Two Brothers And A Deck Of Cards

Yesterday’s post for paid subscribers provided an Insider’s Guide to the locations of some of Augusta, Georgia’s most beautiful and significant architecture. The post also mentioned the story of two houses that were built on a high hill overlooking the city.

Today’s post revisits that story, first published in 2023. It begins with Lookaway Hall, above.

Some time just before the turn of the 20th century, two brothers named Jackson decided that the high hills across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia would be a great place to live. That is the short version of how the town of North Augusta, South Carolina, was born.

James and Walter Jackson subsequently formed The North Augusta Land Company for the purposes of developing the area, and while James is credited as the founder of the town, his brother, Walter, is the one who won the right to build a house on the very best spot.

I say "won the right" because that's how they made the decision. As partners, they simply decided to cut a deck of cards, and Walter won. Not long after that, Lookaway Hall was built, and while the view from the house down and across the river to the city of Augusta and the Georgia countryside beyond is superb, the view OF the house is fairly spectacular on its own.

In fact, the city seal of North Augusta bears the likeness of Lookaway to this day. If you're tempted, however, to feel sorry for poor James Jackson, there is no need. He built a house of his own called Rosemary Hall, right next door.

The two brothers established their land company in the late 1800's in order to develop the high hills on the South Carolina side of the river. That river frequently flooded Augusta, Georgia on the opposite side, making those hills (and their view) a very attractive option for new growth.

Their big plans included what was intended to become the world's finest hotel. And of course each man wanted a home that would be front and center in the new community as well. The prime spot, however, could only go to one of them - so they settled the matter by cutting that famous deck of cards. And while Walter won that little battle, and built Lookaway Hall, James took the next best spot and built Rosemary Hall right next door. And while he was at it, he decided to make his house 50% bigger than Lookaway, just because.

The hotel, the Hampton Terrace, did come along about a decade later, but sadly, it burned to the ground in 1916. And with that fire, the hopes and dreams (and fortunes) of the Jackson brothers eventually suffered as well.

Fast forward, though, to the year 2008, when a California man attending The Masters took note of Rosemary Hall, which was currently bank owned and hanging by a virtual thread. Not only that, but Rosemary's terms of sale came with a hitch (or a glitch, depending on your point of view). In order to buy Rosemary, one would need to purchase Lookaway Hall as well.

In a 2014 interview for the North Augusta Star, written by Scott Rogers, Kelly and Diana Combs recalled their initial first visit to tour the properties. "They [the houses] had been locked up, and they were so flea infested, that when we walked in - this is not an overexaggeration - I had some white capri pants and tennis shoes - we were jumped on by hundreds", recalls Diana.

Following a brief delay while the houses were sprayed for fleas, the tour did finally take place, as did the purchase of not one, but two wonderful Beaux Arts houses.

These days, both properties are fully restored and Lookaway is being run as a B&B. During the Star interview, Diana recalled the series of events that finally led to their acquisition of Rosemary and Lookaway, saying, "It's really complex, but it's really simple: God guides."

He does that. And maybe he had the blessing of two brothers, still holding that deck of cards, and smiling down on the hilltop that started it all.

Photos by Beth Yarbrough.