Spook-tacular Artifacts at the Augusta Museum of History - Part V

This horse-drawn hearse on display at AMH is from Dents Undertaking Establishment and was used from the 1890s until about 1920.

Spook-tacular Artifacts at the Augusta Museum of History - Part IV

This photograph from the AMH archives shows the grave of John Martin (1737-1843) in Magnolia Cemetery. Martin was a veteran of the 1755 Cherokee War and Revolutionary War. The cannon barrel was a souvenir he brought home from the Revolutionary War and is being used as a foot marker for his grave.

Spook-tacular Artifacts at the Augusta Museum of History - Part III

Cooking Pot ca. 1800’s

Often referred to as a cauldron or a gypsy kettle, these types of vessels were typically used to cook food over an open fire.

Spook-tacular Artifacts at the Augusta Museum of History - Part II

Augusta’s first hospital, City Hospital, opened in 1818. This surgical environment features anesthesia and surgical instruments ca. 1906 and a mural photograph of City Hospital’s staff in the operating theater ca. 1906.

Spook-tacular Artifacts at the Augusta Museum of History - Part I

Shrunken Head

The process of preparing human heads for display was developed by a South American tribe located on the Amazon River. The skull would be removed and the skin treated with herbs in a similar way leather is tanned. This was thought to be done as a way to gain the spiritual power of a fallen enemy.

This item was donated to the Museum by G.L. Straub.

Preserving Your Treasures

A program that shares tips for caring for your treasures and gives the general public a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes world of museums

The Augusta Museum of History is offering for the second year the popular ‘behind-the-scenes’ education program to the general public – Preserving History: Behind-the-Scenes at the Augusta Museum of History.

Beginning this Saturday, September 5th, Museum staff will escort visitors in the collection preparation area every Saturday through September at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., giving the public the opportunity to see the Museum’s Processing Laboratory where artifact conservation and preparation occurs. The Museum’s Registrar will demonstrate how the Museum collects, catalogs, preserves, studies, cares for, and displays artifacts and archival collections.
Sean Todd, Registrar at the Augusta Museum of History said “Everybody remembers the thrill they had when they explored their grandparents’ attic. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn about the Museum’s collection, explore the Museum’s processing room, and to experience our collective past.”

The Augusta Museum of History is the steward of a broad and diverse range of artifacts, representing many aspects of the rich history of the CSRA. The goal of this hour-long presentation is to show visitors how historically important objects reach the Museum and how they are evaluated, cleaned, and stored. All of the relevant considerations, such as infestation, temperature and relative humidity levels, light levels, and composition of storage materials will be explained. The visitor will understand how these processes are central to the Museum’s broader mission of the preservation and interpretation of history.

Beginning September 5, 2009 the tours will be held at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. every Saturday through September. Space is limited to fifteen participants per session and participation is on a first come, first serve basis. Groups are encouraged to contact the Museum at (706) 722-8454 regarding availability.
Preserving History is open to the general public and FREE with the cost of regular admission. Museum hours are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is $4 for Adults, $3 for Seniors, $2 for Children, and Free for Children under Age 5 and Museum Members. For more information, please contact the Museum at (706) 722-8454 or visit www.augustamuseum.org.

Artifact of the Day - A 1953 Sancken’s Ice Cream Tray

This tray was donated by Curby L. Smith. Trays and bottles bearing the Sancken Dairy company name were common sights in the ice cream parlors and restaurants in Augusta throughout the 1950s and beyond. Trays like this one were used as advertisement pieces to make the company name and logo more recognizable to local customers.

This weekend at the Museum - Voices of the Past: A Petersburgboat Pilot

The Dollar Dog Days of Summer Are Back!

The Augusta Museum of History is pleased to announce the return of Dollar Dog Days of Summer. During the entire month of August, Museum admission is only $1 per person!

Nancy Glaser, Executive Director of the Augusta Museum of History said, “We are thrilled to be able to once again offer the families and residents of the CSRA special reduced admission rates during the entire month of August. Discounted admission will ensure everyone in the community has the opportunity to visit their History Museum. Last year’s Dollar Dog Days was so successful, we are grateful to be able to once again provide discounted admission rates during these economically challenging times.”

