Black Patriots Monument
Prominently placed on Historic Washington Square, the Black Patriots Monument honors the contributions of an estimated 5,000 black patriots who served in the Continental army during the Revolutionary War.
In honor of all Black Patriots, the memorial features a bust that represents the best-known black Patriot, James Armistead Lafayette, a double agent spy who reported the activities of General Benedict Arnold and British General Charles Cornwallis.
The monument also honors Austin Dabney, a soldier who had been born into slavery in North Carolina and enslaved in Wilkes County. As was common during the period, Dabney served as a replacement for his owner in military service. He was present at the Battle of Kettle Creek on 14 February 1779, a pivotal battle in Georgia during the Revolutionary War. After the war, Dabney was granted his freedom, a land grant and a military pension as a reward for his service.
Jackson Chapel AME Church
Established in 1867, Jackson Chapel AME was the first church erected in Wilkes County by newly freed men. The church has been recognized as a Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation site for its role in Georgia black history.
Following the Civil War, Rev. William Gaines and his brother Bishop Wesley John Gaines established AME churches across Georgia. Bishop Wesley Gaines, as pastor for Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta, also co-founded Morris Brown College.
Cherry Grove Schoolhouse
Cherry Grove Schoolhouse was built in 1910 on the grounds of Cherry Grove Baptist Church (c.1875) as a one-room school to teach primary through seventh grade. The building is a rare example of a rural African American school and was used between 1910 and 1956. The structure, recognized by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, has undergone award-winning preservation initiated by Friends of Cherry Grove School.
In 2023, this in-peril structure received the Marguerite Williams Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation, presented annually to the project that has had the greatest impact on preservation in the state.
