The online travel itinerary highlights 39 Augusta sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The website provides descriptions, maps, photographs, visitor information, and links for each place. Five essays interpret important themes including the city’s overall history, historic preservation, the African-American community, and religious institutions.
Augusta is the 45th itinerary featured in the Park Service's Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series. The series was developed by the National Park Service Heritage Education Services division in partnership with the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to promote public awareness of history and encourage visits to historic places.
Locally, staff from Historic Augusta, Inc. and the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area collaborated to develop the site's content. A tourism grant from the City of Augusta and the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau provided part of the funding to produce the itinerary.
Speaking at a press conference at Enterprise Mill, Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver said, "As Augusta is recognized as one of the south's most historic cities, I am extremely excited about this tremendous opportunity to showcase our historic assets to both residents and visitors alike. Leveraging these assets to draw more tourism dollars into the local economy is a visionary endeavor and I applaud all of the organizations who have worked tirelessly to make this happen."
Noting the growing trend in heritage and culturally based travel, Barry White, CEO of the Augusta CVB commented, "Augusta is well positioned to take advantage of the growing trend of cultural and heritage travel. This web site will provide a targeted message for visitors interested in our heritage, heritage that is unique to Augusta."
"We hope the site will be a resource not just for travelers, but for area residents and students as well," said Erick Montgomery, Executive Director of Historic Augusta. "We also hope that the association with the National Park Service will encourage a nation-wide appreciation for historic resources in Augusta."
"It's been a fascinating collaborative project," said Rebecca Rogers, Marketing Director for the Canal, who also serves as a Trustee of Historic Augusta. Many of Rogers' photographs of the canal heritage area along with other historic districts and buildings appear throughout the site. Additional photographs were provided by Kim Overstreet, formerly the Preservation Director of Historic Augusta, Inc. and Erick Montgomery, who also wrote the thematic essays. General text and layout was coordinated by Carol Shull, Chief of Education Services for the National Park Service in Washington, D.C.
Other tourism and heritage organizations are encouraged to add a link to "Discover Our Shared Heritage" to their websites, sponsors said. "The more resources we can make available to help people appreciate our city and its history, the better," said Rogers.
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About
National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources. Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. 
