Lamar Building
Also known as: Southern Finance Building
Why it's listed
Rising sixteen floors above Broad Street in downtown Augusta, this steel-frame office tower was begun in 1913 for the Empire Life Insurance Company of Atlanta. Architects W.L. Stoddard of New York and G. Lloyd Preacher of Augusta designed it, with a granite-columned base, a fourteen-story shaft with setbacks, and a terra cotta cornice with Baroque ornament. The insurance company's bankruptcy and the 1916 Augusta fire, which burned the unfinished building and thirty-two blocks of the city, delayed completion until 1918. Local businessmen then finished it and named it for Joseph Rucker Lamar, an Augusta lawyer who served on the U.S. Supreme Court. It became the Southern Finance Building in 1925. The building is regarded as one of Augusta's earliest modern, fireproof office buildings and the taller of its two such skyscrapers. In 1975 a glass, concrete and marble penthouse designed by I.M. Pei and Partners replaced the original roof.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of Augusta's first modern office buildings and a survivor of the 1916 fire that burned thirty-two blocks of downtown. It is linked to local architect G. Lloyd Preacher and to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Rucker Lamar, for whom it was named. Its 1975 penthouse by I.M. Pei and Partners also marks a later chapter in the city's business history.
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 79000744, listed April 24, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 753 Broad St., Augusta |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond County |
| Listed | April 24, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000744 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913-1918; 1975 |
| Architect / builder | W.L. Stoddard of New York; G. Lloyd Preacher of Augusta; I.M. Pei (1975 penthouse); Whitney Company of New York, general contractors |
| Architectural style | Early-twentieth-century skyscraper with Baroque detailing, based on the Chicago School base, shaft and cornice formula |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and the building is occupied; the original red-tile roof was replaced in 1975 by a contemporary penthouse. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Augusta Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.47535, -81.96496 (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 79000744.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6480832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.