The Georgia Historical Society will hold a dedication for a new historical marker: Cedar Valley Academy. The dedication will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., at Prior Cemetery, 0 Brooks Street, Cedartown, GA, 30125. The event is open to the public.

Parking directions: Parking is permitted along the street nearby Prior Cemetery.

The marker reads:

Cedar Valley Academy

Chartered in 1834, Cedar Valley Academy (CVA) was located near here and taught Cedartown’s White settler population, including local Deaf residents. In 1833, John J. Flournoy, a Deaf man from Georgia, petitioned the State for educational support for Deaf Georgians. From 1835 through 1845, Georgia offered funds for those who wished to attend the American School for the Deaf in Connecticut. The State recognized the success of CVA’s Deaf students by 1843 and investigated a local, cost-effective Deaf education program. On December 25, 1845, new legislation required State funding be used for in-state schools, including CVA. Although CVA disbanded the same day, it represented the need for specialized education for Deaf Georgians. The State transferred the funds originally allocated for in-state schools to the Georgia School for the Deaf when it opened in 1846.

Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and Polk County Historical Society