Augusta Historic Preservation Commission Reviews Old First Baptist Church Property Violations
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) convened on Tuesday to address concerns about the deteriorating condition of the Old First Baptist Church, located on Greene Street. The church, built in 1902 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been at the center of discussions regarding potential violations of both the Augusta Historic Preservation Ordinance and the city’s Building Code. The church was also the founding site of the Southern Baptist Convention, further elevating its historical significance to the community.
The property, which was purchased by Sherman and Hemstreet Real Estate Co. in 2020, has raised alarm due to its current state of disrepair. At the meeting, local residents, including members of the Jessie Norman School of the Arts, Immaculate Conception School, and Historic Augusta, voiced their concerns about the building’s blighted condition and potential safety hazards it may pose to the public.
Robert Mauldin, President of Historic Augusta, emphasized the importance of the church to the city’s history and the community. “It’s a significant historical resource not just architecturally but to the community,” he stated. “All the members with the First Baptist Church community that grew up in that church, their parents grew up in that church. It’s no longer active as First Baptist Church, but it’s still in the hearts and minds of Augustans.”
Despite the church’s historical importance, the HPC focused on the condition of the building itself. George Bush of Historic Augusta highlighted the responsibility of property owners in maintaining historic buildings, especially those located within a designated historic district. “If a person buys a building in a historic district in the state of disrepair and does not have the money to take care of it, then that’s a big mistake,” Bush remarked.
In response, Joe Edge, the current owner of the property, addressed concerns in a statement issued earlier in the day, asserting that while progress on repairs may not have been as rapid as some would have hoped, there has been ongoing work. He denied claims that the building posed any threat to public safety. “Any notion that the building is a nuisance or risk to life safety to anyone is factually incorrect,” Edge stated.
After a two-and-a-half-hour meeting, the HPC reached a decision to give Edge 10 days to initiate the process of bringing the property into compliance with local building codes and preservation standards. Tara Conway, Chair of the Augusta Historic Preservation Commission, clarified that the commission was not targeting Edge personally, but rather the building’s condition, which she described as being of utmost importance to the community. “We weren’t singling out the owner. We were singling out this building because this building is so important,” Conway explained.
The HPC’s decision to allow 10 days for the owner to begin the necessary repairs has sparked further debate among community members, with some expressing frustration over the perceived slow pace of progress. As the historic church remains a significant piece of Augusta’s architectural and cultural heritage, all eyes will be on the coming weeks to see if the owner follows through on the required improvements.
