Phil Wahl has fond memories of The Teardrop.
He might have proposed to his wife Catherine atop the ferris wheel at the Exchange Club fair, but it was at The Teardrop where the 1987 Augusta College graduate did the courting.
"It was nothing more than a raised brick platform in the shape of a teardrop," Mr. Wahl recalled of the once popular spot at Augusta College, now Augusta State University.
The meeting place went away when the Walton Way campus underwent major changes to remove asbestos-filled World War II era buildings in 2004.
The Teardrop, though, will be returning with the completion of the ASU History Walk. Work on the walk began in 1998.
The first three phases installed a 10-foot wide brick path around the front of campus with bronze maps, markers and historical facts.
The next phase will complete the historic loop throughout campus, re-creating The Teardrop and establishing the Teardrop Plaza, said Kathy Hamrick, the special coordinator for academic and master planning.
Stan Fox, one of Mr. Wahl's classmates, remembers it well.
"That was just the central location for everybody to meet," he said, glad to hear of efforts to re-create it. "It would just be a reminder of the times we spent there."
It will take through the end of the summer to get final approval for the project, Dr. Hamrick said. This phase of the walk will then be built in sections.
"Right now we've got the design, and we're waiting on the blessing for the concept," Dr. Hamrick said.
The newest section of the History Walk will also feature one of the university's cannons. ASU has two of six cannons made from melted church bells from Louisiana, Dr. Hamrick said.
There are also talks of adding a science exhibit near the History Walk, she said. One idea under consideration is constructing a small observatory.
"It's really, really satisfying seeing a dream come true," Dr. Hamrick said.
The History Walk is being funded through private donations and a federal Transportation Enhancement Grant awarded by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
The grants are meant to fund walking paths, bike paths and other transportation improvements.
Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.
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Oh.......those Augusta College memories.
"ASU has two of six cannons made from melted church bells from Louisiana, Dr. Hamrick said." Dr. Hamrick needs to go read the sign by the cannon in the courtyard. It was one of 4 of Semple's Battery (CSA battery's had only 4 guns). Also, it was not made from churchbells. The metalurgy for cannon and churchbells in incongruous -- if it was made from churchbells, then it would only work once then explode. For an academic institution, ASU needs to understand the facts of history and stop spreading legend and myth. "There are also talks of adding a science exhibit near the History Walk, she said. One idea under consideration is constructing a small observatory." Umm....its a HISTORY walk. Please avoid mission creep and stick with the original concept. Before you know it, the pleasant area it now is will be turned into Disneyland!!
I do miss the teardrop. It was like a magnet. We usually couldn't sit there long, but sit there we did whenever we got a chance. And I'm allergic to oak! LOL
the teardrop was around when i first started going to ASU.. good memories... and bad.. i remember standing around outside in front of the old science building when i heard about the twin towers..