The Richmond Hotel/Richmond Summit

744 Broad Street

Owner: Privately Owned

The Threat: The Richmond Summit has been owned by an out of town property management company for many years. Over time, original historic character defining features such as original windows, architectural details, and interior finishes and materials may have been removed or potentially damaged beyond repair.  As a contributing structure in the Augusta Downtown Historic District, retaining historical integrity is imperative for our historic resources so property owners may apply for certified historic rehabilitation tax credits to perform work on the existing historic building and apply for the financial benefits of listing to both the National Register of Historic Places and the Georgia Register of Historic Places.

Some History:  Designed by prominent Georgia architect G. Lloyd Preacher and Company, the 8-story Richmond Hotel was constructed in 1923 on the site of the Albion Hotel which burned in 1921.  G. L. Miller and Company issued the bonds for the hotel’s construction as reported in the Augusta Chronicle April 30, 1922.  The Richmond Hotel cost $660,000 to building and was reported to be completed for occupation January 1923.  The J. B. White Estate also played a role in the development of this significant downtown property; at the time the famous Augusta Department store was located adjacent to the Albion Hotel site and was also damaged by the disastrous fire.  The estate invested in the hotel to prove their “faith in Augusta” and offer further improvements of the downtown infrastructure including sidewalks and streets that were fifty feet wide.  The Richmond Hotel was converted into apartments in 1979 with 125 subsidized one-bedroom apartment units.

Possible Future Uses:  The Richmond Hotel should continue to serve Augusta as both a commercial and residential anchor within the Augusta Downtown Historic District.  The exterior of the building still retains much of its historic integrity and would likely be able to be certified for state and federal rehabilitation tax credits.  With ongoing reinvestment in the downtown corridor, there would be interest from local investors to create residential units for professionals and medical students who work at nearby cyber facilities or desire to be near the medical district.