Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia

Augusta-Richmond County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Augusta
Year Organized: 1777
Square Miles: 324

Court House:

530 Greene Street
City/County Building
Augusta, GA 30911-4406

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Richmond County was named for the Duke of Richmond, a British defender of the colonists' cause.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Richmond County, Georgia's 7th, was created in 1777. Originally including Columbia, Glascock and McDuffie counties, plus parts of Warren and Jefferson counties, Richmond County was named for the Duke of Richmond, a British defender of the colonists' cause. It was first known as the Parish of St. Paul.

Augusta was the capital of Georgia from 1785 to 1795, and is the second oldest city in Georgia. The city was named for the Princess of Wales.

Hephzibah is one of Georgia's oldest settlements and was originally the home of the Uchee Indians.

In 1995, voters in Augusta and Richmond County agreed to consolidate the city and county governments. Augusta-Richmond County is the third consolidated government in the state.

The Augusta Canal, completed in 1846 and still in use, is a rare example of a canal built for industrial power supply purposes. The canal played a critical role in Augusta's growth.

Points of Interest

Riverwalk Augusta offers pedestrian access to the Savannah River from a public plaza. The historic Cotton Exchange Building, once the second largest cotton market in the world, now serves as a welcome center and museum located on the Riverwalk.

Other attractions include: National Science Center Fort Discovery, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, Woodrow's Wilson's Childhood home and Cotton Exchange Welcome Center and Museum.

Augusta is the home of the famed Augusta National Country Club and the Masters Golf Tournament, one of men's golf's four "majors".

The Morris Museum of Art, located in Richmond County, has the largest collection of Southern Art in the world.

The Fort Gordon Military Reservation is located in Richmond County.

Notable Citizens

Jessye Norman, internationally known opera diva, was born and raised in Augusta. James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul", was also raised in the city. Also, native Frank Yerby, acclaimed poet and author of A Woman Called Fancy , The Vixens and The Foxes of Harow was a notable resident of the county.

Higher Education

Medical College of Georgia, Paine College, Augusta Technical College and Augusta State University

Neighboring Counties:

Edgefield County, South Carolina (north)
Aiken County, South Carolina (northeast)
Burke County (south)
Jefferson County (southwest)
McDuffie County (west)
Columbia County (northwest)

Cities and Towns:

- Augusta (County Seat)	city/county	Incorporated Area
- Blythe	city	Incorporated Area
- Hephzibah	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

County http://www.augustaga.gov/

Chamber of Commerce http://www.augustagausa.com/

Additional County Info http://www.georgiaplanning.com/CountyPortal/countyportal.asp?FIPS=13245

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

Penn Foster High School

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