The Bon Air was a luxury hotel in the Summerville neighborhood of Augusta, Georgia. Originally opening in 1889 as one of the largest and grandest hotels in the Augusta area, it served as a vacationing space for wealthy patrons to escape the harsh winters in the northern United States. In 1921, at the height of its success as a tourist destination in the Augusta area, the hotel caught fire and burned down. With the aid of the Vanderbilt family, the hotel was rebuilt and renamed the Bon Air-Vanderbilt Hotel in 1923. The hotel attracted many famous patrons such as writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, John D. Rockefeller, William H. Taft, Winston Churchhill, and many others. Th hotel’s success began to dwindle during the mid-20th century, when many wealthy patrons began to retreat to Florida instead, leaving the hotel to face major financial challenges. The hotel was purchased by the Sheraton Corporation in 1945 but subsequently declared bankruptcy and closed in 1960. The hotel was then turned into a residential retirement community. The Bon Air currently operates as public housing for senior citizens and disabled people.