Academy of Richmond County
Also known as: Augusta-Richmond County Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1802 on Telfair Street in Augusta, this brick building housed the Academy of Richmond County, a school opened in 1785 and described in the nomination as the oldest seat of learning in the United States except for Yale, Harvard and Princeton. George Washington visited the first Academy building in 1790. The present structure took its Tudor-Gothic Revival appearance in 1856-7, when William Henry Goodrich oversaw a remodeling that added two wings, molded brick dripstones above the windows and cast iron clustered columns on the front portico. The stuccoed brick is scored to resemble stone blocks, and crenellated parapets line the roof and portico. During the Civil War Confederate authorities used it as a hospital administrative building. The school reopened in 1868 and occupied it until 1926. A library association used the ground floors from 1929 to 1960, and the whole building now holds the Augusta Museum collection. It is one of few major Gothic Revival landmarks in Georgia.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its fine Tudor-Gothic design, one of few major Gothic Revival landmarks in Georgia, and its link to the state's earliest public education legislation. It also served as a Confederate hospital administrative building, a library and a museum, and forms part of a historic block of Telfair and Walker Streets.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73000639, listed April 11, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 540 Telfair St., Augusta |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond County |
| Listed | April 11, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000639 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th century; specific dates 1802, 1856-7 |
| Architect / builder | William Henry Goodrich (remodeling, 1856-7) |
| Architectural style | Tudor-Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and in use as a museum; stucco flaking in places. Trustees of the Academy still oversee its use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Augusta Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.47000, -81.96226 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73000639.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q116840335
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.