Augusta, GA
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.
Augusta, GA – David Krivanek, 84, of Augusta, Georgia, passed away peacefully on October 31, 2025. Born in Mishawaka, Indiana, he was the son of the late Anthony and Vera R. Krivanek.
A devoted husband and loving father, David is survived by his wife, Judy, his son, Matthew, and daughter-in-law, Jenna Krivanek. Family was the center of his world, and his life was defined by his extraordinary kindness, steadfast determination, and deep devotion to those he loved.
David’s lifelong passion for aviation reflected his curiosity and sense of wonder. He loved airplanes and flying, and his enthusiasm for all things aviation never waned. Professionally, he dedicated more than 30 years to Eisenhower Army Medical Center, where he was instrumental in developing the hospital’s nuclear medicine department — work that made a lasting contribution to the Augusta community.
A man of strong faith, David was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Augusta, where he found fellowship and purpose.
A service will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in the Storey Chapel at First Baptist Church of Augusta, with Dr. Will Dyer and Dr. Roger Murchison officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Heart Failure Society of America, online at https://hfsa.org/foundation.
Memorial contributions may also be made to the Benevolence Mission at First Baptist Church of Augusta, 3500 Walton Way Ext., Augusta, Georgia 30909.
Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Mayor Garnett L. Johnson on Monday announced the partial reopening of the Augusta Canal towpath.
The announcement came in a news conference at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion.
The reopening is from the headgates to the Interstate 20 bridge.
The route has been closed since Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, 2024, left it covered in debris and full of hazards.
The Augusta Utilities Department, in coordination with the Augusta Canal Authority, has made enough repairs to safely reopen a section of the towpath while additional restoration and safety improvements continue along other areas.
“The Canal towpath for about a mile and a half is reopened. We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy it safely. There is still more work to be done, but certainly enjoy it safely with more work to be done,” said Mayor Garnett Johnson.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to enjoy the reopened section while observing all posted safety measures:
- Towpath partially open: Access is limited to designated areas.
- Stay behind safety barriers: Do not cross or move restricted zones.
- Obey all signage: Posted notices are in place to ensure public safety and allow maintenance to continue efficiently.
Crews will continue to monitor the area to ensure safe conditions for public use.
Officials aim to get the rest of the route open by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Richmond County Coroner’s Office responded to the 600 block of Bennock Mill Road at 1:04 p.m. Sunday in reference to 3 deaths, which appears to be a double murder-suicide.
Upon arrival, three bodies were located inside the residence, officials say.
The sheriff’s office said initial investigations indicate the incident is a double murder and suicide among family members.
The Richmond County criminal investigations division and crime scene unit also responded to the residence.
Autopsies have been scheduled, and no further information is available at this time.
Officials say there is no danger to the public.
This would mark the CSRA’s fourth murder-suicide in 2025.
On April 8, officials said they found a married couple dead in their home on Springwood Drive; both had gunshot wounds.
On March 28, authorities say 71-year-old Keith Jones shot his girlfriend, 67-year-old Kathy Hydrick, and then turned the gun on himself at their home on Walnut Court.
On April 4, the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office announced that a deadly shooting at Valley Proteins Inc. was confirmed as a murder-suicide.
Deputies responded to the facility in Ward shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, where they discovered 44-year-old Willie Hopkins Jr. and 52-year-old Kimberly Leon dead.
The autopsy verified that Leon was shot multiple times by Hopkins before he turned the gun on himself.
While each story is different, and we don’t know the circumstances surrounding this most recent case, there are local groups working to teach others about the warning signs.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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