Headquarters of the
Society of the Cincinnati
The Harper-Fowlkes
House has served as the
headquarters of the Society of
the Cincinnati of Georgia since
Alida Harper Fowlkes bequeathed
the house to the Society in
1985.
The Society of the
Cincinnati is a benevolent,
patriotic, military,
non-political organization
founded after the Revolutionary
War, in 1783. The Continental
Army was about to be disbanded
after eight long years of
warfare, and its officers and
those of their French allies
determined to organize a society
to perpetuate the ideals for
which they had fought.
The
first President General was
George Washington. The founding
members of the Society adopted
this premise: "The Officers of
the American Army having
generally been taken from the
citizens of America, possess
high veneration for the
character of that illustrious
Roman Lucius Quintius
Cincinnatus; and being resolved
to follow his example by
returning to their citizenship,
they think they may with
propriety denominate themselves
the Society of the Cincinnati."
Cincinnatus is famous for his
quotation "And now we will pound
our swords into plowshares and
proceed with peace."
There are 13 chapters in the
United States, one in each of
the original states, and also
one in France. Membership today
is about 2,700 with just over
100 in the Georgia Chapter.
Constituent Society
Members
of the Society of the Cincinnati are elected to membership through one
of fourteen constituent societies that together are the Society of the
Cincinnati.
Membership is not based on the residence of the member, but rather on
the eligibility of his ancestor; i.e., each member joins the
constituent society that his ancestor would have been eligible to join.
The constituent societies were founded in the
original thirteen states and in France after the close of the American
Revolution by the officers of the Continental army and navy and their
French counterparts. Today's members, who live throughout the globe,
are descended from these and other eligible officers.
All members belong to one of the following fourteen constituent
societies:
New Hampshire
Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire
The American Independence MuseumLadd-Gilman House
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati
Rhode Island
Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation
Connecticut
Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut
New York
New York State Society of the Cincinnati
New Jersey
Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Jersey
Pennsylvania
The State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania
Delaware
Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati
Maryland
Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland
Virginia
Society of the Cincinnati of the State of Virginia
North Carolina
North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati
South Carolina
Society of the Cincinnati of the State of South Carolina
Georgia
Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Georgia
France
Société des Cincinnati de FranceThe Society of the Cincinnati
Headquarters
2118 Massachusetts Avenue,
NW
Washington,
DC 20008
202.785.2040 (voice)
202.785.0729 (fax)
admin@societyofthecincinnati.org