Inscription
Button Gwinnett, for whom this county was named, was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1735, the son of a Church of England minister. He worked in the store of his father-in-law in Dexter for two years, then as an importer and exporter for three years. In 1765 he came to Georgia, opening a store in Savannah. The same year he sold his store, bought St. Catherines Island and moved onto it, becoming a familiar figure at Sunbury and Midway Church.
Button Gwinnett was elected Justice of the Peace in 1767; Commissioner of Pilotage in 1768; member of the Georgia Assembly (legislature) in 1769. He was sent to the Continental Congress early in 1776 and signed the Declaration of Independence Aug. 2, 1776. He later served as Speaker of the Assembly and was one of the chief drafters of the first State Constitution.
Mr. Gwinnett was chosen to fill the unexpired term of Archibald Bulloch as President of the Executive Council, or Provisional Governor of Georgia, on March 4, 1777. He served only a few months before being defeated for re-election by Governor John A. Treutlen. Politics resulted in a duel in which Gov. Gwinnett was killed by Gen. Lachlan McIntosh on May 16, 1777, and buried in an unknown, unmarked grave. He left so few signatures that one autograph sold for $51,000.
Button Gwinnett was elected Justice of the Peace in 1767; Commissioner of Pilotage in 1768; member of the Georgia Assembly (legislature) in 1769. He was sent to the Continental Congress early in 1776 and signed the Declaration of Independence Aug. 2, 1776. He later served as Speaker of the Assembly and was one of the chief drafters of the first State Constitution.
Mr. Gwinnett was chosen to fill the unexpired term of Archibald Bulloch as President of the Executive Council, or Provisional Governor of Georgia, on March 4, 1777. He served only a few months before being defeated for re-election by Governor John A. Treutlen. Politics resulted in a duel in which Gov. Gwinnett was killed by Gen. Lachlan McIntosh on May 16, 1777, and buried in an unknown, unmarked grave. He left so few signatures that one autograph sold for $51,000.
Details
| HM Number | HMB1E |
|---|---|
| Series | This marker is part of the Georgia: Georgia Historical Society/Commission series, and the Signers of the Declaration of Independence series. |
| Tags | |
| Marker Number | 067-1 |
| Year Placed | 1954 |
| Placed By | Georgia Historical Commission |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 at 2:22am PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] HANK MYERS
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 17S E 223828 N 3761383 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 33.95673333, -83.98853333 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 33° 57.404', W 83° 59.312' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 33° 57' 24.24" N, 83° 59' 18.72" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 770 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 123-167 N Clayton St, Lawrenceville GA 30046, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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Show me all markers in: Lawrenceville, GA | Gwinnett County | 30046 | Georgia | United States of America
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