I got curious about downtown properties that have long been vacant, and took the time to look into a few located on Broad Street. Historicaugusta.org has a list of architecturally or historically significant properties that are endangered, and provides updates regarding restoration efforts for these properties.
Reid Range Building
Neighbored by Luigi’s and Aces & Eights Tattoo, the Reid Range Building is part of one of the oldest blocks of buildings in Augusta, according to the Historic Augusta website. It’s been listed on the register since 2012.
Erbelding Building
Located across the street from the Reid Range Building, the Erbelding is one of the oldest buildings in downtown Augusta. It’s served as a commercial front for an agent of Anheuser-Busch, a brewery based in St Louis, Mo. In 1897, a Mrs. Busch used the property as a boarding house, and in the 1930s, it became the Erbelding Plumbing Company until around 1980.
Former JCPenney Department Store
Near the Miller Theater sits the former JCPenney Department Store. Before its stint as a department store, it was part of the Albion Hotel in 1900. In 1921, a fire that started at the corner of Eighth and Broad Streets consumed several nearby properties, including The Chronicle building. In 1922, there was a grand reopening after adding more floor space. JCPenney began leasing the location in 1958 before relocating to the Augusta Mall in 1987.
Woolworth Department Store
A few buildings down from the former JCPenney structure sits what used to be a Woolworth Department Store. Built in 1939, this building was the location of a sit-in during the Civil Rights era in 1960 by students from Paine College as part of a larger campaign to protest racial discrimination and push to have city services desegregated. The store closed its doors in 1961.
Bayou Building
Formerly known as the Bayou Bar and Eatery, a 2001 fire tore through this structure, leaving it gutted.
St. Julian Cox, III is a photojournalist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at saintjulianc@gmail.com.
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