Exhibitions on display during the month of August include The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown, the first major exhibition celebrating the life and legacy of the renowned artist, and From Ty to Cal: A Century of Baseball in Augusta, tracing the history of professional baseball in Augusta over the past century, during which the “Garden City” has hosted over a dozen baseball teams. Also included is the A Community That Heals funded by University Heath Care System, chronicles medicine in the CSRA.

Programs available to visitors during the month of August include Hunt for History, a self-guided journey through time for ages 4 – 13 and on Saturday, August 8, museums visitors can view a performance from the museum theatre series – Voices of the Past. A Petersburg Boat Pilot will be performed by an actor in the Museum’s galleries at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm.

Museum admission during the month of August also includes a viewing of Augusta Remembers, a documentary which through the use of images, video, and personal memories, looks at the history of Augusta during the first half of the 20th century – from 1900 to World War II, including the floods and fires that devastated downtown Augusta.

Brown Bag History Series Lecture to explore the growth of segregation in a Jim Crow South

As part of its continuing Brown Bag History Series, the Museum will present The Strange Career of Jim Crow in Augusta, a lecture given by Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.

The lecture will explore the growth of segregation in the region, comparing the early possibilities of Reconstruction with the developments in race relations in the late nineteenth century. Using census materials, newspapers, city directories, memoirs, maps and other primary sources, this research seeks to understand the internal and external forces that coalesced to cause Jim Crowism to emerge in a place where more fluid race relations had existed.

Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell, a native of Augusta, is the Director of the Center for the Study of Georgia History at Augusta State University. She served as a History Professor at Paine College from 1980-1991, Augusta State University from 1991-2002, and as Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History, Geography and Philosophy at Georgia College & State University from 2002- 2008. She returned to Augusta in summer of 2008 to carry on the work of the late historian, Dr. Edward Cashin. She has authored essays and articles, presented many papers at scholarly conferences, and served on the boards of professional organizations. She is currently the co-editor of the Journal of the Georgia Association of Historians and the executive secretary of the Georgia History Consortium. Her current research includes a textbook on Georgia history for public schools to be published by Clairmont Press, an additional chapter covering the years 1980-2010 for Dr. Cashin’s Story of Augusta (which will be reprinted), and a book on family and race in late nineteenth century Augusta and Summerville.

The Brown Bag History Series is an educational lecture series provided monthly by the Augusta Museum of History, and is an ideal lunch-time break for downtown professionals, retirees, and students. The lectures are free to Museum members and $3 for non-members. Participants should bring a lunch and the Museum provides beverages and dessert. Refreshments are served beginning at 11:30 a.m.; the lecture runs from 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.

Learn the lost art of dots and dashes....

This Saturday, our Family Fun Day Series continues when families are invited to learn about the Morse Code.

What: Morse Code Family Fun Day
When: Saturday June 20, 2009, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Who: Families are invited to learn the lost language of dots and dashes and try their hand at communicating without words.
How Much?: Free with regular Museum admission and for Museum members!

(Regular admission: $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, $2 Children 6 - 18, Free for Children Age 5 and under)

Museum to host former MLB Pitcher for Book Signing

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ira Berkow brings together unforgettable memories of a hero's life in The Corporal Was a Pitcher: The Courage of Lou Brissie, telling the story of a man who overcame incredible odds from a war injury to realize his dream of pitching in the major leagues. On Saturday, June 20, 2009 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, the Augusta Museum of History is pleased to host Mr. Lou Brisise for a book signing.

The Corporal Was a Pitcher is the riveting, true account of Brissie who – after being left for dead in a ditch on the battlefields of northern Italy on December 7, 1944, while fighting the retreating Nazis – became a member of the 1949 American League All-Star team as a strikeout ace, hurling his heat past the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. When war surgeons told Brissie he would die if they didn’t cut off his leg, Brissie refused amputation and fought through twenty-three operations to return to baseball.“Brissie's story should be recommended reading for every major-leaguer,” wrote the Daily (Ill.) Herald’s Mike Imrem on February 21, 2009. “Brissie just wanted to play baseball, and returned home with a damaged leg - and played in seven major-league seasons and the 1949 All-Star Game!”

