Philomath, Georgia
| Philomath | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
| Coordinates: 33°43′38″N 82°59′29″W / 33.72722°N 82.99139°WCoordinates: 33°43′38″N 82°59′29″W / 33.72722°N 82.99139°W | |
| Country | USA |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Oglethorpe County |
| Elevation | 646 ft (197 m) |
Philomath is an unincorporated community located in the southeastern corner of Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States at an elevation of 646 feet (197 m).
The area of Philomath was first called Woodstock in the 1790s and was briefly the county seat during that decade. It experienced a population decline after the move, but started to be settled again circa 1829. The nearest post office was a stage coach stop between Atlanta and Augusta about four miles away. The people of Woodstock wanted their own post office. When the approval for one came, the name had to be changed because there was another Woodstock in Georgia.
The city was home to an all-boys boarding school, Reid Academy, to which boys came from all over the South to attend. The school was known throughout the state as one of the finest educational institutions of its time.Robert Toombs and Alexander Stephens were frequent visitors to the city and often made speeches at the school. Stephens suggested that the city’s name should be changed to Philomath which means a place of learning, because the school was such an important aspect to the community. Much of the early history of Philomath was centered on the Academy. The school buildings were eventually torn down and replaced with a one-story building, which was used as a community school until recent years when the students began to be transported to larger schools. The building was then converted into a community center.
Philomath is mentioned in the 1985 R.E.M song "Cant Get There from Here", with singer Michael Stipe singing the lines "If you're needing inspiration, Philomath is where I go by dawn" and "Philomath they know the low-down." The liner notes for the band's Eponymous compilation album identify Philomath as "located between Lexington and Crawfordville and used to have its own post office."
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