Squares of Savannah, Georgia
Encyclopedia
The city of Savannah, Georgia
, United States, was laid out in 1769 around four open squares. The plan anticipated growth of the city and thus expansion of the grid; additional squares were added during the 18th and 19th centuries, and by 1851 there were twenty four squares in the city. In the 20th century, three of the squares were demolished or altered beyond recognition, leaving twenty one. In 2010, one of the three "lost" squares, Ellis, was reclaimed. Most of Savannah's squares are named in honor or in memory of a person, persons or historical event, and many contain monuments, markers, memorials, statues, plaques, and other tributes.
The city of Savannah was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe
. Although cherished by many today for their aesthetic beauty, the first squares were originally intended to provide colonists space for military exercises. The original plan resembles the layout of contemporary military camps, which were likely quite familiar to General Oglethorpe. The layout was also a reaction against the cramped conditions that fueled the Great Fire of London
in 1666, and there is speculation that Oglethorpe's military studies had made him familiar with the similar layout of Beijing (or "Peking," as it was formerly spelled). A square was established for each ward of the new city. The first four were Johnson, Percival (now Wright), Ellis, and St. James (now Telfair) Squares, and themselves formed a larger square on the bluff overlooking the Savannah River
. The original plan actually called for six squares, and as the city grew the grid of wards and squares was extended so that twenty four squares were eventually created on a six-by-five grid. (Two points on this grid were occupied by Colonial Park Cemetery, established in 1750, and four others—in the southern corners of the downtown area—were never developed with squares.) When the city began to expand south of Gaston Street, the grid of squares was abandoned and Forsyth Park
was allowed to serve as a single, centralized park for that area.
All of the squares measure approximately 200 feet (61 m) from north to south, but they vary east to west from approximately 100 to 300 feet (91.4 m). Typically, each square is intersected north-south and east-west by wide, two-way streets. They are bounded to the west and east by the south- and north-bound lanes of the intersecting north-south street, and to the north and south by smaller one-way streets running east-to-west and west-to-east, respectively. As a result, traffic flows one way—counterclockwise—around the squares, which thus function much like traffic circles.
Each square sits (or, in some cases, sat) at the center of a ward, which often shares its name with its square. The lots to the east and west of the squares, flanking the major east-west axis, were considered "trust lots" in the original city plan and intended for large public buildings such as churches, schools, or markets. The remainder of the ward was divided into four areas, called tythings, each of which was further divided into ten residential lots. This arrangement is illustrated in the 1770 Plan of Savannah, reproduced here, and remains readily visible in the modern aerial photograph above. The distinction between trust lot and residential lot has always been fluid. Some grand homes, such as the well-known Mercer House, stand on trust lots, while many of the residential lots have long hosted commercial properties.
All of the squares are a part of Savannah's historic district and fall within an area of less than one half square mile. The five squares along Bull Street—Monterey, Madison, Chippewa, Wright, and Johnson—were intended to be grand monument spaces and have been called Savannah's "Crown Jewels." Many of the other squares were designed more simply as commons or parks, although most serve as memorials as well.
Architect John Massengale has called Savannah's city plan "the most intelligent grid in America, perhaps the world", and Edmund Bacon wrote that "it remains as one of the finest diagrams for city organization and growth in existence." The American Society of Civil Engineer
s has honored Oglethorpe's plan for Savannah as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and in 1994 the plan was nominated for inclusion in the UNESCO
World Heritage List
. The squares are a major point of interest for millions of tourists visiting Savannah each year, and they have been credited with stabilizing once-deteriorating neighborhoods and revitalizing Savannah's downtown commercial district.
Johnson Square was the first of Savannah's squares and remains the largest of the twenty four. It was named for Robert Johnson
, colonial governor of South Carolina
and a friend of General Oglethorpe. Interred in the square is Revolutionary War
hero General Nathanael Greene
, the namesake of nearby Greene Square. Greene died in 1786 and was buried in Savannah's Colonial Park Cemetery. His son, George Washington Greene, was buried beside him after drowning in the Savannah River in 1793. Following vandalism of the cemetery by occupying Union
forces during the Civil War
the location of Greene's burial was lost. After the remains were re-identified Greene and his son were moved to Johnson Square. An obelisk
in the center of the square now serves as a memorial to Gen. Greene. The cornerstone of the monument was laid by the marquis de La Fayette
in 1825. At that time the obelisk did not yet commemorate any specific individual or event. In fact, due to financial restrictions the unmarked obelisk served for several years as a joint monument to both Greene and Casimir Pulaski. Inscriptions honoring Greene were added in 1886, but the Greenes’ physical remains did not arrive until 1901, following their "rediscovery."
