The Elegant Augusta Real Estate Blog

Lydias Assistant May 10th, 2007

Few locals know that approximately 15 miles below the rapids of the Savannah River, near the opening of Butler Creek, lies the forgotten remains of New Savannah Georgia.

In 1740, a tribe of Chickasaw Indians led by Chief Squirrel King moved from the Horse Creek Valley of what is now Aiken County in South Carolina. They chose to settle on the Georgia side of the river. Mostly peaceful farmers, by the start of the Revolution the tiny Indian town had a population of approximately 150 individuals.

As the Revolution closed a tobacco inspection station was set up in New Savannah. Leaf grown in the surrounding areas of Richland County and the Edgefield District (present day Aiken County) was packed in wooded barrels and transported to the town. The Georgia leaf arrived via Tobacco Road (hence the origin of the present day road) en route to the small hamlet. After inspection the barrels were sent downstream to the port of Savannah by barge.

ABOVE: A map of the Augusta area, from 1780, showing New Savannah downstream from Augusta, Georgia.

Tobacco lost it’s economic viability to King Cotton in the 1800s, and once that happened the small village blinked out of existence. Presently the New Savannah Lock and Dam is located approximately where the village once stood. I never knew the source of the name of the Lock until I heard the strange story of this lost Indian village.

ABOVE: Tobacco Road used to travel all the way to the Savannah River, ending at New Savannah. BELOW: Present day New Savannah, where Butler Creek meets the Savannah River.

Unfortunately, today no trace remains of New Savannah, although it’s location in many ways probably looks much the same way as it might have 200 years ago. The spot is relatively remote even in modern times.

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Lydias Assistant April 27th, 2007

At the corner of Broad and Fifth streets stands one of Augusta Georgia’s most famous relics. A humble 10 foot tall piece of concrete Augustans call The Haunted Pillar.

The story of the pillar got its start way back in 1830. That year a new Farmer’s Market was built over what was then called Center Street. The pillar was part of a row of columns that held up the large front Greek portico. And so it stood, until a freak tornado struck downtown Augusta in February of 1878. The entire farmer’s market was destroyed, except for the one remaining column.

Shown above - The Haunted Column

Now tornados are rather rare on the east coast, especially in February. The legend began…Local lore claims that if you happen to touch the pillar, you will be struck dead.

The most commonly heard tale is that a traveling preacher, angry at being prevented from giving a sermon at the market, cursed the building, “A great wind will destroy this place except for one pillar… and whomever tries to remove this remaining pillar will be struck dead!”

Others claim that slaves were sold at the market, and that the slaves were chained to the pillar and whipped. A slave woman cursed all the market, causing it’s destruction, and the stain of that curse remains in the haunted pillar. However, there is no evidence that any slaves were ever sold at the market.

At any rate, most Augustans of the time were glad to see the market gone. The decor had not fit the tastes of the time. Even worse, the building had blocked off what is now Broad Street, causing exasperating traffic jams as horse-drawn buggies slowly made their way past huge freight wagons loaded with produce. As one local newspaper put it, ”It was, at best, an unsightly edifice and marred the grand boulevard upon which it was mistakenly located.”

Strangely enough, the pillar we see today is neither ‘real’ nor is it in the original spot. It was destroyed in 1935 in an automobile incident. The column was rebuilt by local business owners, and a year later was moved to the corner of 5th and Broad street, where it can be seen today.

Friday the 13th, 1958, a cotton bale fell off a passing truck and knocked the pillar over. It was quickly re-erected. No one was injured on the truck or on the construction crew. That we know of, anyway.

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Lydias Assistant April 9th, 2007

My father took me to see the ruins of Bettis Academy when I was very young. I found myself looking at a field of wild hay, looking at old building foundations, wondering what was so special about it. He was always interested in local history- but I don’t remember much about what he told me about Bettis, other than he said it was an all-black school from the early 1900’s.

The former Bettis Academy lies on Bettis Academy Road between Augusta Road (Highway 25) and Ascauga Lake Road. It was established by Reverend Alexander Bettis in 1881 to provide basic education for former slaves. The Reverend himself was a former slave and could neither read nor write, but he raised $300 through his Mt. Canaan Church to buy the land and build the school.

A boarding institution with a strong emphasis on religion, Bettis Academy initially focused on education in the skilled trades, but there was also a curriculum in education. Graduated students often went on to have informal careers as teachers. In 1933, the school had grown to 14 buildings and was accredited as a Junior college by South Carolina. This was great for the students, for as graduates they could teach in any SC elementary school or continue their education by entering 4-year colleges on a junior level.

In 1940, the school added Biddle Hall as a large economics building and expanded their agriculture program by buying tractors and implements. The outlook for the school looked promising at the start of the 1940’s, but the outbreak of war and the draft affected students and the teachers alike. Expansion plans were put on hold, and by the early 1950’s the school was struggling. The state of SC was rapidly improving education for African Americans and there was a steady drop in attendance for Bettis Academy. It had 71 years under it’s belt, but sadly the Academy closed it’s doors in 1952.

The National Register of Historic Places added Bettis Academy and Junior College to it’s roster in 1998. I don’t suppose there are many former students left around, but if there are I’d love to hear from them.

You can see some photos of the old campus at the Mt. Canaan Association.

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