A Tale of Two Houses

The tale of two houses in North Augusta, South Carolina involves two brothers named James and Walter Jackson who founded the town and built Rosemary Hall and Lookaway Hall, side by side, on top of a hill overlooking the Savannah River.

The two men established the North Augusta 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 a deck of cards. Walter won that little battle, and built Lookaway Hall.

His brother, 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 his brother’s, 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 golf tournament 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. In order to buy Rosemary, one would need to purchase Lookaway 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 being run as B&B's. 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.

Photo by Beth Yarbrough.