J.B. White Company House, c. 1900, Augusta, GA

Broad Street, photographer facing NE

At the turn of the 20th century, the J.B White Company built twenty houses along Broad Street to house employees of their department store. This is the only one left standing (as of 2015 when these photos were taken) out of three properties, side by side, that were deemed historically significant by Historic Augusta, Inc. A link on their website here shows a photo of all three homes, and gives a brief history of the J.B White building project.

J.B. (James Brice) White was an Irish immigrant who opened his first store in downtown Augusta in 1874. He operated the business until it was sold in the 1910's to H.B. Calvin Company.

Broad Street, photographer facing north

Apparently, by 1919, the H.B. Calvin Company had no desire to be in the housing business and decided to liquidate the properties, offering to sell them to the current residents. The upper Broad Street homes listed for $4,000 to $4,500.

Broad Street, photographer facing NE

When I was a kid living in Augusta since the mid 1970s, I always noticed that these houses seemed out of place as the majority of this part of downtown consists of commercial properties. Trips to downtown in the 70s were infrequent as Augusta, like most small cities during that time, resembled a mere shadow of its successful past; before the malls were built, causing a stampede of businesses relocating to the suburbs.

Even as a kid I could see the beauty in these old homes and hoped that somebody would restore them to what must have been their original glory. One of the three houses burned in 2011. Another has been razed as well, leaving this one as the sole reminder of an bygone era.

Colonial Revival Style Home, c. 1940, Augusta, GA

Magnolia Drive, photographer facing SE

Located in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Augusta, GA, this home stands out. In a neighborhood of beautifully maintained homes, this one is showing severe signs of neglect; from a couple of boarded windows, rotting wood and weathered paint on the trim, to the shrubbery that has grown out of control.

The Forest Hills neighborhood is located in the "Hill" area of Augusta, adjacent to Summerville, a place where the elite families used to retreat to during the summer months, escaping the oppressive heat, and summer time illnesses of the "Bottom" section of the city. In existence since the late 1700s, by the mid 1800s Summerville was also a destination used by wealthy northerners who would use it as an escape from the harsh winters. An independent city until it was annexed by Augusta in 1912, building in this area took off after the fire of 1916 that destroyed much of downtown Augusta.

Front Entrance, photographer facing east

Forest Hills sprang up during the 1920s and 30s and offered more humble homes, like the ones on Cardinal Drive, Wrightsboro Road, and Pine Needle Road, in addition to the larger, more grand homes located on  Comfort Road, Park Avenue, and Bransford Road.

On the opposite end of Forest Hills is the Forest Hills Golf Club which was established in 1926, in conjunction with the stunning Forest Hills-Ricker Hotel. You can read about it here. Unfortunately, it was razed in 1988.

In 1930, before the Augusta National or The Masters tournament existed, the Southeastern Open was held, with two rounds played at the Augusta Country Club, and two at Forest Hills. Played in late March, this was where Bobby Jones began his ultimate achievement of a grand slam of golf.

This house, though in rough shape, still stands; a sentinel waiting to be renovated back to its former glory.

FitzSimons-Hampton House, c. 1815, Augusta, GA

Photographer facing north, 2/8/2015

 7/3/2018 - Update: A trip to the SC coast this past May took me through Augusta, GA, and sadly I saw that this home has been completely demolished. What a loss for Augusta, and the State of Georgia. Apparently this happened almost two years ago. You can read about it here.

This home has also been known as the Goodale Inn, though the home apparently never functioned as an inn. It is located on the two remaining acres of land that was a plantation once as large as 700+ acres. The original owner of the plantation was Thomas Goodale who received a land grant of 500 acres, later discovered to only be about 460 acres. He operated a grist mill on the property, grew grain, and operated the Sand Bar Ferry.

 He sold the property to Francis Macarten and Martin Campbell in 1754. The property eventually ended up being sold to Christopher FitzSimons of Charleston, SC in 1799. It was then that the plans were drawn up for the construction of the home. The home and plantation was given to FitzSimon's daughter Ann as a wedding gift when she married Wade Hampton, Jr. in 1816. The home stayed in the Hampton family until 1835, even though they never lived in the house.

There is an extensive history of the home written in 1976 by Martha Norwood for the nomination form to have the property placed on the National Register of Historic Places. See http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/76000645.pdf  The nomination was successful, however things have taken a turn for the worse in recent years.

Collapsed wall, photographer facing east, 2/8/2015

After being operated as a restaurant called The Goodale Inn, in the 70s and 90s, the home has slowly deteriorated. It was sold for $15,250 in 2009 to an investor whose heart seems to be in the right place, but whose pockets are not deep enough to ensure that the necessary restoration and maintenance are performed.

In 2011 one of the chimneys on the north wall collapsed bringing down most of the wall with it. Four years later, the wall is still open and exposed to the elements. It appears that the preservation of this Georgia landmark is in serious jeopardy. In 2014 a judge ordered that the property be repaired or torn down. Neither has been done. Lets hope for the former and not the latter.