Washington Historic District

Washington, the seat of Wilkes County in eastern Georgia, was founded in 1780 as the first town named for George Washington. This district covers most of the historic city, about 862 acres, and includes several districts and individual properties listed earlier. The downtown plan of 1783 is a gridiron of streets focused on a courthouse square, and it became the model for many courthouse towns in Georgia. Around the square are one- to three-story brick commercial buildings from the 1870s onward, including the 1898 Fitzpatrick Hotel. Surrounding neighborhoods hold houses from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century, with many Federal and Greek Revival examples that were enlarged or updated over time. Landmarks include the 1904 courthouse, the 1888 Mary Willis Library and the 1891 jail. A railroad-related industrial area southwest of downtown has cotton warehouses, mills and a bottling plant. Resthaven Cemetery holds both white and African-American burials. The district also keeps surviving African-American resources west of downtown.