Old Medical College
Sand Hills Garden Club, Zone VIII
1960 Founders Fund Winner
Admired for its classic Greek Revival architecture, the Old Medical College building in Augusta, GA is a must see for students of building and design. Standing two full stories tall, six fluted Doric columns support a massive pediment on the front facade. Built in 1835, the building was home to the Medical College of Georgia, the third oldest medical college in the Southeast. Then in 1913, the college moved its base of operations and the building was used briefly by Richmond Academy before it was abandoned.
The building and its grounds suffered greatly during the desertion. Windows broken by young boys slingshots, rain poured in, weeds grew and walls crumbled. Sand Hills Garden Club recognized its exquisite beauty and leased it from the Trustees of the Academy of Richmond County in 1931 to begin restoration.
The 1960 Founders Fund Award went to the beautification of the grounds including the installation of a two leveled fountain that had been used during the horse and buggy era for horses to drink from the top and dogs and other smaller animals to drink from the bottom.
Sand Hills Garden Club preserved and maintained this national treasure until the late 1980’s. It is now a very popular meeting and special events venue and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996.
