Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Augusta Canal
Enterprise Mill
Until the Enterprise Mill was built Augustans were not sure that the 1875 enlargement of the canal had worked to attract industry.
The 1848 granite block building at the canal end of this complex is a former flour mill and the only remaining industrial structure which was built on the original 1845 Augusta Canal.
After enormous public investment to enlarge the canal in 1875, local residents became worried when two years passed and only one additional mill had opened, a small one at that.
However, the importance of the Augusta Canal to local industry and the economy became evident with the construction of the Enterprise Mill in 1877. Built and continuously operated as a textile mill into the 1980's, it was the first large scale mill to use the increased water power created by the enlargement of the canal. Huge turbines within the bowels of the complex continue to generate electricity from hydropower, even though operations ceased years ago.
The Enterprise Mill is one of the best preserved examples of the Second Empire style in American industrial arichitecture, with its characteristic convex-curved Mansard tower roofs.
With success of the Enterprise Mill, seven other cotton mills followed in the next decade, enabling the city to be ranked top producer of textile goods in the South by the turn of the century.
(Carving text) Built- 1845
Enlarged - 1875
from Stevens Creek Dam east to 7th St.
Erected by Augusta Canal Authority, National Park Service, Funding by Searle Augusta.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1875.
Location. 33° 28.721′ N, 81° 59.02′ W. Marker is in Augusta, Georgia, in Richmond County. Marker is on 15th Street (Bridge) near Greene Street, on the right when traveling north. Located at the Augusta Canal, north side. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Augusta GA 30901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Archibald Willingham Butt Memorial Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Dennis Cahill (within shouting distance of this marker); Turbine Power (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); James Ryder Randall (approx. 0.4 miles away); Meadow Garden (approx. 0.4 miles away); George Walton (approx. 0.4 miles away); Curtis Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Sacred Heart Cultural Center (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Augusta.
Also see . . . Augusta Canal. New Georgia Encyclopedia website entry:
In cooperation with Columbia County, buildings at the headgates had been restored by 2005. A trail named after the naturalist William Bartram parallels the canal. (Submitted on September 30, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,147 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 30, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.