Guide to Augusta
A Vibrant, Historic Alternative To Standard South Hotels
Perched on a quiet hilltop overlooking the city, The Partridge Inn is a charming introduction to all Augusta has to offer. During your stay there are numerous sights and attractions just minutes from our newly renovated South hotel. Marvel at wondrous architecture during the Summerville Tour of Homes -- showcasing some of the most beautiful antebellum homes in the South. Explore the Augusta Canal, America's only industrial power canal still in use for its original purpose. Built in 1845, it offers history, unique exhibits, and the opportunity to stroll along its 8.5 miles of towpath and waterways. For a unique adventure, visit the Haunted Pillar on Broad Street. Local legend holds that after a cyclone leveled the Lower City Market, only the pillar remained, and a preacher suggested that anyone daring to touch it would meet instant death. Don't say we didn't warn you!
Spend your next vacation at The Partridge Inn, and enjoy convenient access to nearby attractions, including:
- Historic Summerville District (0.1 miles)
- Appleby Library (0.3 miles)
- Enterprise Mill (1 mile)
- Confederate Powderworks (1 mile)
- Augusta Golf & Gardens (2 miles)
- Augusta Canal (2 miles)
- Riverwalk (3 miles)
- Woodrow Wilson Home (3 miles)
- Morris Museum of Art (3 miles)
- Broadstrokes Gallery (3 miles)
- Phinizy Swamp (3 miles)
- Dunlap Studio and Gallery (3 miles)
- Adventure Crossing (7 miles)
- Clark Hill Lake (20 miles)
A Grand, Colorful History At The Partridge Inn
For more than a century, The Partridge Inn has hosted presidential visits, world events, and lavish social functions. Known as "The Grand Hotel of the Classic South," our legendary hotel has earned a reputation for luxurious accommodations, award-winning dining, and personalized service. However, we were not always a prestigious landmark. In fact, the hotel began as a two-story private residence. It wasn't until 1892 - when the property was purchased by Morris Partridge, a northern "snowbird" who often vacationed in Augusta - that it saw new life as a lodging destination. Partridge transformed the residence into an intimate, exquisite inn, and fame, fortune, and tragedy followed. Over the years, this acclaimed inn experienced dizzying highs, heartbreaking lows, and a glorious rebirth, including:
- 1836 - The Partridge Inn is first built as a two-story private residence.
- 1892 - The Partridge Inn is purchased by Morris Partridge, a northerner who frequently vacations in Augusta, who converts it into a hotel.
- 1892 to 1930 - Dazzling prosperity follows. This is Augusta's heyday as the South's premier winter resort destination. Morris Partridge is renowned as a gracious, charismatic host, and his hotel builds a reputation for excellent cuisine and a warm, caring ambiance. During this period, The Partridge Inn expands from two stories to six, and a quarter mile of verandahs and balconies are added.
- 1910 - 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.”
- 1923 - The Partridge Inn is selected by the city of Augusta to host a gala banquet for President Warren G. Harding - the zenith of the hotel's first golden age.
- 1930 through the 1950s - The Great Depression ravages the United States. Oil magnate Henry Flagler helps extend the national railroads to Florida, which soon eclipses Augusta as the South's top winter resort locale. Hard times befall the city and The Partridge, Morris Partridge gives up on his dream and sells the property. • 1960s and 1970s - The Partridge Inn is converted into apartments.
- 1980s - Languishing in a state of disrepair, The Partridge Inn is slated for demolition. This arouses community leaders, activists, politicians, and investors, who fight on behalf of the legendary hotel - saving it from the wrecking ball.
- 1988 - After several years of extensive renovations, The Partridge Inn re-opens to passionate fanfare. Capitalizing on its historic appeal and new luxurious face, the hotel finds new success as the 20th Century comes to a close.
- 2006 - The Partridge Inn has just completed another multimillion-dollar renovation, promising guests and local residents an even higher level of service and elegance, and building on its distinctive mystique.
Transforming Business Into Pleasure At Our Southern Hotel
Discover why The Partridge Inn is the ideal destination for both vacations and corporate trips to the South. Set in a quiet neighborhood just outside the city, our Southern hotel offers seclusion and tranquility within easy reach of many prestigious local businesses. And with our soothing Old South ambiance, you're sure to be swept away from work's distractions and hassles - if just for a short while.
Enjoy a full host of business features - including complimentary high-speed Internet access, a business center, and expert event planning and support. We work hard so that your trip will feel less like business and more like a luxury vacation in the South.
But when it's time to call on clients, colleagues, and customers, a wide variety of companies are just minutes away, including:
- Augusta State University (0.8 miles)
- Medical College of Georgia (2 miles)
- Electrolux (2 miles)
- University Hospital (2 miles)
- Thermal Ceramics (3 miles)
- Ipswitch (3 miles)
- Coca-Cola Company (4 miles)
- DSM Chemical (5 miles)
- Care South (6 miles)
- UCB Chemical (6 miles)
- Proctor & Gamble (7 miles)
- E-Z Go Golf Carts (7 miles)
- Clubcar Golf Carts (7 miles)
- Monsanto (8 miles)
- John Deere (8 miles)
- Kimberley Clark (10 miles)
- International Paper (11 miles)
