jefferson *, William Harris, and Robert Brown, and their successors in office, be and they are hereby declared to be a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of the Trustees of Fortville Academy and as such shall be capable and liable in law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, and shall be authorised to make such bye-laws and regulations as may be necessary for the government of said academy; Provided, such bye-laws are not repugnant to the constitution and laws of this state -- and for that purpose may have and use a common seal, appoint such officers as they may think proper, and remove the same from office for improper conduct or neglect of duty. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said trustees shall be capable of accepting and be invested with all manner of property, real and personal, all donations, gifts, grants, privileges, and immunities whatsoever, which may belong to said institution, or which may hereafter be conveyed or transferred to them, Page: 4 or their successors in office, to have and to hold the same for the proper benefit and behoof of said academy. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That when any vacancy may happen by death, resignation, or otherwise, of any of the trustees of said academy, the survivors, or a majority of said trustees, shall fill the same in such manner as shall be pointed out by the bye-laws and regulations of the trustees aforesaid. ALLEN DANIEL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. MATTHEW TALBOT, President of the Senate. JOHN CLARK, Governor. Approval Date: Assented to, 9th December, 1822. NOTE: Thomas Jefferson was a Justice of the Peace in Jones County.(possibly the Round Oak area. He is listed in the 1820 census. jensgen@earthlink.net ============= Copied by permission from "History of Jones Co., GA by Carolyn White Williams Written by Louise Morton FORTVILLE Among the old landmarks of Jones County is the "Old Fort," sometimes called "The Fortification," the site of an early Indian trading post or fort. Now referred to locally as Fortville, it is located in Pope's District, Military District No. 358. It was located at the crossing of the upper stage road from Milledgeville to Macon by Clinton and on the Garrison Road to Blountsville and Eatonton. It was also the crossing of two old Indian trails between Ocmulgee and Oconee Towns on to Eagle Rock in Putnam, "Choctaw Trail." At intervals through this section and up near Cedar Creek were large Indian mounds said to have been built for giving signals. Now demolished through years of cultivation of the land, traces of these mounds are still distinguished. Arrowheads abound in this vicinity. A fine spring in a sheltered spot at the foot of a steep drop off of thirty or more feet near one mound made it an ideal spot for an Indian camp or village. An act incorporating Fortville Academy was passed on Dec. 9, 1822. The trustees were: Robert HUTCHINS, Chr., John W. GORDON, Thomas JEFFERSON, William HARRIS, and Robert BROWN. Children were taught here before the day of free public schools. Almost opposite the Indian mounds a Methodist church was established in 1832 on land given by John W. GORDON. For many years this church was the largest and mot progressive rural church in middle Georgia. In 1879 the old church was torn down and replaced by a comfortable chapel, later moved to Haddock. Trustees of the church property as named in the deed made 2 Sept. 1879 were: B.F. ROSS, W. A. CHAMBERS, John R. BONNER, James FINNEY, J.L. WHITE, James D. GODARD and John S. LEWIS. Some of the settlers here were the following families: HUTCHINGS, PRATT, SINGLETON, BROWN, LESTER, MOUGHON, STEWART, PITTS, DAVIS, MERCER, GORDON, CATCHING, MORRIS, LOW, LAMAR, JARRETT, BLANDFORD, WRIGHT, TUFTS, WOODALL, BONNER, MOORE, MILLER, BARFIELD, BULLINGTON, ROBERTS, GODARD, BLOW, HOLT, WRIGHT, CLARK, MASTERSON and SMITH. When Sherman's forces marched from Round Oak to Milledgeville, they stopped at Blountsville and divided into two groups, sending one by Fortville where they camped in the yard of the Robert HUTCHINGS' home and foraged on the land. Several hundred bales of cotton were burned that night. Mr. HUTCHINGS was owner of the local store which housed the post office and the stagecoach station Robert HUTCHINGS' son became the noted mental specialist of Ogdensburg, N.Y. Judge LeRoy SINGLETON married Ellen HUTCHINGS, daughter of Robert HUTCHINGS and lived in the beautiful old HUTCHINGS home near the Moughon place. Judge SINGLETON had a daughter Harriett by a former marriage who married Thomas MORRIS and is the grandmother of Hon. Carl VINSON, M.C. from the 6th District who is affectionately referred to by his associates as, "The Admiral." Dr. Francis TICKNOR, father of Francis Orray TICKNOR, author of "Little Giffen of Tennessee," lived near Fortville. Daniel PRATT the famous architect married Miss Esther TICKNOR, the sister of Dr. Francis TICKNOR while he was living in Fortville, which was his residence for twelve years. PRATT came to Milledgeville in 1821, built Lowther Hall in Clinton in 1822, the John W. GORDON house near Haddock in 1824-28 (known as the Bowen-Blount house) and Westover near Milledgeville for Benj. S. JORDAN around 1830. He bought John W. GORDON's home site in Fortville in 182 and soled it to Thomas MOUGHON in 1828. Thos. MOUGHON was a cousin of Benj. S. JORDAN and John W. GORDON and the three vied with each other in building their stately homes. In 1885 there were five nice homes still standing in Fortville, where today there is little to remind one of its splendid prosperity of a bygone century and unless posterity is careful to preserve records and mark locations, the historic places will not even be a memory. Typed by Barbara S.