In 1865, after returning from the Civil War, Professor Charles S. Roller began educating other returning veterans of the Confederacy in a small house near the old stone church. In 1874, Augusta Male Academy was founded in the current museum building. The name changed to Augusta Military Academy when JROTC was added to the curriculum around 1890, making it Virginia's first military high school. From this humble beginning, the school continued to grow under the leadership of Professor Roller and his descendants for 119 years until its closing in 1984. Of the more than 12,000 AMA cadets, many went on to serve with honor and distinction in public office, as leaders in their communities, and in the armed forces of the United States or their home nation.