Johnson Square contains two fountains, as well as a sundial
dedicated to Colonel William Bull
, the namesake of Savannah's Bull Street. Bull was a South Carolinian who assisted Oglethorpe with the establishment of Savannah and, as a surveyor, laid out the original street grid. The sundial has four panels, one on each side of its square granite base. The dial itself is bronze, set atop a marble shaft. One of the base panels reproduces a 1734 map of Savannah.
Johnson Square is located on 69, between Bryan and Congress Streets.
). It was renamed in 1763 to honor James Wright, the third, last and perhaps most notable of Georgia's royal governors. Throughout its history it has also been known as Court House Square and Post Office Square; the present Tomochichi Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is adjacent to the west.
The square is the burial site of Tomochichi
, a leader of the Creek
nation of Native Americans. Tomochichi was a trusted friend of James Oglethorpe and assisted him in the founding of his colony. When Tomochichi died in 1739 Oglethorpe ordered him buried with military honors in the center of Percival Square. In accordance with his people's customs the grave was marked by a pyramid of stones gathered from the surrounding area. In 1883, citizens wishing to honor William Washington Gordon
replaced Tomochichi's monument with an elaborate and highly allegorical monument to Gordon. William Gordon is thus the only native Savannahian honored with a monument in one of the city's squares. Gordon's own widow objected strongly to this perceived insult to Tomochichi. She and other members of the Colonial Dames
of the State of Georgia planned to erect a new monument to Tomochichi, made of granite
from Stone Mountain
. The Stone Mountain Monument Company offered the material at no cost. Mrs. Gordon felt that she was being condescended to and insisted on paying. The Monument Company sent her a bill—some sources say for fifty cents, others for one dollar—payable on Judgment Day
. Mrs. Gordon paid the bill and attached a note explaining that on Judgment Day she would be occupied with her own affairs. The new monument was erected in 1899. It stands in the southeast corner of the square and eulogizes Tomochichi as a great friend of James Oglethorpe and the people of Georgia.
Wright Square is on Bull, between State and York Streets.
arrival in December 1864 it was also the site of a slave market. In 1954 the city signed a fifty-year lease with the Savannah Merchants Cooperative Parking Association, allowing the association to raze the existing structure and construct a parking garage to serve the City Market retail project. Anger over the demolition of the market house helped spur the historic preservation
movement in Savannah. When the garage's lease expired in 2004, the city began plans to restore Ellis Square. The old parking garage was demolished in 2006 to make way for a new public square (park) that features open spaces for public concerts, as well as an underground parking garage. The underground facility was completed and formally dedicated in January 2009. Meanwhile, hotel, residential and commercial space on adjacent properties has been renovated concurrently with the Ellis Square project. The restoration of the square itself, begun in the spring of 2008, was completed in February 2010. Ellis Square officially reopened at a dedication ceremony held on March 11, 2010. A bronze statue of songwriter-lyricist Johnny Mercer, a native Savannahian, was formally unveiled in Ellis Square on November 18, 2009.
, Congressman Thomas Telfair
(Edward Telfair's son), and Mary Telfair (1791–1875), benefactor of Savannah's Telfair Museum of Art. The square also contains tributes to the Girl Scouts of America, founded by Savannahian Juliette Gordon Low
, and to the chambered nautilus
. Telfair Square is located on Barnard, between State and York Streets.
Lower New Square was laid out in 1734 and was later renamed for Capt. John Reynolds, governor of Georgia in the mid 1750s. Reynolds was in fact an unpopular governor and it is said that the celebration held upon his arrival in the colony was rivaled only by that held upon his departure. The square contains a bronze statue by Marshall Daugherty honoring John Wesley
, founder of Methodism
. Wesley spent most of his life in England but undertook a mission
to Savannah (1735–1738), during which time he founded the first Sunday school
in America. The statue was installed in 1969 on the spot where Wesley's home is believed to have stood. The statue is intended to show Wesley preaching out-of-doors as he did when leading services for Native Americans, a practice which angered church elders who believed that the Gospel
should only be preached inside the church building.
Reynolds Square was the site of the Filature, which housed silkworms as part of an early—and unsuccessful—attempt to establish a silk industry in the Georgia colony. It is located on Abercorn, between Bryan and Congress Streets.
