In 1827, the town was designated the capital of Maine, which had entered the union in 1820 as the 23rd state. Twenty-one years later, English settlers from the Plymouth Colony settled in the area in 1628 as part of a trading post on the Kennebec River. What does seem clear is how Augusta ended up being designated as Maine's capital city 200 years ago, after Maine achieved statehood in 1820, with passage of the Missouri Compromise. 18.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The present building, the fifth on the site, dates from 1918 after a terrible conflagration destroyed 30 city blocks in 1916. Augusta State University, originally part of the Academy of Richmond County (1783), was chartered as a college in 1925; in 2013 it merged with Georgia Health Sciences University to become Georgia Regents University, which includes the Medical College of Georgia (founded as the Medical Academy of Georgia in 1828). This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Augusta-Maine, Official Site of the City of Augusta, Maine, United States, Maine: An Encyclopedia - Augusta, Maine, United States, Maps of World - Augusta, Maine, United States, United States History - History of Augusta, Maine, United States, Augusta - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Augusta - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The city also has several disc golf facilities. They also cross the old Trestle over the Savannah River entering and leaving South Carolina. ", Allen, Carrie A. " In 1890, the first trolley line began operation down Water Street, connecting Augusta with Gardiner and Hallowell to the south. The town continued to grow in size and population governed by a group of Trustees of the Academy of Richmond County. Enoch Lincoln, on Feb. 24, 1827, signed a bill. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. He proposed building a canal for waterpower following the example of Lowell, Massachusetts. Oglethorpes vision was to establish an interior trading post for purchasing furs and other commodities from Native Americans to compete with New Savannah Town, a small outpost on the South Carolina side of the river. The Jewish community in Augusta dates back to the early 19th century. "Making 'The Garden City of the South': Beautification, Preservation, and Downtown Planning in Augusta, Georgia. These streets are still prominent features of the Downtown Augusta, Broad Street, and Pinched Gut Historic Districts. Augusta is linked to Atlanta to the west and Columbia, South Carolina, to the east by Interstate20 (I-20). [6] The Kennebec Proprietors, successors to the Plymouth Company, built Fort Western near the site of the abandoned trading post in 1754 and began settlement efforts. Many had formerly been tobacco planters in Virginia and the Carolinas. After the war started, Augusta became a major military town again. Soldiers coming to Georgia during the war spread the word about fresh lands, and in the early 1770s new settlers arrived to claim land grants in the surrounding countryside. The racial makeup of the city was 96.21% White, 0.50% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. US78/US278/SR10, known locally as Gordon Highway, connects Thomson with Augusta. The median age was 40years. Augusta was designated as its capital in 1827, over the current capital of Portland, and rival communities Brunswick and Hallowell. Enter your email and password to access comments. He gave them an order to build a fort at the head of the navigable part of the river. Many well-preserved buildings of Georgian and Classic Revival design, notably the Ezekiel Harris House (1797) and the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art (1818), stand along tree-shaded streets. The National Baptist Convention had 26,671 members. Many of Augustas Irish immigrants lived in a section of town then known as Dublin. Today, there are two congregations: Congregation Children of Israel (Reform) and Adas Yeshurun (Conservative). During the American Revolution, Augusta was the site of bitter fighting and bloody reprisal, changing hands several times between the British and Americans. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Introduction Augusta, Maine Augusta included Springfield within the city limits at the time of its incorporation in 1798. After Georgias division into parishes in 1756, the Augusta District fell into St. Pauls Parish, and the Augusta church became known as St. Pauls Church. The city lies along both banks of the Kennebec River. 'When We Send Up the praises': Race, Identity, and Gospel Music in Augusta, Georgia. The camp eventually became a headquarters for the Maine National Guard. As the airport grew, the use of the camp as a training facility was no longer possible. During World War I, Camp Keyes was used as a mobilization and training camp for soldiers. Britannica's World Data editors help provide a statistical portrait of some 220 countries and dependencies of the world, at a level appropriate to the significance of each. Other nearby markers. There were 9,756 housing units at an average density of 177.0/sqmi (68.3/km2). The State House (182932) was originally designed by Charles Bulfinch and has a 185-foot (56-metre) dome topped by a statue of Minerva created by W. Clark Noble. Henry F. Blanchard gave an address to the Kennebec Historical Society on the origin of Augustas name Douin wrote. [36], The University of Maine at Augusta is third-largest university in the University of Maine System.[37]. Pop. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Law enforcement in Augusta is handled by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office which patrols the main city of Augusta and the unincorporated areas of Hephzibah and Blythe although both of these towns have their own police departments. This is a list of the cities that are state capitals in the United States, ordered alphabetically by state. The Sand Hills Historic District, adjacent to Summerville, is another historically black neighborhood that developed parallel to a predominantly white business and residential area after the Civil War. Fort Western has not had troops garrisoned there since the 1790s, but in 1828, the U.S. Government built an arsenal to protect their interests from Britain. King Mill
