Paine College Historic District
Also known as: Paine Institute
Why it's listed
Paine College Historic District is the central core of a historically African-American college in Augusta, Georgia, southwest of the downtown business district. The 37-acre district holds 14 contributing buildings built between 1925 and 1971, plus Lion Field, an athletic field dating to 1919. Most buildings are brick and designed in the Colonial Revival style, giving the campus a uniform look, while the Carter Gymnasium, Graham Hall and the Peters Campus Center are International Style. Epworth Hall (1925) is the oldest surviving building. The Candler Library (1947) is Classical Revival, and the Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel (1968) is the campus centerpiece. The college grew from Paine Institute, established after the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church agreed in the early 1880s to create a school for African Americans. Classes began in 1884, and the campus moved to its present site in 1886. The district is recognized for this educational history and its architecture.
Significance in brief: The district represents the development of a college founded in 1882-1884 through cooperation between the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church to educate African Americans. Its brick Colonial Revival and International Style buildings document the campus's growth through 1971. The nomination is certified as significant at the statewide level.
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 12001082, listed December 26, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1235 15th St., Augusta |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond County |
| Listed | December 26, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12001082 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Tisdale, Stone and Pinson; Kuhlke and Wade (later Kuhlke, Wade, Gauger and Slaton); William N. Parsons; Edmund H. Kuhlke; contractors including C. H. Van Ormer, R. B. Wright Construction Company, Coe Construction Company |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival, Classical Revival; Modern Movement: International Style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education, Black |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a college campus; four buildings built after 1971 are noncontributing, and the original 1899 Haygood Hall burned in 1968. |
| Acreage | 37 |
| Coordinates | 33.47091, -81.99544 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 12001082.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q141805483
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.