The Arsenal was originally completed on the Georgia bank of the Savannah River in 1819, and was moved to the current Summerville site in 1827, on the site of the Bellevue Estate. The Bellevue Estate was owned by George and Eliza Talbot Walker, and later by George's brother, Freeman Walker. Freeman Walker would become a member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1807-1811), and the Mayor of Augusta (1818-1819, and 1823). He served as a Democratic-Republican on the U.S. Senate from 1819-1821. In 1826, Freeman Walker sold 72 acres of his property to the United States government for $6000, with the exception of the Walker family cemetery. During the following year, the Arsenal was moved from it's original location along the Savannah River, and was completed in 1829. After Georgia voted for secession on January 19, 1861, governor Joseph E. Brown demanded that that the Arsenal be surrendered to the state on January 23, 1861. The commander at the time, Arnold Elzey, initially resisted, but turned over the Arsenal the following day. As of April, 1862, the Arsenal was placed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Washington Rains. Rains was also tasked with building the Confederate Powderworks at the original site of the Arsenal. The Arsenal was surrendered to the United States Federal government when Union troops entered Augusta on May 3, 1865. Following the American Civil War, the Arsenal played an important logistical role during the Spanish-American War, manufacturing equipment and serving as a supply and repair point. During World War I, the Augusta Arsenal was a repair center for small arms. During WWII, the Arsenal's staff increased dramatically, and about 50 new buildings were constructed. During this period, the Arsenal focused on performing maintenance and supplying weapons and ammunition, and it was during this time that the first female workers were employed by the Arsenal. The Arsenal was closed in 1955. After the closure of the Arsenal in 1955, the property was given to the Georgia Board of Education, and the Junior College of Augusta opened in 1957. In 1958, the the name was changed to Augusta College, and later to Augusta State University. Upon merging with Georgia Health Sciences University in downtown Augusta in 2012, the name was again changed to Augusta University, and was changed again in 2015 to Augusta University.

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