Augusta - New Georgia Encyclopedia ", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "WMO Climate Normals for COLUMBIA/METRO ARPT SC 19611990", "Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990", "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) Augusta Richmond consolidated government (balance), Georgia", "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) Augusta Richmond consolidated government (balance), Georgia", "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): AugustaRichmond County consolidated government (balance), Georgia", "The Association of Religion Data Archives Maps & Reports", "2016 Georgia Presidential Election Results", Seymour & Associates | The Bankruptcy Lawyers, Unemployment Rate in AugustaRichmond County, GA-SC (MSA) (AUGU213URN) FRED St. Louis Fed, Fans Vote Augusta River Hawks As Hockey Team's Name, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals: None say 'class' like the Masters, Augusta Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, Augusta Economic Development Authority homepage, Robert E. Williams Photographic Collection: African-Americans in the Augusta, Ga. Vicinity (Richmond Co.), ca. The Trustees of the Academy built a new school building in 1802, the old Academy of Richmond County. Augusta is also home to the former Augusta 706ers, a minor league professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association. Augusta was established in 1736 and is named in honor of Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (17191772), the bride of Frederick, Prince of Wales and the mother of the British monarch George III. Today, government and post-secondary education are important businesses.[19]. Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art (Ware's Folly)
Though it is low in population, Augusta is the ninth most populous . History | Augusta, GA - Official Website A telephone service was available in 1880 and a local hospital in 1898. [13] During the American Revolutionary War, the Siege of Augusta resulted in the retaking the city from the British by the Americans. (Cities don't have capitals. The old 18th century village of Harrisburg gained new life, as a large mill village grew around the Harris-Pearson-Walker House. Pleased with the southern climate, some of the winter visitors built their own homes, or remodeled or enlarged existing cottages in Summerville. [6][7] The new village was incorporated as Hallowell in 1771, and the upriver part of town separated in 1797 to form the town of Harrington. Fur trading was at first profitable, but because of Native uprisings and declining revenues, Plymouth Colony sold the Kennebec Patent[discuss] in 1661. Best Answer Copy Actually, Augusta is the name of a city, not the name of a state. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Why Augusta was his choice, however, is still debatable. The city marks the end of a navigable waterway for the river and the entry to the Georgia Piedmont area. The Catholic Church has 13 congregations and 31,687 members, while the United Methodist Church has 83 churches and 30,722 members. Harrington was selected by the areas representative, Amos Stoddard, in honor of Lord Harrington. Today, freight service is handled by Norfolk Southern Railway's Georgia Division and Piedmont Division through their Augusta Yard and Nixon Yard located near the city. Corrections? Soldiers in uniform were everywhere. Marble statues, Roman noses, tight-lipped commanding mouths. He concluded the town was named for Augusta Dearborn, the daughter of Gen. Henry Dearborn. Augusta State Airport, in the western part of the city, has commercial flights. The place we live in is an endless source of small mysteries. 5. The consolidation charter deems the sheriff as the chief law enforcement officer of Richmond County. The city has two airports: Augusta Regional Airport and Daniel Field. They started off in the American Conference, before switching to the Southeast Division in 2001, and then the Eastern Division in 2002. The Savannah, at Augusta, 1872 Springfield Baptist Church, 1867-1879 site of the Augusta Institute. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. Hutchinson, Glenn, and Maurice R. Brewster. In 2016, it was announced that the new National Cyber Security Headquarters would be based in Augusta. The Confederate government established the Confederate States Powder Works on the Augusta Canal in 1862, at the present site of Sibley Mill. The best professional and amateur golfers in the world come to Augusta during the first full week of April every year. In addition, the city was a religious center of the South hosting meetings for the formation of both the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America at St. Pauls Church, and the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States at First Presbyterian Church. History of Augusta, Georgia - Wikipedia [11] The city's northwest quadrant includes both a retail center and neighborhoods.[11]. Augusta is part of the Portland, Maine television market, and receives most of that market's channels. Legend has it that Augustans planted the large ginkgo tree in his honor at the proposed site of the Richmond County Courthouse, constructed in 1801 and now known as the Old Government House. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. A magnificent new building was constructed between 1898 and 1900 beside the original church, which became a school. Already have a commenting profile? [17], Excellent soil provided for agriculture, and water power from streams provided for the industry. Internationally, Augusta is best known for hosting The Masters golf tournament each spring. Among the results was a storefront vacancy rate downtown of about 60 percent.