William King Museum

William King was an Irish immigrant who settled in Washington County. He made a fortune in the salt business and was worth one million dollars when he died in 1808. At the time of his death, King left a gift of $10,000 or '' lands to that amount'' to the Abingdon Male Academy. The Academy needed new quarters, and his legacy was used for this purpose. In 1824 the Abingdon Male Academy built their school at the top of the site. During the Civil War, troops were billeted in the school. The Abingdon Male Academy closed its doors in 1905. In 1912, it's trustees leased the property to the Town of Abingdon and the Central School District of Washington County. The school board constructed a new brick school building in 913 on the same site, using the same footprint as the Academy building. The new school was named William King High School which now serves as the museum facility.