Robert Toombs House State Historic Site
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Georgia — Home of Robert Toombs, Georgia’s “unreconstructed rebel” — the only Confederate Cabinet member (Secretary of State) who never applied for a pardon after the war! Toombs fled to Europe, returned in 1867, and defiantly refused to take the loyalty oath until his death in 1885.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | Georgia |
About Robert Toombs
Robert Toombs House State Historic Site in Washington preserves the home of Robert Toombs — the Confederacy’s first Secretary of State and Georgia’s most flamboyant 19th-century politician. Toombs refused to apply for a pardon after the war, declaring “I am not loyal to the existing government…and never will be.” He fled to England and France, returning in 1867 as the “unreconstructed rebel.” Washington, Georgia’s oldest city, was briefly considered as a temporary Confederate capital.
Things to Do
Touring Toombs’s restored home, visiting Washington’s antebellum historic district, learning about Reconstruction-era politics, and exploring Georgia’s oldest city.
Getting There
Located on East Robert Toombs Avenue in Washington, Wilkes County — Georgia’s oldest city (1780). Open Thursday through Saturday. Washington’s antebellum homes along Robert Toombs Avenue create one of the finest historic streetscapes in Georgia. The Mary Willis Library (1889) is one of the oldest free public libraries in the Southeast. Two hours east of Atlanta.
History & Ecology
Washington, Georgia was the last meeting place of the Confederate cabinet (May 5, 1865) before Jefferson Davis’s flight south. Local legend claims Confederate gold was buried nearby, though no treasure has been found. The town’s antebellum architecture survived Sherman’s March because Union troops took a different route. Callaway Plantation (nearby) preserves an intact plantation complex from the 1780s through the Civil War era.
Insider Tips
Unreconstructed rebel: Robert Toombs was the Confederacy’s first Secretary of State — and the only prominent Confederate leader who never sought a pardon. Pro tip: Toombs reportedly said “I am not loyal to the existing government and do not wish to be suspected of loyalty.” Washington, GA: The town claims to be where the last Confederate cabinet meeting was held.
Best Time to Visit
Year-round: House tours. Spring/fall: Most comfortable. Summer: Full programming. Winter: Mild weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Toombs refuse a pardon?
Robert Toombs fled to Europe after the war, returned in 1867, and defiantly refused to apply for a pardon — unlike most Confederate leaders who sought amnesty to regain civil rights. Toombs never regained US citizenship and couldn’t hold office or practice law officially. He remained influential in Georgia politics through his connections. His defiance made him a folk hero in the post-war South — a symbol of “unreconstructed” resistance to federal authority.
