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.

Bethlehem Historic District, Richmond County, GA

Circa 1940s Urban Home

Like so many old homes in this historic neighborhood in Augusta, this one has all of its windows and doors boarded. The Bethlehem neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is a historically African American neighborhood that began to take shape in the 1870s when the three primary landowners began to subdivide the property based on its location near a developing hub of commerce. Two major roads and the Central of Georgia Railroad came together in this area and spawned businesses and freight yards that made it a desirable area for workers to live in close proximity to employment.

Taken from the National Park Service's brochure on the Bethlehem Historic District:

"The district is architecturally significant for its excellent collection of historic residential, commercial, and community landmark buildings in a variety of styles—Shotgun, Folk Victorian, Colonial Revival, and Craftsman. The residential housing stock was built around the roads and railroad lines.  Most of the houses were small so that a large number could fit into a small area. Some of the later homes are larger."

Shotgun Houses - Wrightsboro Road

Not only homes are of interest in this historic district, but there are several churches, including the Mount Zion Baptist Church as shown below.

Circa 1921 - Wrightsboro Road

 This structure has some particularly interesting features, specifically the white stonework above the triangular windows, each one with an arrow for the cap.

A big change for this neighborhood, hopefully for the better, is on the way. According to the Vison Village project overview:

"Even though the area has experienced significant blight since the early 70s, The City of Augusta has designated the Laney Walker and Historic Bethlehem Communities as urban redevelopment areas in accordance with Section 36-61-7 of Georgia’s Urban Redevelopment Law.  This designation will be a powerful tool to support significant economic development and enhanced quality of life for the citizens of these communities."

 Hopefully this will include the historic preservation of those structures that can be rehabbed. Time will tell.