771 Broad Street History

The earliest record of the property at the northeast corner of Eighth Street and Broad Street is a plat of Downtown Augusta from 1884.  The Young Men’s Library Association used the property for their office until it was purchased by the Union Savings Bank in 1908, at which time the building was remodeled for its own use.  A headline from the January 30, 1910 Augusta Chronicle read, “Union Savings Bank Moved Into Its Handsome New Home Yesterday – Exquisite Details”.  The building was completely destroyed in the fire of 1916.  The new building, which remains in its original form today, was built on the site of the old building.

Renovation Process

The renovation process included the construction of a 3,000 square foot second floor within the main 28-foot high volume.  The new construction was engineered to completely clear span the first floor space by transferring all structural loads into the existing exterior masonry walls.  Prior to the purchase, the existing marble floors were covered with rubber flooring.  At the first floor entry and lobby, the marble was exposed and cleaned to restore its natural beauty.  A pre-existing 14’x26’ stained glass skylight was restored and protected to preserve its architectural character.  A secondary insulated, translucent skylight was constructed over the original stained glass skylight to permit natural light to filter through the stained glass.  This is an architectural feature on the second floor office of Nicholas Dickinson & Associates, Architects.