Highlights from a couple of days in Augusta, Georgia

The Headgates of the Augusta Canal (1880s) were devised to harness the water power of the Savannah River to drive mills, to provide transportation of goods, and to provide a municipal water supply; it was a pretty area for walking, biking and kayaking

In 1867, Morehouse College, the only all-male, historically Black undergraduate institution, was founded here in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church; the school moved to Atlanta in 1879

This is the boyhood home of future President Woodrow Wilson; his father was pastor at the First Presbyterian Church across the street; Wilson was president of Princeton University, governor of NJ and founded the League of Nations

In a career that lasted 50+ years, James Brown was one of the first ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at ceremonies in New York City on January 23, 1986; he's been called the Godfather of Soul

The city of Augusta, population 200,000, is the second largest in Georgia (the metro area has 600,000 residents); the city was established in 1736 and named after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (1719–1772), mother of the British monarch George III

Founded in 1932, the for-profit Augusta National Golf Club is famous for hosting the Masters Tournament (this was as close as I could get); the club didn't admit its first Black member until 1990 and first female members until 2012

Riverwalk Augusta is a city park along the Savannah River in downtown Augusta that is alongside and on top of Augusta's levee; it was the nicest feature in what seemed to be a largely deserted downtown area

The 17-story Lamar Building, built in 1918, is the tallest building in Augusta; a penthouse level was added in 1976, designed by I. M. Pei, that presaged the glass pyramid he designed for The Louvre in Paris

The Butt (dedicated to Major Archibald Butt, born in Augusta who died on the Titanic) Memorial Bridge was erected in 1914 and dedicated by President Taft, a friend of Butt's; it was the first memorial erected to remember the Titanic disaster

Founded in 1937, the large Augusta Museum of History is located in one of the many historic textile mill buildings (most, unfortunately, are still abandoned); rated #4 by TripAdvisor of best things to do here (#1 was the Masters)

Anthony Bristol attended this elementary school when growing up here; along with University Hospital, the Medical District of Augusta employs 25,000+ people (and was where Anthony's father worked)

This was the boyhood home of Joseph Lamar who was best friends with his next door neighbor Woodrow Wilson; although a Democrat, he was appointed to the US Supreme Court by Republican President Taft in 1911

Springfield Baptist Church, considered the oldest Black church in America, was established in 1774 with this brick building dating to 1844; during the antebellum years, it had 1,000+ members and was the largest congregation of any Baptist church in GA

In addition to Brown, famous people from Augusta include Amy Grant, Hulk Hogan, Butterfly McQueen, Jasper Johns, Ben Bernanke, Bobby Jones, Judy Woodruff and Laurence Fishburne

Augusta is located about halfway up the 301-mile long Savannah River on the fall line; forming most of the border between GA and SC, the river has the fourth-highest toxic discharge in the country, according to a 2009 report by Environment America

Built in 1900, the Sacred Heart Cultural Center was once a Roman Catholic Church before it closed in 1971 when most of its congregation moved to the suburbs; it was one of the most architecturally attractive buildings here

This attractive amphitheater overlooks the Savannah River and the large houses across the border in SC; it is part of Riverwalk Augusta on which you'll find the Morris Museum of Art, an excellent museum focused on the South