September Brown Bag Program: The Four Master Builders Who Changed Augusta's Skyline

Sacred Heart Cultural Center, the Confederate Monument, the Confederate Powder Works and Washington Road are four spots that most Augustans know but did you know that all four were built by men from the same family? Theodore Markwalter and Robert James Bowe are the great grandfathers of Virginia "Jean" Bowe Strickland who will be the AMH Brown Bag Speaker on Wednesday, September 17th, at 12:30pm. She will share their story and how they shaped the Augusta skyline the their family through construction.

The Brown Bag History Lecture Series is presented monthly by the Augusta Museum of History and is an ideal lunchtime break for downtown professionals, retirees, and students. The lectures are free to Museum members and $5 for non-members, currently no registration required. Participants may bring a lunch to enjoy in the Museum Rotunda from 11:30am to 12:30pm and the AMH will provide water, hot coffee and a dessert. The lecture takes place in the History Theater at 12:30pm with a short Q&A following. The recorded sessions are available on the AMH YouTube channel and shared on social media.

In 2025 the Augusta Museum of History has focused the Brown Bag History Lecture Series on the collection of oral histories from area families. This is the first major initiative of the Museum to preserve individual and family legacies and stories. So far we have heard from Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell, Brad Usry, Doug Herman, Phil Wahl, Helen Bissell, Flo Carter, and most recently Toni Seals-Johnson. Through these lectures and interviews, the audience gains a unique understanding of Augusta’s past, and is inspired to gather and share their own stories with their family and friends.

You may also like the following events from Augusta Museum of History:

• This month, 23rd August, 01:00 pm, Taste The State: Georgia Book Signing in Augusta
• This month, 28th August, 10:00 am, Curious Kids: Antebellum Kitchen Edition in Augusta

Also check out other Arts events in Augusta, Theatre events in Augusta.