More than 100 people gathered on March 26 at Meadow Garden to view the unveiling of the America 250! plaque that honors the patriots of the American Revolution.
The plaque was presented by the Georgia State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The United States will officially celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence from Great Britain in 2026, and the Daughters of the American Revolution hope to have similar plaques placed in all 50 states.
The large bronze plaque is displayed prominently at Meadow Garden, located at 1320 Independence Way just off of Walton Way, the former home of Georgia Walton, the youngest Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence. Walton also served briefly as governor of Georgia in 1779.
O.B. Wilholt McCorkle, state regent for the Georgia Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, reflected on how Augusta has grown and the skyline of what is now the medical district has changed since Walton’s time.
“When Walton moved here in 1791, the farm was 123 acres, and he was the one who named it Meadow Gardens,” McCorkle said.
According to Meadow Garden docent Patricia Croft, the family property changed hands several times after Walton’s death and by the late 1800’s had become a derelict three-story house that was slated for demolition.
Harriett Gould Jefferies led the charge to save the house and preserve it for future generations. Speaking in character and dressed as Jefferies, Croft explained how the Daughters of the American Revolution saved the home and preserved what was left of the gardens.
“I rallied the local women, and we raised $500, which was a lot of money at that time, but it wasn’t enough to buy the house. That didn’t stop me though. I went on a national campaign, and we raised $2,000 on top of the $500. Women would show up at our events with nickels and dimes to aid the effort,” she said.
Croft welcomed Lilly McIver, the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Jeffries, who attended the event with her family.
Meadow Garden opened as a house museum in 1901.
During the unveiling ceremony, McCorkle announced the home is slated to undergo a 10-year restoration paid for entirely by private donations.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