Lou Brissie is a part of our nation's ‘greatest generation,’ and his life from his time serving in World War II to playing professional baseball for the Philadelphia A's to visiting wounded veterans throughout his life make him a role model for all. The Corporal Was a Pitcher is a must-read not only for baseball fans, but also for anyone looking to find inspiration from a man who never quit despite the odds being stacked so highly against him.Lou Brissie will sign books from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on Saturday, June 20 at the Augusta Museum of History (706-722-8454) in the exhibit From Ty to Cal: A Century of Baseball in Augusta, which features from Brissie’s career with the Philadelphia A’s. Books will be available for purchase in the Museum Shop ($20.00 Paperback).

June lunchtime lecture on historic black cemetery - Cedar Grove

As part of its continuing Brown Bag History Series, the Museum will present Cedar Grove Cemetery, a lecture given by Mr. Arthur Holmes on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.

A historic black cemetery located in downtown Augusta, Cedar Grove was constructed in 1820, when the City of Augusta allotted 40 acres of land for slaves to be laid to rest. These simple, unmarked graves now rest beside some of Augusta’s most prominent black business owners and educators, including R.A. Dent, the first black from Augusta elected to the Legislature, Rev. W. P. Russell who opened the Free African School at Ellis and Ninth Streets in 1865, and Mrs. Amanda Dickson Toomer, the richest black woman in the United STates, following the death of her father, and plantation owner, David Dickson.

Mr. Arthur (Audie) Holmes is an Assistant Professor of History at Paine College, where he teaches history and geography in the Division of Social Sciences. Holmes also taught for Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice for a number of years. During his lecture, he will speak of how the cemetery was first constructed and designated for slaves (free and unfree alike) by the City and some of the famous and not-so-famous individuals buried at Cedar Grove.

The Brown Bag History Series is an educational lecture series provided monthly by the Augusta Museum of History, and is an ideal lunch-time break for downtown professionals, retirees, and students. The lectures are free to Museum members and $3 for non-members. Participants should bring a lunch and the Museum provides beverages and dessert. Refreshments are served beginning at 11:30 a.m.; the lecture runs from 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.

Museum digs up the past with annual Archeology Day

In recognition of Georgia Archeology Month, the Augusta Museum of History and the Augusta Archeological Society will present Archeology Day on Saturday, May 23, 2009 from 10 am - 4 pm at the 1797 Ezekiel Harris House. Archaeologists will be on hand to identify and classify prehistoric and historic artifacts and artifact collections; Paleo-Indian and Dalton period projectile points will be formally recorded; and artifacts from local historic sites will be on
display, including artifacts from the Ezekiel Harris House. Children will enjoy flint knapping and primitive weapon demonstrations and all visitors will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the 1797 Ezekiel Harris House.

Admission for this 1797 Ezekiel Harris House event is FREE. The 1797 Ezekiel Harris House is located at 1822 Broad Street in the Harrisburg neighborhood. In case of rain, Archaeology Day will be held at the Augusta Museum of History.

Museum to host lecture on anniversary of 1970 Augusta Riots

Thirty-nine years ago, the residents of Augusta, Georgia experienced three days of race riots that shocked the region, state, and nation as a whole. With the national eye on the city of Augusta, what started as a peaceful protest of the killing of 16 year old black teenager, Charles Oatman, in the Richmond County jail surged to a 700-person riot in Augusta neighborhoods fully populated by black residents.

Nearly four decades later, the Augusta Museum of History is pleased to present a lecture, Augusta is Burning given by Mr. William R. (Bill) Coleman, Jr. , on the thirty-ninth anniversary of the Augusta Riots, Monday, May 11, 2009, 6:30 pm at the Museum. Mr. Coleman will cover certain conditions and attitudes that existed in the nation, the state, and the local community at the time to have made such a riot possible.

The catalyst for the May riot was an approved march on Augusta's city hall to protest the killing of Oatman, a mentally-disabled teenager, in the county jail on May 9, 1970. Oatman had been beaten to death in his cell two days before, and authorities charged his two black cellmates with murder. Black residents held police responsible for the killing. But what was intended to be a peaceful rally on May 11, 1970, turned ugly as the crowd of 300 demonstrators descended upon the marble-faced county building in downtown Augusta. They ripped the Georgia state flag from its standard and burned it. Then they marched the two blocks to Broad Street, the city's main shopping district, and began surging in and out of stores, jostling counters and picking up merchandise. Until the crowd reached the downtown black neighborhoods, amassed to 700 and were completely out of control.

