ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Historic Sites of Augusta, Georgia
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Historic Sites of Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
The Signers Monument in downtown Augusta marks
the graves of two signers of the Declaration of
Independence and pays tribute to a third.
Augusta, Georgia
Historic homes and churches
line the tree-shaded streets of
multiple historic districts in  
Augusta, Georgia.
St. Paul's Church
The church stands on the site
of two forts and a battlefield of
the Revolutionary War. A
signer of the U.S. Constitution
is buried on the grounds.
Augusta, Georgia - Historic Sites & Points of Interest
Historic City on the Savannah
Copyright 2012 by Dale Cox
All rights reserved.
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Generals Walk in Augusta
Seven Confederate generals,
including Porter Alexander
and Ambrose R. Wright, are
buried at Magnolia Cemetery.
Savannah River at Augusta
Augusta owes its life to the
Savannah River. The city now
honors that connection with
the Augusta Riverwalk.
Augusta is Georgia's second oldest and
second largest city.

Founded by General James Oglethorpe in
the 1700s, the city is rich in historic sites and
points of interest. It held great significance
during the American Revolution and Civil War
and is noted today as the center of the
Central Savannah River Area (CSRA).

Augusta is located at the historic head of
navigation on the Savannah River. Early
Indian traders from South Carolina were the
first to settle at the site, but General James
Oglethorpe arrived in 1735 to build a frontier
outpost called Fort Augusta.

A monument and cannon marking the site of
Oglethorpe's fort can be seen on the grounds
of historic St. Paul's Church, which was
founded when the fort was still in existence.

During the American Revolution, Augusta
became an important target for both the
American and British armies. A significant
battle was fought there in 1781 for control of
both the city and Fort Cornwallis, which also
stood at the St. Paul's Churchyard.

Augusta, in fact, has many ties to American
Independence and the Revolutionary War.
Dedicated in 1848, the Signers Monument in
front of the governmental complex marks the
graves of two signers of the Declaration of
Independence. Meadow Garden, the restored
home of Declaration signer George Walton,
can be seen and the grave of William Few, a
signer of the U.S. Constitution, can be visited
at St. Paul's Church.

The city served as State Capital of Georgia
from 1785-1795 and grew steadily through
the early antebellum era. Augusta's growth
exploded, however, when the Augusta Canal
was completed in 1847.

Build to provide a source of water, power and
transportation, the canal helped Augusta
become the second largest inland cotton port
in the world. Built for industrial purposes, it
has become quite beautiful over the years
and now is the focal point of Augusta Canal
National Heritage Area. Visitors can enjoy
stunning scenery, learn about Augusta's
heritage and even take a guided water tour
on a canal boat.

Its industrial capacity made Augusta a major
military manufacturing center for the South
during the Civil War. The city was selected to
become the centerpiece of the Confederacy's
gunpowder manufacture efforts and the
Confederate Powder Works there produced
over 2,750,000 pounds of gunpowder for the
Southern armies. The massive chimney of
the Powder Works still stands and is the only
surviving structure built by the  Confederate
States of America.

Augusta never fell to Union troops during the
Civil War, but preparations were made for an
attack. Even the brick walls of Magnolia
Cemetery were fortified and the loopholes
made by Confederate troops can be seen
there today. Seven Southern generals are
buried in the cemetery, among them Robert
E. Lee's famed artillery commander, E. Porter
Alexander.
Historic Sites of Augusta, Georgia
Augusta continued its growth into one of the
classic cities of the South during the years
after the Civil War. Today it is the center of a
metropolitan area of 500,000 people and is a
center for medicine, manufacturing and the
military. The famed Masters Golf Tournament
is held at Augusta National each spring and
the Augusta Riverwalk has become a model
for cities around the world.

Nine Augusta neighborhoods are listed on
the National Register of Historic places. In
addition to the landmarks already mentioned,
it is the location of the Boyhood Home of
President Woodrow Wilson, Springfield
Baptist Church (the oldest African American
congregation in the nation) and the stunning
Savannah Rapids Park.

Please click here for tourist information and
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