The Morris Museum of Art

The Morris Museum of Art, located on the Riverwalk in downtown Augusta, is home to a broad collection of Southern art. The permanent collection holds approximately five thousand works of art that date from the late eighteenth century to the present.

Colonnade on the Savannah River

This collection of vine covered columns overlooks a 1600-seat amphitheater named to honor opera star and Augusta native Jessye Norman.

Jessye Norman Amphitheater

Another Church Steeple

Established in 1750, Saint Paul's Church is the Mother Church of Augusta in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. Saint Paul's is a historic, downtown Parish located at 605 Reynolds Street, on the banks of the Savannah River. This present building is the fifth on this site and is a 1917-1918 copy of the old Federal style church of 1820, which was destroyed in the Great Augusta Fire of 1916. An exterior shot of the church was posted last month. Below is a view of its interior.

Leafless in Augusta

The Toaster

Three weeks ago, I posted a photo of the Lamar Building with a promised to post a photo of the I. M. Pei designed glass-capped penthouse. In researching this structure, I've learned that it is sometimes referred to locally as "The Toaster". The Lamar penthouse was completed in 1975. The juxtaposition of this glass and metal addition against the carved sandstone building is a theme that appears to be the precursor to the Louvre's Pyramid in Paris completed in 1989. I was surprised to learn that I.M. Pei was the architect of a total of four structures in Augusta. I'll post these soon.

Before Television, Video Games and the Internet...

there was the public library to while away the hours engrossed in a new book. This photo was taken at the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library.

Boll Weevil & Sweetery

This photo was taken just after Christmas, thus the holiday decorations are still displayed. The Boll Weevil & Sweetery is located at 10 Ninth Street in what was a cotton warehouse and is near the former Cotton Exchange and the Savannah River. This cozy cafe has an eclectic menu, including southern favorites such as fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits as well as homemade desserts.

News Building

Headquarters of the Augusta Chronicle, founded in 1785 as the Augusta Gazette.

Riverwalk Promenade

Springfield Baptist Church

                                                

Springfield Baptist Church is the oldest African-American Baptist Church of continuous service in the original location in the United States. This is not the 1801 church, but the 'new' 1897 building.

Augusta Canal in Spring

I know it's still January, but I am ready for spring! Compare this photo with yesterday's post.

Augusta Canal in Winter

Gray Sky - Yellow Sign

Yesterday was damp, chilly and totally gray and this bright yellow sign was the only color in the sky. The Pratt-Dudley Builders Supply Co., founded in 1935, provides building materials used in new construction, remodeling, repairs and maintenance.

Channel 6

Augusta's first television station, WJBF-TV began operations in November 1953.

Doric, Ionic or Corinthian?

Pulled from the archives, the column capital I see every day (it's corinthian).

Miller Theater

The Miller Theater, located at 708 Broad Street in downtown Augusta, opened in 1940 and was considered one of the finest theaters in the South. Most notably, in 1957, the Miller held the movie premier of The Three Faces of Eve, an adaptation of a case study of a woman who suffered from what was then known as multiple personality disorder. The relatively unknown Joanne Woodward starred in the film for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.  The Theater closed in the mid 80s as multiplex theaters became the norm. Over the years, the Theater had been damaged by the elements and was on the verge of being condemned. The Miller was purchased in 2005 and the roof was repaired to stop further damage to the structure. With a financing plan in place, renovation is awaiting consultant reports.

Augusta's First Skyscraper

Construction of the Chronicle Office Building was completed in 1914 and with 10 stories, the building was hailed as Augusta's first skyscraper. Its facade is similar to that of its neighbor the Lamar Building. After a fire in 1916, the building was renovated and renamed the Marion Building. Currently vacant, new owners hope to preserve it for future redevelopment.

U. S. Courthouse

Courthouse Steps and Front Entrance

Snow on the Palm Tree

With no more snow in the forecast and temperatures predicted to reach 55° by the weekend, I thought I'd post this last (hopefully) snow photo. This palm tree with snow on its fronds is located on the campus of Augusta State University.

Augusta State University

ASU is located on the former site of the U.S. Arsenal at Augusta. The Arsenal operated from 1819 until it closed its doors in 1955.

Snow and Ice

Continuing cold temperatures mean the snow and ice will remain. Most schools and businesses will be closed for the day.

Snow in Augusta (Again)

After the early morning snow, it began to sleet. Now, with freezing temperatures, we have a layer of ice on sidewalks and roads making walking treacherous and driving foolhardy!

Trinity CME Church (Former)

Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, located on the corner of Eighth and Taylor Streets was established in 1840 as an offshoot of Augusta's Saint John United Methodist Church. Apparently, the black membership of Saint John (323 of 610 members) expressed a desire for a separate place to worship. Remarkably, the membership bought the freedom of a slave preacher from Athens, GA, becoming the first national black organization established by former slaves. The Church operated on this site for 158 years before relocating to a new facility in 2001. The Church has been vacant for 12 years.

College Library

Students will enjoy another few days of their Christmas Holiday. Classes resume next week at Paine College. Until then...another quiet campus scene.

Sixth Street Bridge

How many cities have freight trains that run through its downtown? Despite the slow crawl, it can be a little unnerving to see a hugh locomotive pulling freight cars down a city side street. This railroad bridge spans the Savannah River at Sixth Street. The vantage is the Georgia side looking across to South Carolina.

Lamar Building

Completed in 1918, the 19-story Lamar Building, is the tallest structure in Augusta and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

At a later date, I'll post a photo showing the unique 1970s era glass-capped penthouse, designed by architect I.M. Pei.

Poet Laureate of the Lost Cause

Confederate supporter, James Ryder Randall authored the poem Maryland, My Maryland in 1861. By 1870, Randall was living in Augusta, working as a newspaper editor for the Augusta Chronicle. Seventy-eight years after it was written, his poem was adopted as the Maryland State song in 1939.

Old Post Office and Courthouse

This renaissance revival building dates from 1916. In 1973, the building's function changed from being a combined post office and federal courthouse to an expanded U.S. District Court office for the Augusta Division of the Southern District. The exterior walls are made of Georgia marble and the windows on each of the three floors are different. Unfortunately, the building is not open to the public and I'm not interested in any alternative ways to get inside.

Welcome to Augusta

I dug into my archives for today's photo. The lush green foliage is a dead give-away that I did not shoot it recently. Hopefully, spring will come soon to Augusta. We got a taste yesterday when the temperature rose to 70°. Unfortunately, like the snow we received a few weeks ago, spring-like temperatures won't last either.

Sacred Heart Cultural Center

I've photographed the Sacred Heart Cultural Center many times. I never tire of its architecture.

Happy New Year!

William's Fish Market

It doesn't look like this business on Old Savannah Road is still in operation.