Mr. William Coleman presents a unique perspective on the race riots that erupted in Augusta, Georgia on May 11, 1970. His talk will include actual news film footage of the riots and he will explain the role he played as an attorney representing some of those arrested for their participation in the riots. As a young lawyer at the time, Coleman was appointed by the Chief Superior Court Judge to represent the persons arrested for the riots who wished to have a lawyer. In addition, the Honorable Grady Abrams, a city councilman at the time will be attending and taking part in the discussion.

“As a young lawyer at the time, it was both scary and a privilege to be part of this remarkable time in Augusta’s history. I look forward to this opportunity to share my point of view and role during these events”, commented Mr. Coleman.

Augusta is Burning will be held in the Museum Theater of the Augusta Museum of History and is free of charge to the general public. Galleries will be closed during the lecture.

Springtime at the 1797 Ezekiel Harris House

Amid the hustle and bustle of Broad Street in downtown Augusta, it's hard to imagine the 1797 Ezekiel Harris house as it originally was, an isolated house in the country along a dirt road. Ezekiel Harris bought two lots of the White House Tract in 1794. Among those 323 ½ acres, he built what has come to be “the finest eighteenth-century house surviving in Georgia...", according to The Smithsonian Guide to Historic America. Over the years, the land was sold bit by bit as it passed from the hands of one family to another, resulting in the neighborhood of Harrisburg. But as you walk through the dogwoods and roses in bloom and see the apples starting grow, it is a little easier to remember the beauty of nature the Harris family would have been surrounded by.

AMH Education Manager, Heather Sellers captured a few springtime shots of the grounds of the 1797 Ezekiel Harris House. Take a look at the beauty of springtime in Augusta.

Artifact of the Day - Surveyor's Compass and Chain

Augusta, Georgia's second oldest city, was founded in 1736 on the western bank of the Savannah River. General James Edward Oglethorpe, the colony’s 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.

Oglethorpe’s 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. Augusta thrived as a trading post from the beginning, with several of the South Carolina traders moving their base of operations to the new settlement. By 1739 a fort was completed (Fort Augusta), and the official surveyor of the colony, Noble Jones, laid out the town. Noble Jones' colonial plan of Augusta was similar to that of Savannah, but not quite as elaborate.

Jones' plan of the "Old Augusta Town" included one large square or plaza, was four streets deep and three streets wide. Fort Augusta was adjacent to the 40 town lots on the west side near the river. Augusta named two of its original streets for Georgia’s colonial governors: Reynolds Street for John Reynolds, and Ellis Street for Henry Ellis. These streets are still prominent features of the Downtown Augusta and Piched Gut (now Olde Town) historic districts.

Here is Noble Jone's original town plan for Augusta:

Above are two artifacts on display in Augusta's Story - a Surveyor's Compass and Surveyor's Chain. Noble Jones would have used similar equipment to lay out the town of Augusta in 1739. The Surveyor's chain was used to measure distances during land surveys, and is made of bent metal, hooked together much like a crude metal fence. The Surveyor's Compass was used to determine exact location. This finely made compass includes levels, mounting hardware, and a wooden travel case.

Check them out and learn more about the founding of Augusta on your next visit to the Augusta Museum of History.

Have you wordled???

(Click on wordle to see more!)
Image courtesy of http://www.wordle.net

Our Family Fun Day series continues with Botanicals of the South Family Fun Day this Saturday (April 4th) from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Families are invited to glimpse the Natural South, learn of William Bartram and how he recorded species of plants, flowers, and trees, discover Baron Von Reck’s voyages through Georgia, and create their own leaf rubbings to take home.

The film, The Curious Mr. Catesby, will be on view in the History Theater. The documentary explores the life and works of Mark Catesby, who as an explorer, was the first to conduct a critical study of the lush and varied habitat of North America, particularly the southeast colonies and the environs of the Lowcountry and Piedmont areas. His meticulous paintings and etchings of birds and plants captured the diverse natural beauty of colonial America 100 years before Audubon.

