Ruins of the Elizabeth Female Academy on the Natchez Trace Parkway

The Elizabeth Female Academy is the first stop on the Natchez Trace Parkway when traveling north from its southern starting point. Located in the city of Washington, the first capital of Mississippi, the school opened in November 1819, a time when the Natchez Trace was still active. It was the first institution of higher learning for females in the state, and possibly in America. However, when the capital moved to Jackson in 1822, the town began to die, and the school had trouble finding students. It finally closed in 1845. A fire destroyed the building in 1870, leaving behind the ruins that you can see today.

A short, paved path leads to all that remains of the Elizabeth Female Academy—one wall. The view from the paved path is that of the building’s interior. Take a closer look at the ground and you can see the building’s front wall foundation nearly buried in the earth. Based on this, it appears that the building was square in shape, with each wall the size of the existing wall. If you walk around to the back, you can see the exterior of the building. Allow no more than ten minutes to visit the site.

Pathway to the ruins of the Elizabeth Female Academy