City of Augusta, Georgia

Augusta, Georgia Vital Links:
City of Augusta, Georgia
State of Georgia Official Site
Masters Golf Tournament Site

Augusta is a city in the state of Georgia in the United States of America. As of 2000, the population was 195,182. In 1996, the governments of the City of Augusta and Richmond County combined to form a single governing body known as Augusta-Richmond County. The consolidated city-county is today simply known as "Augusta, Georgia" and not by the consolidated name. The area that comprises the city limits of Augusta (identified during the 2000 census as "the Augusta-Richmond County balance") includes almost all of Richmond County, except for the towns of Hephzibah and Blythe, which maintain governments separate from that of Augusta.

The city was originally named in honor of Augusta, Princess of Wales, daughter-in-law of King George II of Great Britain and mother of King George III of Great Britain, and was the second state capital of Georgia from 1785 until 1795 (alternating for a period with Savannah, the first). Augusta is located on the Georgia/South Carolina border, about 150 miles east of Atlanta. It is the second largest city and second largest metropolitan area in the state.

Augusta is the birthplace of the Southern Baptist denomination, and the location of Springfield Baptist Church, the oldest autonomous African-American Baptist church in the nation. Morehouse College was founded in the basement of the church. African American history is honored at the Lucy Craft Laney museum. Other religious dominations erected churches in downtown Augusta, which are now historical landmarks such as Saint Paul's Church and Sacred Heart Cultural Center. In 1914, The Butt Memorial Bridge was placed in memory of Archibald Butt and was the first memorial in the world to the RMS Titanic, and is the only such memorial in Georgia.

The region’s three largest employers include the Savannah River Site (a Department of Energy nuclear facility), the U.S. Army Signal Center, Fort Gordon, and the Medical College of Georgia.

Augusta's official nickname is The Garden City. It is also known as Masters City, since it plays host to the Masters golf tournament. In Hip Hop circles, the city is referred to as "The AUG," being spelled out. The city recently adopted the motto, "We Feel Good", in recognition of native son and soul music legend James Brown. The city also dedicated a statue to James Brown, which is located downtown at the Augusta Commons. President Woodrow Wilson also called Augusta home from 1860-1870 when his father was a minister at First Presbyterian Church. President Woodrow Wilson's boyhood home is open for tours. Another notable Augustan is George Walton, the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence. His home is also open for tour like President Wilson's.
 
Augusta also has a well established art community. Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Morris Museum of Art, Artist's Row, and the Art Council are just a few in the art community. The Augusta Symphony Augusta Players, and the Augusta Ballet also perform for audiences. The Imperial Theatre is a historic venue where James Brown used to practice.

The Savannah River is a crucial part of Augusta's founding and history. Visitors can walk along the Savannah River on the Augusta Riverwalk in downtown. The Augusta Marina rents boats for a fun day on the river. Now, tourists can ride along the Augusta Canal, which was built in 1845 as a power source, in a Petersburg boat.

In 1948, new life came to the city when the U.S. Army moved the Signal Training Center and Military Police School to Camp Gordon. Later, in November 1948, the Clarks Hill Reservoir was created by a newly constructed dam, which provided the city with a supply of hydroelectric power. In 1950, plans were announced to build the Savannah River Plant nearby, which would boost the city's population about 50,000. Augusta moved into the second half of the twentieth century on the threshold of becoming an urban industrial center in the South. E-Z-GO and Club Car, the two largest golf car manufacturers in the world, are centered in Augusta, and the Norfolk Southern and CSX run through the middle of downtown Augusta.

Beginning in the late 1970s, businesses started leaving downtown Augusta for suburban shopping malls. That started a trend of urban abandonment and decay. To counter this trend, city politicians and business leaders promoted revitalizing Augusta's hidden riverfront (obscured by a levee) into a beautiful Riverwalk with parks, an amphitheater, hotels, museums, and art galleries. The first segment of The Riverwalk was opened in the late 1980s and later expanded in the early 1990s. However, the renaissance of the riverfront did not appear to be spilling over into Augusta's main street, Broad Street, as more businesses were leaving and more storefronts boarded up. Broad Street is the second widest Broad street in America.

In 1995, members of the art community and downtown boosters started a monthly event called First Friday. It was a night festival whose aim was to bring crowds back to downtown. It featured local bands, street performers, and art galleries opened late. Since 1995, more businesses have returned to downtown, including many new restaurants and bars. A block of upper Broad Street has been named Artists Row and is home to several locally owned art galleries. First Friday still continues today in addition to many revitalization efforts to downtown. Enterprise Mill was recently renovated to include business offices and apartments. New condos are in the process of being built downtown. Businesses have come back downtown, which has helped make downtown more prosperous.

The Augusta Museum of History highlights Augusta's history and famous natives. Historic Augusta has helped preserve architecturally important sites throughout the city.

Augusta is the largest city within a four-county metropolitan area that straddles the states of Georgia and South Carolina and is known as The Augusta-Aiken metropolitan statistical area. The metropolitan area includes Augusta-Richmond County and Columbia County in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. The US Census bureau estimates as of 2005 that the metropolitan area has 520,332 residents.

Augusta is also the primary city within the CSRA Regional Development Center. The CSRA (Central Savannah River Area) is composed of 14 counties and 41 cities all within East Central Georgia. The CSRA is not a metropolitan statistical area, but rather a state economic partnership entity that offers member counties and cities assistance in planning, economic development, business lending, information technology, and government services.

The city’s famous golf course, the Augusta National Golf Club, hosts the first major golf tournament of each year, The Masters. This tournament is one of the most prestigious in the sport and is part of the PGA’s Grand Slam. The city is also a hotbed for disc golf. The Augusta Top Gun Series is a series of tournaments sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association. These tournaments are held at various venues in Augusta, including Pendleton King Park and Lake Olmstead.

Augusta is also served by city bus line Augusta Public Transit (APT) and a number of taxi services, but the main mode of transportation is by car. There is no major interstate that runs through the city of Augusta. Interstate 20 runs to the north of the city and Interstate 520 runs around the city. Two new interstate connections are proposed, including one to run through downtown.

Augusta is served by 2 airports. Augusta Regional Airport is the main airport in the city's south side. Daniel Field is a private airport off Wrightsboro Road outside of Valley Park. The airport is mainly used by golfers and patrons of the Masters Tournament in April.

 

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