Called "the most tragic and symbolic" loss was that of Saint Paul's, the site of Augusta's oldest worshiping community.

In less than a month following that fateful night the vestry of St. Paul's was working to rebuild. And they did, with the cornerstone for the new church building being laid in September 1916, some six months later. The site that had been a "tragic and symbolic" loss was now becoming a symbol of resurrection and rebirth.

The Great Fire of 1916 will be the subject of a presentation and concert that will mark the 100th Anniversary of Augusta's most notorious fire, which consumed over 32 blocks and 700 buildings in the city on March 22, 1916. 

2:30 PM, The River Room

Erick Montgomery, Executive Director of Historic Augusta, Inc., will present a lecture and slide show entitled "The Great Fire of 1916" in the Berlin Room at St. Paul's Church, 605 Reynolds Street in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 2:30 pm. The presentation will cover the fire and what was lost as a result. It will also examine the aftermath of the fire and how the development of downtown Augusta was affected in the years to follow. Photos showing the damage caused by the fire will be on display during the afternoon's events.

4:00 PM

Following the lecture and presentation, a special concert in remembrance of the Great Fire of 1916 will be given by Keith Shafer, the Director of Music and Organist at St. Paul's Church beginning at 4 pm. The concert program will feature the premiere of "Phoenix," an organ work commissioned by Leslie Lambert Jones and composed by William Bates, which commemorates the events surrounding the fire and subsequent recovery. A reception will follow the concert in Tyler Hall. Both events are free and open to the public.