Col John Rutherford

• American

John Rutherford was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, serving as a major under General Nathaniel Greene. He moved to Georgia and took up a land grant in Washington County in 1786-87. At various times he was a surveyor of public lands, justice of the County Court, member of the legislature, and Elector of the President and Vice-President of the United States. One of the first Latin and Greek schools in central Georgia was opened near Sandersville under Col Rutherford's patronage. Although not one of the earliest residents, his influence on Milledgeville may have been considerable. He was a member of a committee that either selected the site for the new capitol at Milledgeville, or was responsible for an early disposition of the town lots in Milledgeville (See Beeson, History Stories of Milledgeville and Baldwin County and Cook, A History of Baldwin County Georgia.) He commanded the troops that escorted the state treasury and papers to the then new capital of Georgia at Milledgeville, After moving to Baldwin County, he seems to have assumed the role of a prosperous planter and respected senior citizen, with most of his apparent activities confined to social events, ie the Lafayette activities, aid Fourth of July celebration. - Everette Hayes Barman, a one time owner of the John Rutherford House in Milledgeville, from an unpublished manuscript on the history of the residence written for a Georgia College architecture course