Stop # 1– Tour Headquarters, The Partridge Inn – 2110 Walton Way
The Partridge Inn began as a two-story house, the home of the Walton family, one of whose members, George Walton, was a Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence. In the 19th century, New York hotelier Morris Partridge acquired the property and began a small boarding house for his Northern visitors. Within two years of opening his establishment, Mr. Partridge was already adding the first of what would be five expansions to his burgeoning venture. After extensive renovations, 60 rooms were added enabling The Partridge Inn to open as an ‘official hostelry’ on January 8, 1910. On January 9, 1910, The Augusta Chronicle reported that “Partridge Inn Opened Saturday: New Sixty Room Hostelry in Summerville Finished—Several Parties of People Expected During Week.” Today’s Partridge Inn successfully blends elegant elements of the old-South with modern amenities.
Stop #2 – The Home of Dr. Billy and Mrs. Sandra Lynn – 2104 Gardner Street
Originally the home of George and Mattie Lombard, the founder of Lombard Iron Works and his artist wife, this grand residence was one of the first major achievements of noted architect Willis Irvin. The Lynns have had the honor of getting to personally know Mattie Lombard’s nephew, Mr. George Delay, who spent his summers in the house not long after it was built, and who has given Billy and Sandra an endless wealth of stories of the Lombard’s and the guilded era which included house guests like Henry Ford, Bobby Jones, and President William Taft.
Stop #3 – The SchoolHOUSE Condominiums, The Home of Ann Boardman – 2349 William Street
The SchoolHOUSE Condominiums are located on a site that has been used for educational purposes since 1818, when Summerville Academy was built on the back part of the grounds. In 1875, a new school was built, spurred by the receipt of funds from the estate of William Robinson, a successful cotton merchant who left 500 shares of Georgia Railroad and Banking Company capital stock to the Academy of Richmond County for an endowment to support teachers at Summerville Academy.
Stop #4 – The Home of Danny Fitzgerald and Sara Outley – 2561 Walton Way
Built in 1913, along with the house next door, this stucco house is the essence of the early 20th Century Eclectic Period, when architects were prone to combine the best of several historic styles. Its original owners were Adolph and Florence Lesser. The home is the mirror-image of the neighboring house, which was occupied by Adolph’s father, Prussian-born Simon Lesser, a prominent cotton factor and importer. The city directory of 1913 lists the physical address of both homes as 2561 Walton Way.
Stop #5 – The Home of David and Anna Avrett – 2559 Walton Way
In April 1912, the Augusta newspaper published the sale of a building permit to build two homes at the corner of Walton Way and Chafee Street (later renamed Monte Sano Ave). The estimated cost of the two homes together was $10,000. One would be occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Lesser and one by their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Lesser.
Stop #6 – Church of the Good Shepherd 2230 – Walton Way
Following the devastation of the Civil War, Summerville residents felt the need for a neighborhood church. The Ladies Sewing Circle of Augusta raised enough capital to construct a High Victorian Gothic style church on land given by Artemis Gould of Hill Home, now Gould’s Corner. The name of the church was chosen in memory of Gould’s son, Johnny, who fell ill and passed away at the age of 16. While a child, Johnny used to listen to his mother and the other ladies of the sewing circle make plans to raise money for a church. Upon contributing his own allowance, he told the women he wished the church would be named for the “Good Shepherd.” The Church of the Good Shepherd, designed by architect John Novett, was dedicated on Easter Sunday, 1869, and Johnny Gould’s financial contribution was placed in the cornerstone.
Stop #7 – Twin Gables, The Home of Dr. Ricardo and Cindy Azziz – 920 Milledge Road
Built as the winter home of Francis A. Hardy of Chicago in 1911, and later occupied for lengthy periods by the Albright and Battey families, “Twin Gables” was purchased by the Board of Regents in 1984 as the home for the President of the Medical College of Georgia, now known as Georgia Health Sciences University.
Evensong at the Good Shepherd
The Church of the Good Shepherd has always been at the center of Summerville, both spiritually and physically. The congregation was chartered in 1869 and first met in the Summerville Academy building on William Street. In 1871, Artemus Gould donated the land on which the church sits, and the name “Good Shepherd” was suggested for the new parish by his son, Johnny. The original wooden structure was replaced by a more substantial brick one in 1880. That building burned in 1896, but the walls and stained glass windows, with the exception of the Altar window, were saved and used in the rebuilt church. The present structure was reconsecrated in 1898 and has been in continuous use to this day.
The traditional close of the Tour of Homes will be a service of Evensong, offered by the Good Shepherd Choir. Evensong is considered be the “Crown Jewel” of all Anglican services. The order of service will be taken from the Book of Common Prayer, 1789, which was the prayer book in use at the founding of the parish. All the music will be of the period, and rendered in much the same manner as it was heard in the early days of Summerville.
The service, lasting about thirty minutes, will begin at 6 pm, and a reception will follow. The church’s ring of eight bells, cast at the Whitechapel Foundry in London, will be rung before and after the service.
