THE BUILDING FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CENTURY HOUSE

As I said before we were told when we purchased our building that it was built in 1906 and since we bought it in 2006 that meant it was 100 years old at purchase so we named it the Century House - that has since been disproven.

Historic Augusta is still researching for more details on the early uses of the building but it is believed to have been built in 1836 as a mercantile building.  In city directories through the early 1850s the upper floors are consistently listed as a boarding house with the proprietor also occasionally listed as a confectioner or beer merchant.

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1879

D.H. Shehan advertised that he received a supply of T.W. Harper's Nelson County Kentucky Whiskey and that it was appropriate for social or family use.

1887

Gallaher Bros. agents for the Florida Fruit Exchange, operated a wholesale fruit and confectionary store for two years.  In addition to bananas, oranges, coconuts, apples, grapes, and lemons, they also sold potatoes, cabbage, onions, nuts, smoked sausage, canned goods, crackers, pigs' feet, tripe & sauerkraut.

1895

W.J. Cooney & Co. operated a wholesale fruit and produce business though the early nineteen hundreds.

1919

City Directories from this year through 1953 list Fred M. Stringfellow as being associated with this building.  The building is alternately referred to as Stringfellow's Lunch Room, the Do-Drop-In Restaurant, The Oasis, and Stringfellow's Place Liquors.  In 1929 Mr. Stringfellow was arrested in a police raid that seized slot machines in over thirty downtown businesses.  He was arrested again in slot machine raids in 1935 & 1939.

1953

Jay Jewelers & Music Center occupied the building until 1980 offering a selection of jewelry, watches, school band and other musical instruments, radios and luggage. Lessons and instrument repairs were also available.

1985

Bankers First Federal Savings & Loan Association purchased all of the buildings on the north side of Broad Street between Macartan and 10th Streets and dedicated them as Lafayette Center on December 31.  The $7.5 million project was the largest certified rehabilitation approved by the state Historic Preservation District at the time.  967 Broad Street was transformed into the Bankers First retail banking office on the first floor and two condominiums for overnight guests of the bank on the floors above.

2006

We purchased the building and the rest is history :-)

HAPPY CHRISTGIVING?

My Sister Olivia is in town for Thanksgiving and since she won't be here for Christmas we had Christ-giving or Thanks-mas :-).  We woke up early Thanksgiving morning and did Christmas with Matt, Olivia & Caleb.  Caleb, who just turn 18 months, was so cute opening his presents.  He would pull off a little piece of wrapping paper and then promptly went to the trash can to dispose of of it, so each gift took a few minutes to open but it was so adorable no one minded.  I got him a giant penguin stuffed animal - it was almost as tall as he is.  My brother in law Matt got a gun from my dad and of course being the boy that he is had to go outside and try it out - boy was it was loud!  (don't worry we were at the lake not Jones Creek).  Anyway then around 1pm the family started arriving for Thanksgiving Lunch - we had so much food - My dad smoked Chicken & my grandma made Turkey and we had Ham.  Then there were Corn Casseroles, Sweet Potatoes, Dressing, Broccoli Casserole, Homemade Bread, and a million other casseroles & desserts.  After Lunch we went on a hike through the woods and over a "mountain" that has been named Shirley Mountain after my grandmama because when my mom was little she used to take them on a hike after Thanksgiving Dinner over a mountain she named Mount Mitchell Junior - not sure where that name came from.  Anyway then we hung out a little longer and made the long trek back home.  It was a very nice Christgiving!

new name for the century house?

Our Building is being featured in the December Issue of Verge in the Past Times Section - so Julia at Historic Augusta has been digging to get more information on our buildings history.  She is still working but has found lots of interesting details - the most interesting being perhaps is that we have thought all along that our building was built in 1906 - since we purchased it in 2006 - we named it the Century House thinking the building was 100 years old.  But we may need to find a new name - historic augusta believes our building may have actually been built in 1830-1840.

more to come as the story unfolds...

MIA

Wow I haven't written anything on my blog since August!

Let see what has been going on.  

Funny Story first - the other day we awoke to this beeping noise, we couldnt figure out what it was - then we realized it was a car honking.  It had been going on for over an hour at least because I remembered half waking up several times and hearing a faint honk but went back to sleep.  Anyway Ben being the curious person he is came downstairs to investigate.  There was a guy asleep on the wheel of his car!!!  He had been drinking the night before and thank goodness didn't drive home because he had to be plastered to not hear the horn going off.  :-)

I had my 10 year class reunion which was so much fun and totally worth the months of planning & stress.  It was a lot of fun planning it & rebuilding relationships with former classmates.  Everyone pretty much looked the same.  We had a great dinner catered by Silver Palm (who was ridiculously patient with us) & an awesome slide show of old pictures that Shannon put together.  it was great catching up with everyone and finding out what they have been up to for the last 10 years.  I can't believe its been that long since i was in highschool!

We have been rushing to get everything unpacked and put away because we have several Christmas Parties coming up & our building is being featured in the past times section of the December Issue of Verge so Ellie Benson is coming tomorrow to get some shots for the article.

We have lots of fun Holiday Events Coming up Downtown so I will be sure to let you know how they go!