The Old Government House, also known as the Old Richmond County Courthouse, is a historic
courthouse
A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...
located in downtown
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...
. It housed the seat of the local government from 1801 to 1821. It is one of the oldest remaining public buildings in the city.
It was built as a courthouse in 1801 and was expanded later when it served as a private residence.
[ With .]
History
19th Century
The Old Government House was built in 1801 and housed the seat of the local government. In 1821, the government sold the building to former Mayor Samuel Hale. He converted the Old Government House into an
elegant
Elegance is beauty that shows unusual effectiveness and simplicity.
Elegance is frequently used as a standard of tastefulness, particularly in visual design, decorative arts, literature, science, and the aesthetics of mathematics.
Elegant t ...
residence. Many other prominent families lived in the building including those of Colonel Paul Fitzsimmons, a Charleston ship magnate, Colonel James Gardner, and James Gregg, son of the founder of Graniteville Mills. In 1877, Dr. Eugene Murphey purchased the property. His family lived in the building for 75 years.
20th Century
Dr. Murphey sold the estate to the Augusta Junior League in 1952. The organization used it as a reception facility until the 1970s, when they gave it to Historic Augusta.
It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1978.
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The City of Augusta purchased the property in 1987. City officials hired VGR Architect, to revitalize the Old Government House into a reception hall to retain its historic significance.
]
Architecture
The architecture of the Old Government House has a historic impact on Augusta. It was built in a Federal style brick with parapet end chimneys. When the building became a residence, the owner stuccoed the walls adding the elaborate recessed wings, iron portico, balcony, and trimmed windows. These changes were made in 1821 and 1839.
Today
Today, the Old Government House is a historic reception hall that accommodates various parties and receptions. It can also be seen on the city seal and flag.
See also
*History of Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia was founded in 1736 as part of the British colony of Province of Georgia, Georgia, under the supervision of colony founder James Oglethorpe. It was the colony's second established town, after Savannah, Georgia, Savannah. Today, A ...
References
External links
Old Government House on National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places in Augusta, Georgia
Buildings and structures in Augusta, Georgia
Former county courthouses in Georgia (U.S. state)
History of Augusta, Georgia
Tourist attractions in Augusta, Georgia
Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state)
Government buildings completed in 1801
Greek Revival architecture in Georgia (U.S. state)
Victorian architecture in Georgia (U.S. state)
Federal architecture in Georgia (U.S. state)
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