Family Fun Days are FREE with regular Museum admission: $4 for Adults, $3 for Seniors, $2 for Children, and free for members and children under age 5. It will be a great day for any of your Masters guests with children arriving in town early for the tournament, or if you just want to escape the hustle and bustle of a busy weekend!

For more information about Botanicals of the South Family Fun Day or additional family programming, contact the Museum at (706) 722-8454.

Girl Scout Days: Women's Stories Badge

Local Junior Girl Scouts from the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia Council came to the Museum Saturday for a full program centered around Women's Stories. Just in time for Women's History Month, Junior Scouts looked at the role of women through news and stories of female role models. They created their own collages and developed and played their own women's history game.

Each of the Junior Scouts earned their Women's Stories Badge at the end of the program!

Here are some photos of their impressive collages:

The reviews are in!

What a great response we had Saturday for the unveiling of the new museum theatre program! We even had to add a fourth show for visitors because it was so popular!

Here are a few highlights from reviews:

“…when history comes alive it takes up a whole new meaning and really gets people, especially children, interested in learning more.”

“Very interesting approach to add interest to the existing exhibits!”

“Great performance, hopefully the first of many. Look forward to new developments!”

“The actor brought the Petersburg Boat alive, gave me a greater appreciation of the river and the men who oared the boat. Great performance!”

Next performance is April 11th - try not to miss it!

Georgia! Carolina! The boat pilot would yell

The Museum Theatre Program Unveiling is almost here! Shows at 10:00, 12:00, and 1:00 on Saturday. Next run - April 11th, in case you miss it.

Here's a glimpse from dress rehearsel yesterday evening:

So what is this museum theatre stuff?

What is Museum Theatre? The Museum Theatre program is comprised of characters, real or fictionalized with short monologues written using primary and secondary sources, including newspaper reports, diaries, biographies, and oral histories. Performed in the Museum’s galleries, the program is designed to engage the visitor in a thought- provoking dialogue relating to the issues and events of the period and to give context to the artifacts and images on display.

Through the use of theatrical techniques, museum theatre brings to life the stories of people in the context of their era and draws upon primary sources to create characters that present history in an innovative and engaging manner. Museum theatre provides the opportunity to create an experience more conducive to various types of learners, and by giving a face to history makes learning more personal and relevant to visitors. Museums have turned to theatre as a successful medium for educating and enhancing the experience that happens within a museum.

New Program starts Saturday

The Augusta Museum of History is pleased to present the unveiling of a new program – Voices of the Past on Saturday, March 7, 2009. The program is a series of character monologues presented in museum theatre format, and is supported through grant funding from the Porter Fleming Foundation.

“The Augusta Museum of History is excited to offer such an imaginative and new approach in bringing local history to life for Museum audiences,” said Nancy Glaser, Executive Director of the Augusta Museum of History.

Voices of the Past begins with the performance, A Petersburg Boat Pilot, based on oral histories provided by Elberton, Georgia resident, Mr. ‘Buck’ Balchin, about his grandfather, James Henry Balchin, who from the mid-nineteenth century until 1900, crewed and piloted cotton boats from Petersburg to Augusta.

The premiere of the Augusta Museum of History’s museum theatre program will occur on Saturday, March 7, 2009. Performances times are 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm.

It's all about telling a story

Robbie Pavey, the outdoor editor at our local newpaper (http://www.augustachronicle.com/) has always had a lifelong interest in history. He often will call over and ask museum staff to help pull research or images on a particular topic he's working on for articles - which we gladly do for all media, educators, students, etc.. as anyone in the general public can schedule an appointment for research purposes.

Robbie contacted me last week and was interested in what life was like in the CSRA during the Great Depression. He met with Guy, our curator, and was able to go through our archives, looking at images from the time period. What resulted was a great article in the paper on Sunday, March 1 on poverty and joblessness in the Augusta area (read here at http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/03/01/met_513118.shtml)

Following Sunday's paper, Robbie received a phone call from a gentleman, Glover Addie Youngblood Jr, who was just an infant in the photo which appeared in the paper! The photo had been in our Archives for a number of years, and we did not have the names of the family in the photograph from the 1930s, but thanks to an article in our paper - we now have a story behind the picture!

