“W” is for Willington Academy. The Willington Academy of Doctor Moses Waddel, a log-constructed classical school for boys, was perhaps the most prestigious preparatory school in antebellum South Carolina. In 1804 Waddel, a Presbyterian minister, moved his academy from Vienna on the Georgia side of the Savannah River to Willington (near the modern town of McCormick). Ambitious youths from across the state flocked to Willington. Waddel’s teaching of the classics, especially by the recitation method, attracted educators throughout the nation. Thoroughly prepared, Willington’s graduates entered colleges such as Yale and Princeton as juniors. Waddel ran the school from 1804 to 1819, when he left to become president of Franklin College. With Waddel’s departure the academy closed until 1830 when it was reopened by his sons. Willington Academy regained its earlier prestige and prospered until it closed in 1861.
“W” is for Willington Academy
