Our Story
Built by a determined widow
Between 1871 and 1873, Celia LaFitte DeLaigle — a widow who fought through the courts to reclaim her late husband's estate — built this grand Italianate home at 349 Telfair Street.
It became known as the "first DeLaigle House." Celia passed in 1875, but her stepdaughter-in-law, Mary Stedman Clark DeLaigle, carried the family legacy forward, completing a second DeLaigle House at 551 Greene Street.
A scandal and a duel
The house's early years were not without drama. An Irish immigrant boarder named Charles Tilly was drawn into scandal when George Ratcliffe spread rumors about Tilly and Mary DeLaigle. The quarrel escalated into a formal duel, fought beyond the bounds of the neighborhood.
Unlike the many affairs of honor settled with a deliberate miss, this one ended in Ratcliffe's death. Tilly walked free — yet found himself quietly cast out of Augusta society. Mary later remarried, and rests today in Magnolia Cemetery beneath an elaborate Celtic cross.
Through fire and rebirth
The house survived the Great Fire of 1916, which leveled 48 city blocks of Augusta. Through the mid-20th century it watched downtown fade, as suburban growth drew families away from old neighborhoods like this one — then still known by the rough old nickname "Pinch Gut."
In the 1970s, philanthropist Peter Knox purchased more than sixty properties to revive the district, retiring "Pinch Gut" in favor of a name far more dignified: Olde Town.
The Fox's Lair is born
Inspired by his equestrian life and the fox hunts he rode with friends, Knox transformed the home's basement into The Fox's Lair — now nearly fifty years a live-music venue, bar, and gathering place.
Carrying the story forward
Today, owner Melinda Jones keeps the inn's history alive — welcoming guests from around the world to a piece of Augusta that has stood for more than 150 years.
From the rooms upstairs to the music drifting up from The Fox's Lair, every corner of the house is tended with care. We can't wait to share it with you.
Five women of Augusta
Each of our rooms carries the name of a woman who shaped this city — and a painting of her — a small tribute woven into every stay.