. The Presidents' Quarters Inn, a 16-room historic bed and breakfast, is located on the southeast Trust Lots. The square contains a pedestal
honoring Moravian missionaries who arrived at the same time as John Wesley and settled in Savannah from 1735 to 1740, before resettling in Pennsylvania
. A Savannah veterans’ group had unsuccessfully proposed erecting a memorial to veterans of World War II in Oglethorpe Square. (which was installed on River Street). Oglethorpe Square is located on Abercorn, between State and York Streets; President Street intersects east and west. After the American Revolutionary War, the British name of "Prince Street" was official renamed "State Street". "King Street" was renamed "President Street".
(for silkworms), hemp
, and indigo
—viewed as potential cash crops for the new colony. Most of these experiments proved unsuccessful. Washington Square is on Houston, between Bryan and Congress Streets. Washington Square was one of only two squares named to honor a then-living person; Troup Square was the other. Washington Square was once the site of massive New Year's Eve bonfires; these were discontinued in the 1950s.
, who served as an agent for the colony of Georgia from 1768 to 1778 and who had died in 1790. It was also known as Water Tank Square, Water Tower Square and Reservoir Square, having been the site of the city's water supply. Franklin Square almost suffered the same fate as other Montgomery Street squares that were lost to development in the 1970s but was restored during the following decade. Franklin Square is located on Montgomery, between Bryan and Congress Streets, and anchors the western end of the City Market retail area. A memorial honoring Haiti
an volunteers who fought with Pulaski during the Siege of Savannah
, created by sculptor James Mastin, was unveiled in Franklin Square on the 228th anniversary of the battle.
, a Revolutionary War
hero killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill
and who had served as President of the Provincial Government of Massachusetts. British gunpowder
seized by Savannahians had been sent to aid the Americans at Bunker Hill. The ‘’sister city’’ relationship between Savannah and Boston survived even the Civil War, and Bostonians sent shiploads of provisions to Savannah shortly after the city surrendered to Gen. Sherman in 1864. Warren Square is on Habersham, between Bryan and Congress Streets.
, the poetic personification of the United States. It is located on Habersham, between State and York Streets. In the center of the square is a fountain that formerly stood at Wormsloe
, the estate of Noble Jones
, one of Georgia's first settlers. It was moved to Columbia Square in 1970 to honor Augusta and Wymberly DeRenne, descendants of Jones. It is sometimes called the "rustic fountain," as it is decorated with vines, leaves, flowers, and other woodland motifs.
hero General Nathanael Greene
, an aide to George Washington
. A native of Rhode Island
, Greene commanded southern forces during the Revolution, and after the war settled at Mulberry Grove
, an estate fourteen miles (21 km) above Savannah. Greene, along with his son, is actually buried in Savannah's Johnson Square. Greene Square was once the center of Savannah's African-American community. On the northeast Trust Lot is Second African Baptist Church, the site where Union General William Sherman famously announced Special Field Orders 15, better known as "Forty Acres and a mule". Green Palm Inn (two seamen's cottages, ca. 1897) is on the square. The square is located on Houston, between State and York Streets. Before the American Revolutionary War, State Street was named Prince Street.
and the victory over the British in the Revolutionary War. It was located on Montgomery between State and York Streets. It was paved over to make way for improvements to Montgomery Street. A small portion remains and is the site of the "Flame of Freedom" sculpture.
of Chatham County
, and Governor of Georgia. It was located on Montgomery between Hull and Perry streets. It was paved over to make way for improvements to Montgomery Street and today is represented by a small grassy area across Montgomery from the west entrance to the Civic Center.
during the War of 1812
. (The spelling "Chippewa" is correct in reference to this square.)
In the center of the square is a bronze
statue
of Georgia founder General James Oglethorpe
created by sculptor Daniel Chester French
and unveiled in 1910. Oglethorpe faces south, toward Georgia's one-time enemy in Spanish
Florida, and his sword is drawn. Busts
of Confederate
figures Francis Stebbins Bartow and Lafayette McLaws
were moved from Chippewa Square to Forsyth Park
to make room for the Oglethorpe monument. Due to the location of the monument, Savannahians sometimes refer to this as Oglethorpe Square, although the actual Oglethorpe Square sits just to the northeast.
The "park bench" scene which opens the 1994 film Forrest Gump
was filmed on the north side of Chippewa Square. The bench was a fiberglass
prop, rather than one of the park's actual benches. A prop bench used in the film is on display at the Savannah Visitors Center. Chippewa Square is located on Bull, between Hull and Perry Streets.
