There were originally six wells one in each square, the only source of pure water for St. Marys, (until the tidal wave of 1818).
On the day that the Father of the Country was buried at Mt. Vernon local services were also held thoughout the nation. St. Marys citizens marched to the dock to meet a boat bearing a flag draped casket; bore it up Osborn St. and with due ceremony and firog of guns, buried it where the Well known as the ´Washington Pump´ now is.
To mark the spot, four oaks were planted and have since been known as the ´Washington Oaks´. Only this one remains. This well was driven the year of Washington´s burial and has ever since been called the ´Washington Pump´.
GHM 020-3 Georgia Historical Commission 1953
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Marine Biologist.