Historical Marker

John Wesley Gilbert

Augusta · Richmond County · Erected 2024

The roadside stories worth pulling over for.

The Story

Born enslaved near Hephzibah, Gilbert became Paine College's first graduate and first Black faculty member, earned a Brown master's degree, and in Greece helped survey ancient Eretria, considered the first African American archaeologist.

About this site

John Wesley Gilbert is a historical marker in Augusta, Richmond County, erected in 2024. It is one of 148 historical markers documented in Richmond County, among 249 historic sites cataloged across the county on Georgia Roam.

The site sits at 33.4702, -81.9966 near Augusta. The nearest cataloged historic site is Paine College (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Paine College, Mary S. Byrd Gallery of ART, and The Medical College of Georgia.

This record is drawn from Georgia historical-marker records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.

📍 33.4702, -81.9966 · Augusta, Richmond County

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Nearby in Richmond County

Mary S. Byrd Gallery of ART

Augusta

Historical Marker

The Medical College of Georgia

Rollersville Cemetery