's victory in the Battle of New Orleans
that same year. In the center of the square the German Memorial Fountain honours early German
immigrants to Savannah. Installed in 1989 it commemorates the 250th anniversary of Georgia and of Savannah, as well as the 300th anniversary of the arrival in Philadelphia of thirteen Rhenish
families. Orleans Square is located on Barnard, between Hull and Perry Streets, and is adjacent to the Savannah Civic Center.
, the French hero of the American Revolution
, who visited Savannah in 1825. The square contains a fountain commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Georgia colony, donated by the Colonial Dames of Georgia in 1984, as well as cobblestone
sidewalks. Lafayette Square is located on Abercorn, between Harris and Charlton Streets. Adjacent to the square is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Given this proximity Lafayette Square features prominently in Savannah's massive St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Water in the fountain is dyed green for the occasion.
-born Revolutionary War
hero who died of wounds received in the Siege of Savannah
(1779). It is one of the few squares without a monument—General Pulaski's statue is actually in nearby Monterey Square. Prior to the birth of the historical preservation movement and the restoration of much of Savannah's downtown Pulaski sheltered a sizeable homeless population and was one of several squares that had been paved to allow traffic to drive straight through its center.
Pulaski square is located on Barnard, between Harris and Charlton Streets and is known for its live oak
s.
, fourth President of the United States. In the center of the square is a 1888 statue by Alexander Doyle memorializing Sgt. William Jasper
, a soldier in the Siege of Savannah who, though mortally wounded, heroically recovered his company's banner
. Savannahians sometimes refer to this as Jasper Square, in honor of Jasper's statue. Madison Square features vintage cannon
from the Savannah Armory
. These now mark the starting points of the first highways in Georgia, the Ogeechee Road leading to Darien
and the Augusta Road to Augusta
. The square also includes a monument marking the center of the British resistance during the Siege. Madison Square is located on Bull, between Harris and Charlton Streets.
and runner-up Andrew Jackson
. Although Crawford is the smallest of the squares it anchors the largest ward, as Crawford Ward includes the territory of Colonial Park Cemetery. It is located on Houston, between Hull and Perry Streets on the eastern edge of the historic district. During the era of Jim Crow this was the only square in which African-Americans were permitted. The square contains playground facilities, a basketball court, and a gazebo. While all squares were once fenced it is the only one that remains so. Crawford Square has also retained its cistern
, a holdover from early fire fighting practices. After a major fire in 1820 firemen maintained duty stations in the squares, each of which was equipped with a storage cistern.
. Although Pitt never visited Savannah he was an early supporter of the Georgia colony and both Chatham Square and Chatham County
are named in his honor. The square is located on Barnard, between Taylor and Gordon Streets. Chatham Square is sometimes known locally as Barnard Square, in reference to a city school that stood adjacent for many years.
(1846), in which American forces under General Zachary Taylor
captured the city of Monterrey
during the Mexican-American War. (The correct spelling in reference to the square is "Monterey", with a single r.) In the center of the square is an 1852 monument honoring General Casimir Pulaski. The cornerstone of the monument was laid by Lafayette—in Chippewa Square in 1825. Due to financial limitations an obelisk in Johnson Square served as a joint memorial to Nathanael Green and Pulaski for several years. By 1852 funds had been collected to give Pulaski his own monument. The sculptor was allowed to choose the site for the project and he had the cornerstone moved to Monterey Square. Deterioration of the Pulaski monument was noted as early as 1912, and pieces began to fall in the 1990s. Restoration of the monument was completed in 2001. The body of an unknown Revolutionary soldier is said to be buried beneath Pulaski's monument. Some have speculated that Pulaski himself is buried there, although he is generally believed to have been buried at sea
.
Monterey Square is the site of Mercer House, built by Hugh Mercer and more recently the home of antiques dealer and restorationist Jim Williams. The house, and the square itself, were featured prominently in John Berendt
's 1994 true crime
novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
. The square has been used as a setting for several motion pictures, including the 1997 film version of Berendt's novel.
The square also is home to Congregation Mickve Israel
, which boasts the only Gothic-style synagogue in America, dating from 1878.
Monterey Square is located on Bull, between Taylor and Gordon Streets, and is widely considered to be the most picturesque of Savannah's squares. All of the surrounding buildings but one (the United Way Building) are original to the square.
