Today, it's a small, abandoned building in need of a new roof.

Only stories remain of the elections that were once held there. But at one time, some say nearly 50 years ago, it was one of Columbia County's few rural voting precinct buildings, serving a community called Hazen that had one of the highest black voter turnouts in the county.

"The highest ... was at Hazen,'' said county resident and former election official Tom Blalock, adding that the county's first black poll manager worked at the Hazen precinct building.

Now, the name of Hazen, which was the namesake of a Georgia Militia District, has become replaced by the name Pollards Corner, and the old Hazen precinct building, which is located on land owned by the Pollard family, is scheduled for demolition because it's become an eyesore.

"We haven't really discussed it too much, but we probably will take it down,'' Jinx Pollard said.

Columbia County commissioners recently approved the demolition request.

"A lot of these things that are going away, I hate to see it,'' said Columbia County Probate Court Judge Pat Hardaway, who also is a county historian.

The precinct building, located at Pollards Corner behind Maryland Fried Chicken, was constructed in a time when there were few facilities adequate for ballot casting, said Rudy Olsen, former director of the county's Board of Elections.

''We had those potbellied stoves for heat in all of them,'' Mrs. Olsen said. "That was our only source (for heat).''

A long list of county historians say they are unsure who the Hazen community was named for, but the name was listed on county maps dating back to the 1800s.

When the Hazen precinct building was operational, former poll workers say it was a busy place during election time.

"We just voted a lot of people there because it was the only one in this area,'' Mrs. Pollard said. "The line would be long.''

In 1984, the Rev. Jessie Jackson carried the Hazen precinct in the Democratic presidential primary while Gary Hart swept all of the county's other precincts except for one, according to an article in The Augusta Chronicle.

The building was used for elections until about 10 years ago, officials say. The building was abandoned when a new fire station was constructed nearby, allowing more space for voters. Mrs. Pollard said the community name Hazen began to disappear soon after her family constructed a store at what is now called Pollards Corner.

Though the old Hazen voting structure is scheduled for demolition, two new precincts will be created for the July 18 primary.

One of the two new precincts, No. 109, will be at Stevens Creek Community Church. Previously, the sole voting site for that precinct area, No. 108, was at the former Baker Woods Baptist Church on Furys Ferry Road. That church has since been sold to Augusta Christian Elementary School, but the site will remain a precinct voting location.

The second precinct being created, No. 64, is at the new Grace Baptist Church on Hardy McManus Road. Previously, those in that area voted only at Greenbrier High School and will now be required to vote at the school or at Grace Baptist.

"It has to do with the growth of the county,'' said Debbie Marshall, Board of Elections director.

Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 868-1222, ext. 115 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.