Augusta Cotton Exchange Building
Why it's listed
Built in the mid-1880s on Reynolds Street in Augusta, this two-story brick building with a rusticated basement served as the home of the Augusta Cotton Exchange, organized by local merchants in 1872. A round corner turret sits above an entrance with a cast iron Corinthian column, and the iron elements were cast in 1886 by the Lombard foundry in Augusta. Brick pilasters, corbelling, horseshoe arches and stone trim give the facades a High Victorian character. A 1912 photograph shows a mansard roof and dormers that have since been lost, when the building blended French Second Empire and Queen Anne styles. The building matters because cotton was the foundation of Augusta's economy, and the city was once among the largest inland cotton markets in the world. Although the exchange stopped operating in 1964, merchants still keep an office here, and original price blackboards, phone booths and a Western Union counter survive in the main room, where a youth group now meets.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a monument to Augusta's commercial development and its cotton trade, which long formed the city's economic base. It is described as a High Victorian building with ornate brick, stone and cast iron detailing, and it remains a notable architectural example despite the loss of its mansard roof. Its original trading-room furnishings still link it to the time when cotton dominated the city.
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 78001003, listed July 20, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Reynolds St., Augusta |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond County |
| Listed | July 20, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001003 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | High Victorian (originally a blend of French Second Empire and Queen Anne) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated in good condition and altered; the original mansard roof and dormered windows are lost. A small cotton merchants' office remains in use, and a youth group meets in the main room. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Augusta Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.47666, -81.96449 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 78001003.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16822071
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.