Augusta, the “The Garden City”
March 2022
Augusta’s Living History, The Augusta Canal National Heritage Area
The Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, a 13-mile waterway with surrounding historic industrial sites, was designated by Congress in 1996 and was the first National Heritage Area in Georgia. The centerpiece is the fully intact Augusta Canal, built in 1845 to provide power, transportation, and a municipal water supply. It remains the only continuously operating industrial canal in the American South, still serving its original purposes.
One of these industrial sites along the canal is the red-brick Enterprise Mill. Once a textile mill, it has been transformed into a mixed-use facility, with a discovery center, offices, and lofts. The Butt Memorial Bridge, a white, multi-arched structure spanning the canal, was the first memorial erected to honor a victim of the Titanic disaster. Although we didn’t see the full 13 miles, this section of the Heritage Area was certainly impressive. It was certainly a shame, we couldn’t spend more time there.
