Augusta Canal facts for kids
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Historic Augusta Canal and Industrial District
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Augusta Canal
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | Augusta, Georgia / Columbia County, Georgia |
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| Area | 225 acres (91 ha) |
| Built | 1845 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000285 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 27, 1971 |
| Designated NHLD | December 22, 1977 |
The Augusta Canal is a special waterway in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It gets its water from the Savannah River. The canal flows through Augusta in three parts, covering about 13 miles (21 km). Then, its water returns to the river.
This canal was built to use the river's power. It helped run factories, move goods, and provide drinking water for the city. It's amazing because it's the only canal in the U.S. that still does all these original jobs today!
Contents
A Look Back: The Canal's History
How the Canal Started: The 1800s
The Augusta Canal was finished in 1845. It was built to bring water, power, and transportation to Augusta. It was one of the few successful industrial canals in the Southern United States.
During its building, Henry Harford Cumming led the city's Canal Commission. He even paid engineer John Edgar Thomson to survey the land. In 1847, the first factory, a saw and gristmill, began construction. Soon after, the Augusta Manufacturing Company built a large textile factory. Many more factories followed along the canal.
The Canal During the Civil War
By the time of the American Civil War, Augusta was a key manufacturing city in the South. The canal's power and water transport were very important. Because of this, Confederate Col. George Washington Rains chose Augusta for the Confederate Powderworks. These 28 buildings made gunpowder for the Confederate army. They stretched for 2 miles (3.2 km) along the canal. Other war factories also opened nearby. This made Augusta a vital center for war supplies.
In 1864, people worried that U.S. General William Tecumseh Sherman would attack Augusta. But Sherman's March to the Sea left Augusta untouched. So, the city ended the war in better shape than many Southern cities. Its population had doubled, and money was available to help the city recover. This also helped expand the canal.
The canal was made bigger in 1875. This led to a boom time. New factories like Enterprise Mill, King Mill, and Sibley Mill were built. The Lombard Ironworks also opened. Many people moved from farms to the city to work in these mills. This included women and children. These factories led to the creation of mill villages where workers lived.
In the 1890s, Augusta built an impressive new water pumping station. It's still used today! As electricity became popular, Augusta started using the canal's water power to make electricity. By 1892, Augusta had electric streetcars and street lights. It was the first Southern city to have these modern features.
The Canal in the 1900s
Flooding was a big problem in Augusta in the early 1900s. After major floods in the 1920s and 1930s, the government sent hundreds of workers. They repaired and improved the canal. They also built a new spillway and straightened parts of the canal.
By the mid-1900s, the canal was not used as much. Many textile factories closed. The city's industrial activity moved to other areas. In the 1960s, some city leaders even thought about draining the canal to build a highway!
But interest in the Augusta Canal started to grow again in the 1970s. In 1989, the state government created the Augusta Canal Authority. This group now manages the canal. In 1993, they made a big plan for the canal's future. In 1996, the U.S. Congress named the Augusta Canal a National Heritage Area. This was the first such honor in Georgia.
The Canal Today: The 2000s
The Augusta Canal Authority began to put its plan into action. In 2003, the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center opened. It's now called the Discovery Center and is located in the old Enterprise Mill. In late 2003 and early 2004, two modern Petersburg boats started giving guided tours. These boats are like the old cargo boats that once carried cotton and farm goods on the canal.
The King and Sibley textile mills are now owned by the Augusta Canal Authority.
Special National Honors
The Augusta Canal, along with four historic industrial areas, is part of the Historic Augusta Canal and Industrial District. This district was named a National Historic Landmark in 1977. This means it's a very important historical place. It was also named a National Heritage Area by Congress in 1996. It was the first place in Georgia to get this special title.
What You Can Do at the Canal Today
The Augusta Canal is a main source of drinking water for Augusta. It's also a central part of the city. Many old textile mills, like the Enterprise and Sutherland mills, have been turned into modern offices and loft apartments. New buildings like the Kroc Center and Canalside Apartments have also been built. Other projects, like Harrisburg Canal Village, are being planned or built.
Today, the canal is best known for fun activities. You can take guided tours on electric boats. You can also go paddling or kayaking. There's also a great multi-use trail for walking and biking. The 7-mile-long (11 km) towpath on the canal's first level is a main part of the trail system. There are also newer trails like the River Levee Trail and the Third Level Trail. Plus, there's a mountain bike trail for adventure seekers.
Augusta Canal Discovery Center at Enterprise Mill
The Enterprise Mill in Augusta is home to the Augusta Canal Discovery Center at Enterprise Mill. This museum used to be called the Interpretive Center. It has interactive exhibits that show how the canal was built and how it works. You can learn about hydroelectricity, the history of the mills, and the lives of the mill workers. It also explains how the mills declined in the 1900s and what happened to the canal. Boat tours of the Canal start right from the Discovery Center.
Bridges Over the Canal
| Name | Carries |
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| Augusta Canal Floodgates in Savannah Rapids Park | Augusta Canal Trail |
| Footbridge in Savannah Rapids Park | Augusta Canal Trail |
| Interstate 20 bridge |  I-20 (Carl Sanders Highway) |
| Footbridge | Augusta Canal Trail |
| Footbridge | Augusta Canal Trail |
| William "Billy" L. Powell Jr. Bridge |  SR 104 (Riverwatch Parkway) |
| Footbridge | Augusta Canal Trail |
| Eve Street bridge | Eve Street |
| Broad Street bridge | Broad Street |
| Butt Memorial Bridge |  SR 4 (15th Street) |
| John C. Calhoun Expressway bridge |  SR 28 (John C. Calhoun Expressway) |
| Hugh Lamar Hamilton Memorial Bridge | St. Sebastian Way |
| 13th Street bridge | SR 4 (13th Street) |
| Walton Way bridge | Walton Way and railroad tracks of CSX |
| 12th Street bridge | 12h Street |
| 11th Street bridge | 11th Street |
| 10th Street bridge | 10th Street |
| D'Antignac Street / Bennett Lane bridge | D'Antignac Street / Bennett Lane |
| James Brown Boulevard bridge | James Brown Boulevard |
| 8th Street bridge | 8th Street |