[20]. [33], There were 75,208 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were headed by married couples living together, 22.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. [30], Augusta has historically been Democratic. In 1929, the state legislature approved the placement of the Augusta State Airport next to the camp. U.S. Route1 (US1), along with State Route4 (SR4), connects Wrens. There are more voters who are not enrolled than there are registered Republicans in the City. Hotel in Augusta, ME | Comfort Inn Official Site | Comfort Inn Civic There is usually little or no snow in April and November, and snow is rare in May and October.[23]. The settlement was known by its Native American name Cushnoc (or Coussinoc or Koussinoc), meaning "head of the tide." By 1739 a fort was completed, and the official surveyor of the colony, Noble Jones, laid out the town. [38], The city's three largest employers are Augusta University, the Savannah River Site (a Department of Energy nuclear facility) and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon, which oversees training for Cyber, Signal Corps, and Electronic Warfare. The city developed as a publishing and shipping center. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. These tournaments are held at various venues in Augusta, including Pendleton King Park and Lake Olmstead. The first minister, the Reverend Jonathan Copp, arrived in 1751 and began conducting services according to the rites of the Church of England. In August, however, the name was changed to Augusta after Pamela Augusta Dearborn, daughter of Henry Dearborn. The Partridge Inn emerged from one of these boarding houses, evolving into its present state over a period of thirty years. Many fires damaged this concentrated area, including one in 1865 that destroyed nearly 100 buildings. Its colonial plan was similar, but not as elaborate as the one used in Savannah. During the Civil War, gunpowder made at the powder works was moved to the arsenal to pack munitions sent to soldiers in the field. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. In 1799, Augusta became the shire town of the newly formed Kennebec County. The team began to play in 1988 as the Augusta Pirates, affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates. ", Brown, Russell K. "Augusta's Other Voice: James Gardner and the Constitutionalist.". With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.76. With the expansion of the Augusta Canal, the city was once again a thriving center of a cotton economy. General James Edward Oglethorpe, the colonys founder, ordered the settlement and chose its location at the head of navigation of the Savannah River below the shoals created by the fall line. The race was part of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series and was sanctioned by the International Hot Boat Association. Atlanta in 1887 Everyone is familiar with Atlanta as Georgia's state capital, but did you know it is the 17th location of the capital? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The hottest month is July, with an average high temperature of 80F (26.7C). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[23]. Located on the Kennebec River, the city of Augusta is the eastern-most state capital in the United States and also the county seat of Kennebec County, Maine. They were one of the 15 original teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. Map of the State of Mississippi, USA - Nations Online Project The Crossword Solver found 30 answers to "Augusta is the capital of which state", 5 letters crossword clue. US78 further connects with Charleston, South Carolina. A hotbed of Abenaki hostility toward British settlements was located further up the Kennebec at Norridgewock. As a British colony, Georgia petitioned the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel for a minister after constructing a church building in 1749. What does seem clear is how Augusta ended up being designated as Maines capital city 200 years ago, after Maine achieved statehood in 1820, with passage of the Missouri Compromise. The Clarks Hill Dam is built on the fall line near Augusta, forming Clarks Hill Lake. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. Also in the '30s, the club established the Masters Golf Tournament, which has become golfs premier event in the United States. Until the 1960s, the city's Augusta Union Station was a passenger rail hub, with trains arriving from the Atlantic Coast Line (as spur sections from Florence, South Carolina, from trains such as the Champion, Everglades and Palmetto), Georgia Railroad and Southern Railway (for example, the Aiken-Augusta Special from New York City). The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. The meeting took place there at the invitation of its pastor, Reverend Joseph Ruggles Wilson, who lived with his family in the parsonage, the Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home. Following the Civil War, Augustas economy struggled but rebounded with the enlargement and expansion of the Augusta Canal in 1875. Courtesy of the Maine State Museum (catalogue number 72.19.56). Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. By 1838, 10 sawmills were contracted. How can I pay rent? The median age was 33.0 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, AugustaRichmond County had a 2020 population of 202,081,[4] not counting the unconsolidated cities of Blythe and Hephzibah. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The television stations are: WAGT (CW Plus and NBC), WCES (PBS), WFXG (Fox), WJBF (ABC and MeTV) and WRDW (CBS). Georgia's state capital and largest city, Atlanta was founded and developed around railroads. While Portland was initially designated Maines capital, Augusta was named the capital after Maine Gov. Kennebec Journal photo by Joe Phelan Buy this Photo. [12] There, he had met with a convention of 7,000 Native American warriors and concluded a peace treaty with them in their territories in northern and western Georgia. