Old Phoenix Academy

Old Phoenix Academy was erected on 14 October 1818 on the land of Francis Ward, 9 miles North East of Eatonton.

RESOLVED to erect an academy....William Walker, William E. Adams, Hardy Pace, Amos Ward, Beverly Slaughter, William Turner, Joseph Turner, John L. Williams, Iddo Ellis, William Alexander and Francis Ward.

The old school was torn down in 1831.

A reunion of the school was had in August of 1886 in Eatonton, and the following persons were present:

Mark A. Cooper, Eatonton was his boyhood home

L. Q. C. Lamar, Eatonton was his boyhood home
Mirabeau Lamar, Eatonton was his boyhood home

Alfred Iverson, Sr., Eatonton was his boyhood home

Philo Woodruff of New York, read law, was married in Greensboro

Joseph A. Turner, one of the rectors of Old Phoenix, was the son of William Turner, the editor of "The Countryman" and a magazine "The Plantation."

Colonel B. F. Adams was the oldest living student of the Phoenix.

John O. Rosser, was the oldest log student present.

Former teachers present were:

Hon. William W. Wilson of Sumter County
Prof. John F. Harvey of Ft. Valley

Judge M. S. Weaver of Putnam County

Thomas K. Little of Eatonton.


Students Present were:

Hon. A. Wilson of Sumter County
R. L. Wilson of Greene County

A. D. Gatewood of Sumter County

N. H. DeJarnette of Greene County

Milton Little of Hancock County
Sam T. Reid of Jasper County.

Source: The Eatonton Reunion newspaper dated 16 August 1886.