Looking for exciting places to visit in Georgia can be challenging, especially for those who do not have much family traveling experience. For those vacationing with children, it is essential to make sure the trip is meaningful by finding locations where they can learn about history and culture. One of the lesser known tourist attractions in Georgia is where there are merely traces left by the Civil War. Along with the memories of war were institutions established by forward thinking people in order to improve the lives of the survivors. The Dinah Pace Orphanage and School is one of those such places to visit in Georgia where people can learn much about the past.
The Dinah Pace Orphanage and School was established in 1883 by Dinah Watts, a teacher who graduated from Atlanta University. Dinah was born as a slave in Athens and served the Alexander home for many years. She and her siblings worked hard to get education and Dinah started sharing her knowledge with others at the young age of 12 through organizing Sunday school classes and gathering children together in the neighborhood with her older brothers.
In the spring of 1884, she found two orphaned girls who had no place to go in Georgia. Without any hesitation, Dinah took care of these two young girls and found herself taking care of more abandoned children as time passed by. She educated and fed them as if they were her own. When she died, many remembered her as a remarkable woman who has planted a seed of missionary work, driven up by passion to help people in need.
The school closed in 1935 and the property was eventually sold for unpaid taxes. In later years, the building was burned down by the county. Today, the Dinah Pace Orphanage and School is merely a green open space, majestic oak trees and a cemetery. A plaque at the Washington Street Community Center commemorates Dinah’s contribution to Newton County history.
There are lots of tourist attractions in Georgia, but it is undeniable that the Dinah Pace Orphanage and School is one that would hold a special place in the hearts of those who search for Civil War tours if it still existed.
To read more about Dinah Pace Watts and her philanthropic contributions to Newton County Georgia check out the article at Covington News.