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Success. As the old city continued to expand, most religious denominations realized the need to establish a second congregation in the western end of the city, and often a third or fourth in the suburban areas. During the Civil War, Augusta was a rendezvous point for Union soldiers traveling to the front. Wikiwand is the world's leading Wikipedia reader for web and mobile. third-least populous state capital in the United States, Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine, Population and Population Centers by State, "Census - Geography Profile: Augusta city, Maine", "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Fort Western", "The History of Augusta, from the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time: With Notices of the Plymouth Company, and Settlements on the Kennebec; Together with Biographical Sketches and Genealogical Register", "Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990", "Influx of arts, events in downtown Augusta signals new push for activity", "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990", "Augusta, Maine, 2012 General Election results Bangor Daily News BDN Maine", https://cms6.revize.com/revize/augustame/Official%20State%20and%20City%20ROVC%20November%2003%202020%20Signed.pdf, "REGISTERED & ENROLLED VOTERS - STATEWIDE", "City of Augusta, Maine School Department", "Augusta's Julia Clukey looks to the future after Olympic luge near-miss", Capitals of the United States by jurisdiction, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augusta,_Maine&oldid=1164887302, 1629 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from The American Cyclopaedia, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from The American Cyclopaedia with a Wikisource reference, Articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 11 July 2023, at 17:54. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 202,081 people, 66,838 households, and 41,517 families residing in the city. Please enter your name and contact information so a reporter can reach you. A commission governed the town, laid out new streets, disposed of land, and in 1783 chartered a school, Richmond Academy. Augusta Downtown Historic District is a historic district that encompasses most of downtown Augusta and its pre-Civil War area. Many of the soldiers camped on the green in front of the capitol building. A few blocks to the south is the Bethlehem Historic District, created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries exclusively by and for African Americans. Ships travel on the river from Augusta to the Atlantic Ocean, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) away. State Capitol, Augusta - Tripadvisor The mayor presides at all meetings of the council, and is recognized ceremonially as the official head of the city. The city installed gas lights in 1859. Washington Street (now 6th Street) on the west was for General George Washington; McIntosh Street (now 7th Street) was for General Lachlan McIntosh; Jackson Street (8th Street) was for General James Jackson. The city hosted a United States Arsenal beginning in 1819. They later acknowledged, according to Douin, not wanting to be called Harrington because residents of Hallowell made fun of the newly formed Harrington by instead referring to it as Herring Town., Daniel Cony Photo courtesy of The Kennebec Historical Society, Augusta, Maine. State capitals Each state has a capital that serves as the seat of its government. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. But one thing does seem clear: Residents here, when they separated from Hallowell in 1797, werent at all happy with Harrington. That was the first name designated by the Massachusetts Legislature for what would later become Maines capital city of Augusta. They shipped their cotton to the port of Savannah via cotton boats down the Savannah River, or overland to Charleston on the South Carolina Railroad. Most denominations also established a church presence in LaneyWalker, Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Summerville and Sand Hills in the late 19th or early 20th centuries. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.[33]. Public K12 schools in Augusta are managed by the Richmond County School System. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The ensuing settlement was named for Princess Augusta, mother of Englands George III. Corrections? Downtown Historic District - Broad Street
Available space became additional housing, with many of the antebellum and Victorian homes converted to apartment buildings. With the Belgrade chain of lakes 15 miles (24 km) north and the Kennebec River reaching south to the sea, Augusta is one of the states leading vacation centres. CSX Transportation Atlanta Division and Florence Division Trains also serve the Augusta, Georgia, area from the CSX Augusta Yard near Gordon Highway southwest of the city. Golf came to the village when the hotel established the Bon Air Links as a recreational opportunity for its guests. The Historic Augusta Canal and Industrial District represents the economic salvation of Augusta from the 1840s until well into the 20th century. Omissions? Georgia's State Capital - Georgia Historical Society Augusta served as a major center of the Confederacy, providing cotton goods, shoes, guns, munitions, food, and many other commodities. Keyes was established in the northwestern portion of the city. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.1% of the population. The Partridge Inn. The desire for a more civilized atmosphere dictated the need for a church. Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary, Ezekiel Harris House (also known as the Harris-Pearson-Walker House), Wares Folly (Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art), Historic Augusta Canal and Industrial District, Confederate States Powder Works on the Augusta Canal in 1862, at the present site of Sibley Mill, home of future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph R. Lamar.