Academy of Richmond County facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Academy of Richmond County
The front entrance to current high school building built in 1926
Address
910 Russell Street Augusta , Georgia 30904 United States
Information
Type	Public
Established	1783; 242 years ago (1783)
School board	1st District
School district	Richmond County School System
Principal	Jason Medlin
Teaching staff	72.70 (FTE)
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,102 (2019–20)
Student to teacher ratio	15.16
Campus type	urban
Color(s)	Purple and gold
Mascot	Musketeer
Feeder schools	All Richmond county public schools
Website	ARC [1]
Academy of Richmond County-1926 Campus
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Built	1926
Architect	Philander P. Scoggs, Whitley L. Ewing
Architectural style	Collegiate Gothic
NRHP reference No.	03001491
Added to NRHP	January 28, 2004
Old Academy of Richmond County
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
One of the previous Academy buildings built in 1857
Location	540 Telfair St.
Area	less than one acre
Built	1857
Architect	William Henry Goodrich
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	73000639
Added to NRHP	April 11, 1973

The Academy of Richmond County is a high school in Augusta, Georgia, United States. People often call it Richmond Academy or ARC. It was once known as Richmond County Military Academy.

This school was officially started in 1783. It is one of the oldest public high schools in the United States. In fact, it is the oldest public high school in the Southern United States.

Richmond Academy is located near the Summerville historic area of Augusta.

History of Richmond Academy

Early Years and Changes

When it first opened, Richmond Academy was a private school only for boys. Most high schools in the 1700s were like this. After the Civil War, it became a military school.

In the second half of the 1900s, Richmond Academy changed again. It became a public high school for both boys and girls. The school still has a strong military program called Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. Students can choose to join this program, but it is not required.

Both the school building from 1857 and the current building from 1926 are special. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.

Famous Visitors and New Buildings

In 1791, George Washington, who was the first President of the United States, gave a speech at a graduation ceremony at ARC.

The school moved to its current building on Walton Way in 1926. The principal at the time, Major George Butler, said in 1927 that the new school was "second to none in the South." He meant it was the best school in the Southern United States for its facilities. The 1926 building was designed in the Gothic style.

Becoming a Diverse School

For many years, until the 1950s, only white boys could attend ARC. The boys' baseball team from 1951 to 1957 was very successful. It was ranked as one of the top 10 sports teams in Georgia history. Today, the school has many different sports teams.

During the 1950s, girls were allowed to attend the school, making it co-educational. In 1964, the school also started to admit students from all backgrounds. This meant it became desegregated.

Richmond Academy Today

Academics and Learning

The Academy of Richmond County has about 1,178 students in grades 9 through 12. There is about one teacher for every 16 students.

The school offers many special programs for students:

• Advanced Placement (AP) courses: These are college-level courses that students can take in high school.
• GATE program: This is for students who are gifted and talented.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme: This program was added in 2003. It is for highly motivated students who are preparing for college. ARC is one of only three schools in the Central Savannah River Area that offers an IB program.

In 2005, the school's Mathematics Team won the National Society of Black Engineers Try-Math-A-Thon competition in Boston.

Sports and School Spirit

The school's mascot is a Musketeer. The school colors are purple and gold. The original mascot for the school was a bearcat.

The Varsity Baseball Team from 1957 was named National Champions by MaxPreps.com. The teams from 1952 and 1953 also received honorable mentions for their great performance.

Notable Alumni

See also

• History of Augusta, Georgia
• List of people from Augusta, Georgia