Read more on Rob Pavey's blog at http://blogs.augusta.com/node/2343.

tweet, tweet

The Augusta Museum of History is now twittering!!!

www.twitter.com/augustamuseum

Artifact of the Day - Augusta Arsenal Box

I'd like to continue showcasing a few artifacts that maybe you don't notice as you walk through our galleries but contribute a great deal of value and importance to our region's history.

Above is an image of a Rifle Ammunition Box (1864) used at the Augusta Arsenal (present-day location of Augusta State University (www.aug.edu)).

This wooden box held 1,00 rounds or cartridges of ammunition for the Enfield riffle. Paper labels on each side of the box identify the contents of the box and are dated "September 1864". During the War, Augusta was one of the leading production sites for ammunition for the Confederacy, due to the Confederate Powderworks, located along the banks of the Augusta Canal (read more at www.augustacanal.com).

Some of the powder produced at the Powderworks was shipped "up the hill" to the Augusta Arsenal where it was used to make ammunition for firearms, grenades, rockets, and artillery.

Only three such ammunition boxes are known to exist. One of which is displayed in the Museum's permanent exhibit - Augusta's Story. Be sure to spot it in your next visit to the Augusta Museum of History!

A Community that Heals Opening

Museum adds medical exhibit

The following appeared in the January 29, 2009 edition of The Augusta Chronicle:

"Museum adds medical exhibit"

By Nikasha Dicks Staff Writer
Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Augusta Museum of History has added a couple of new exhibits.

A Community That Heals exhibit opened Jan. 16 and chronicles 200 years of medicine in the area, said Rebekah Henry, marketing and membership manager for the museum.

"It's a stellar exhibit," she said. "It shows the way health care in Augusta and the CSRA has transformed over the years. It also focuses on the speciality areas that this area has been adept in providing.

The exhibit, which is a permanent addition to the museum, includes artifacts from area hospitals, a uniform from Barrett's School of Nursing and images from the 1960s, when the nursing schools were integrated. (read more...)

Artifact of the Day - Springfield Baptist Church Wall Sconce

The Augusta Museum of History curates some 40,000 artifacts a year. Meaning that in our 72 year history, something like 2.8 million artifacts have probably gone through our doors. Now granted, a single letter is considered an artifact and certainly is not any where near the size of a stuffed bison (yes we have a stuffed bison in our collection), but it still is remarkable that our community's history will continue to be preserved thanks to the Museum and other local agencies.

I thought I'd show off a few of artifacts maybe you don't always necessarily notice when you walk through the galleries.

Today we're featuring a beautiful early gas wall sconce from the original Springfield Baptist Church, on display in Augusta's Story. Springfield Baptist Church was Springfield traces its roots to 1773, making it the oldest black church of any denomination in America. Served by African American pastors during the antebellum period, Springfield had the largest membership of any church in the Georgia Baptist Association. In 1844 if moved from Greene Street to its current location on 12th Street in downtown Augusta.

Springfield had an incredible history - in 1859, Springfield offered Sunday school instruction in, even though such classes were banned by the prevailing slave codes. In 1866, the church hosted the first meeting of the postwar Georgia Equal Rights Association, which became the Georgia Republican Party in 1867. The Augusta Baptist Institute was founded at the church; twelve years later it moved to Atlanta and grew into the legendary Morehouse College.

Be sure to look out for this incredible artifact at your next Museum visit. Matching pairs of this same sconce still hang today in the old sanctuary at 114 12th Street. Read more at http://www.historicspringfieldaugusta.org/.

Last minute Exhibit prep

I went upstairs this morning to check out the progress on our newest exhibition, A Community that Heals. The exhibit is an expansion and reconfiguration of our former permanent exhibit on the history of health care, The Art of Healing, previously located where The Godfather of Soul now is.

A Community that Heals will open in just over a week - on January 15 to our members and invited guests and to the general public on Friday, January 16. It chronicles the history of medicine in the CSRA - a long-standing tradition that began in 1818 when the first hospital was constructed on the lower end of Greene Street.

Since that first hospital - known then as "City Hospital", Augusta and the Central Savannah River Area has continued its role today as a modern day player in state-of-the art health care and medical advancement for nearly two hundred years.

Be sure to come by and check out the exhibit next week! And for all interested in what really goes on behind the scenes, here's a sneak peak at the status of the exhibition so far.