Stephen Vincent Benét House – Augusta, Georgia

The Stephen Vincent Benét House is one of Augusta’s most important literary and military landmarks. 

Located on the Summerville campus of Augusta University, the building was originally constructed as the Commandant’s House of the Augusta Arsenal. 

It later became closely connected with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Stephen Vincent Benét.

History of the House

The house was built between 1827 and 1829 after the federal government moved the Augusta Arsenal to this location. 

It was part of a larger military complex that included administrative buildings, living quarters, workshops, and storage facilities.

The two-story brick residence was designed primarily in the Federal architectural style. 

Its prominent features include a full basement, a side-hall floor plan, a two-level porch, tall columns, an 

arched transom above the main doorway, high ceilings, formal parlors, and large interior rooms.

Over time, the house was expanded and remodeled, but much of its historic structure and appearance remained intact.

 It served as the official residence of the commanding officer of the Augusta Arsenal for many years.

The Augusta Arsenal

The Augusta Arsenal was an important United States military installation. 

It stored weapons, ammunition, equipment, and other supplies needed by the Army.

During the Civil War, the arsenal was used by the Confederacy after Georgia left the Union. 

It later returned to federal control and continued to serve military purposes, including activity connected with the Spanish-American War.

The arsenal remained active until 1955. After it closed, much of the property was transferred for educational use 

and eventually became part of Augusta University’s Summerville campus.

Stephen Vincent Benét’s Connection to the House

Stephen Vincent Benét moved into the Commandant’s House in 1911 when his father, 

Colonel J. Walker Benét, became commander of the Augusta Arsenal. Stephen lived there until 1915.

During those years, he attended school in Augusta and began writing seriously. 

The house became an important place in his early development as a poet and author.

In the summer of 1915, while living at the arsenal, Benét wrote Five Men and Pompey, a collection of dramatic verse monologues. 

This early work helped establish the writing style that he later used in some of his most famous literary works.

Stephen Vincent Benét’s Literary Legacy

Stephen Vincent Benét became known for his poetry, short stories, novels, radio writing, and dramatic works. 

His most celebrated work, John Brown’s Body, is an epic poem about the American Civil War. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1929.

He also wrote the famous short story The Devil and Daniel Webster, which was later adapted for stage, opera, radio, and film. 

Benét received a second Pulitzer Prize in 1943 for his unfinished poem Western Star.

The Augusta house is considered the surviving property most closely associated with the beginning of his literary career.

National Historic Landmark

The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971 because of its strong connection to

 Stephen Vincent Benét and its place in American literary history.

It is also historically important as one of the principal surviving buildings of the Augusta Arsenal. The property connects

 Augusta’s military past with the life and work of one of America’s most respected 20th-century writers.

The House Today

Today, the Stephen Vincent Benét House remains part of Augusta University’s Summerville campus.

 Although its use has changed over the years, the building continues to represent the city’s military, educational, architectural, and literary heritage.

The house allows visitors and students to understand how an early American military residence 

later became connected to a nationally important writer. It remains one of Augusta’s most significant historic buildings.

Location

Stephen Vincent Benét House
2500 Walton Way
Augusta, Georgia