Augusta, GA

George Perkins Sr., an architect of Augusta’s westward residential growth, dies at 95

Published

2 years ago

June 19, 2024

George Perkins Sr., an architect of Augusta’s westward residential growth, dies at 95

George E. Perkins Sr., the architect-builder whose construction of hundreds of west Augusta homes helped shape the city’s postwar growth toward suburban Columbia County, has died at 95.

Perkins died June 15. His wife of 75 years, the former Joyce Banks, died less than three months before.

If Perkins’ name doesn’t sound familiar, the names of his many development projects should. Neighborhoods such as Waverly and Monclair became parts of the city of Augusta through Perkins’ and his partners’ design and construction.

He estimated in his career to have built some 800 homes and offices.

An Augusta native, Perkins grew up on Jenkins Street in Harrisburg, the son of barber O.W. Perkins and Beulah “Pat” Perkins, an interior decorator.

He began working for the Augusta architectural firm Eve and Stulb in January 1950, just weeks after two of his life’s milestones: graduating from Georgia Tech with an architecture degree and marrying his wife.

But it was his acceptance of a junior partnership in The Bailey Co. homebuilding and development firm in 1955 that would chart his professional trajectory. At the time, Bailey was developing Westwick, a neighborhood of several dozen homes off Walton Way near where it meets Aumond Road.

It’s a gift: Augusta Exchange Club awards $100K in grants to area nonprofits

A September 1955 ad in The Augusta Chronicle advertised one of Westwick’s three-bedroom, two-bath homes for $18,750. A randomly selected house in the same neighborhood in 2024 showed an appraised value of more than $500,000.

In 1957, The Bailey Co. split, separating the building component of the organization into Perkins Construction Co.

The two companies spent the late 1950s and early 1960s erecting neighborhood after neighborhood of affordable homes from west of Aumond Road to the Richmond County line, pushing Augusta’s westward expansion to its literal limit.

Some subdivision names are seldom uttered today, such as Sheffield Place and Brynwood. Others are still with us, including Waverly and the ambitiously conceived Montclair, a 500-home development that took 11 years to complete. He also built adjoining subdivisions Crofton and, after creating the George Perkins Co. in 1973, Sugar Mill Woods.

A 5-acre tract Perkins bought in 1975 became the 25-building Professional Village in Martinez a decade later.

Retirement did little to slow Perkins down. A backyard garden with flowers and vegetables became a water-featured showpiece that he maintained for years.

“I see many of my neighbors walking for exercise,” Perkins quipped to The Chronicle in 1999. “For me, gardening keeps me flexible, and flexibility is important for my golf game.” By age 40 he had gotten so hooked on golf that it squeezed out another of his hobbies, hunting.

Nothing, however, stood in the way of the devoted family man’s good works. Perkins’ stewardship at First Baptist Church and Warren Church was exemplary, connecting with teens through Bible studies and backpacking trips. He helped found Augusta’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity, designing and helping supervise the construction of its first house.

His proud membership in the Exchange Club of Augusta, for which he was a past president, lasted 67 years.

Perkins’ memorial service was held Tuesday in Storey Chapel at First Baptist Church, with Dr. Will Dyer officiating. Interment was in the church’s Cremation Garden.

Memorial contributions can be made to First Baptist Church of Augusta, 3500 Walton Way Ext., Augusta, GA 30909; or to The Exchange Club of Augusta Charity Fund, P.O. Box 3884, Augusta, GA 30914-3884.

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Augusta, GA

Ga. gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan visits Augusta

Published

2 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Ga. gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan visits Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan hosted a community conversation in Augusta on Friday.

The event at the HUB for Community Innovation was the final stop of a statewide tour highlighting his fight to bring down housing costs.

Duncan heard from local experts in the housing space and discussed how he says he can expand these efforts and lower costs for families as governor.

Duncan is running as a Democrat, but was a Republican when he served as lieutenant governor.

The former professional baseball player is a fierce opponent of Republican President Donald Trump.

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Augusta, GA

Richmond County school board recommendations spark community reaction

Published

14 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Richmond County school board recommendations spark community reaction

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Richmond County School Board’s recommendation to close three schools and build a new college and career academy has drawn reaction from across the community.

The board announced its recommendation on Tuesday to close Jenkins White Elementary and transition the T.W. Josey High and Murphy Middle school site into a college and career academy.

Board member Monique Braswell, speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the board, said she opposes the plan despite acknowledging that that schools need to close due to low attendance.

“I will go on to see glory and I will still never accept it. I will never accept the fact that we are displacing children. I will never accept the fact that if T.W. Josey goes away,” Braswell said. “I will take that to the grave with me.”

Braswell said the district needs to examine underlying causes before making changes.

“We need to figure out why the kids are not going to here, there, and there,” she said. “And we need to take the communities and all the alumni along with us on this ride.”

Sheffie Robinson, president of the T.W. Josey High School Alumni Association, said the proposed changes would disrupt an already affected community. According to the presentation, students would be redistributed to Butler, Laney and Richmond Academy.

“So it’s like you disrupt a community that was built around this that has already had significant disruption over the last 30 years,” Robinson said.

We’re taking a bigger look at the Richmond County School System’s plan for several historic schools.

Under the recommendation, the Josey-Murphy site would close and construction of the college and career academy would start after this school year. Jenkins White Elementary School would also close.

Barton Chapel would be demolished, with a new building constructed for fall 2028.

Michael Thurman, who has three children in Richmond County Schools, questioned the district’s financial management.

“They really need to do a better job of being stewards of our money when they keep building left and right, school after school after school, and tearing down the others,” Thurman said.

Thurman said the district’s past spending raises concerns about the current plan.

“They definitely need to also take in mind that you’re just really wasting a lot of money building these buildings,” he said.

The district said alumni and community members will have opportunities to voice their opinions before the board votes. Public meetings are planned for January.

Braswell emphasized the importance of community engagement in the process.

“The public has to be more engaged. I don’t care if people push you away. You just have to stay engaged as the public,” she said.

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Augusta, GA

Another portion of Augusta Canal towpath is reopening to public

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Another portion of Augusta Canal towpath is reopening to public

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Another section of the Augusta Canal towpath is reopening after being closed since Hurricane Helene.

The storm on Sept. 27, 2024, left the path strewn with debris as broken branches hung precarously overhead.

On Friday, the path will reopen between the raw water pump station and the Interstate 20 bridge.

In preparation, crews have made safety improvements along the previously closed section of the trail.

Visitors are asked to observe all posted signs and stay behind safety barriers.

Embankment repairs have been delayed, but will take place in the future.

Once repair work begins, portions of the towpath will be temporarily closed at various times. Advance notice will be shared with the public before any closures.

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