. It is one of only two squares named for a person living at the time (the other being Washington Square). A large iron armillary sphere
stands in the center of the square, supported by six small metal turtles. The armillary has been the source of some controversy, as it is one of the few examples of modern sculpture in the squares. Troup Square is located on Habersham, between Harris and Charlton Streets. A special dog fountain is located on the west side of the square. The Myers Drinking Fountain was a gift from Savannah mayor Herman Myers in 1897 and originally placed in Forsyth Park. When moved to Troup Square its height was adjusted for canine use and has become the site of an annual Blessing of the Animals.
statesman John C. Calhoun
, who served as Secretary of War
, Secretary of State
, and as Vice President under John Quincy Adams
and Andrew Jackson
. It is sometimes called Massie Square in reference to a neighborhood school. It is the only square with all of its original buildings intact. It is located on Abercorn, between Taylor and Gordon Streets.
program – formerly the Bethesda Orphanage) in the 18th century, and still in existence on the south side of the city. It has a gazebo in its center. A notable building facing the square is the First Congregational Church. Other prominent though 20th-century buildings are the Rose-of-Sharon Apartments and the Red Cross Building. It is on Habersham, between Taylor and Gordon Streets.
, located just south of Monterey Ward, was intended to be a single large park that would serve the growing southern portion of the city just as the squares had served their individual wards. The original northern portion of the park, surrounding the well-known fountain, occupied an area the size of an entire ward from the old city, and the park more than doubled in size during later years. Other, smaller neighborhood parks have been established in the southern portions of the city.
|-
! #
! Name
! class="unsortable"|Name Origin
! Year Established
! class="unsortable"|Intersection
! class="unsortable"|Monuments
! class="unsortable"|Landmarks
! Status
|-
|1.
|Franklin
|Benjamin Franklin
|1790
|Montgomery Street and
West St. Julian Street
|Chasseurs volontaires de Saint-Domingue
|First African Baptist Church
|Nearly lost in the 1970s; restored
|-
|2.
|Ellis
|Henry Ellis
,
Governor of Georgia
|1733
|Barnard Street and
West St. Julian Street
|Johnny Mercer,
songwriter-lyricist
|City Market
|Lost in the 1950s; fully restored in 2010
|-
|3.
|Johnson
|Robert Johnson
,
Governor of South Carolina
|1733
|Bull Street and
St. Julian Street
|Nathanael Greene
,
Major General
|Christ Church Anglican
|Preserved
|-
|4.
|Reynolds
|John Reynolds
,
Governor of Georgia
|1734
|Abercorn Street and
East St. Julian Street
|John Wesley
,
early leader of the Methodist movement
|Pink House
Lucas Theater
|Preserved
|-
|5.
|Warren
|Dr. Joseph Warren
,
Major General
|1791
|Habersham Street and
East St. Julian Street
|
|John David Mongin House
Spencer House
|Preserved
|-
|6.
|Washington
|George Washington
,
U.S. President
|1790
|Houston Street and
East St. Julian Street
|
|Seaman's House
|Preserved
|-
|7.
|Liberty
|Sons of Liberty
|1799
|133 Montgomery Street
|Flame of Freedom
|County Courthouse
|Lost>
|Telfair
|Edward Telfair
,
Governor of Georgia
|1733
|Barnard Street and
West President Street
|
|Telfair Academy of Arts & Sciences
Trinity Methodist Church
|Preserved
|-
|9.
|Wright
|James Wright
,
Governor of Georgia
|1733
|Bull Street and
President Street
|William Washington Gordon
,
Mayor of Savannah
|Lutheran Church of the Ascension
Tomochichi Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
Old County Courthouse
Tomochichi's
grave
|Preserved
|-
|10.
|Oglethorpe
|James Oglethorpe
,
Founder of Savannah
|1742
|Abercorn Street and
East President Street
|
|Owens-Thomas House
,
The Presidents' Quarters Inn, Moravian Monument
|Preserved
|-
|11.
|Columbia
|Columbia,
American symbol
|1799
|Habersham Street and
East President Street
|Wormsloe Fountain
|Davenport House
Kehoe House
Universalist Church
|Preserved
|-
|12.
|Greene
|Nathanael Greene
,
Major General
|1799
|Houston Street and
East President Street
|
|Second African Baptist Church
|Preserved
|-
|13.
|Elbert
|Samuel Elbert
,
Governor of Georgia
|1801
|237 Montgomery Street
|
|Savannah Civic Center
|Lost
|-
|14.
|Orleans
|Battle of New Orleans
|1815
|Barnard Street and
West McDonough Street
|German Societies Fountain
|Champion-McAlpin House
Savannah Civic Center
|Preserved
|-
|15.
|Chippewa
|Battle of Chippawa
|1815
|Bull Street and
McDonough Street
|James Oglethorpe
,
Founder of Savannah
|First Baptist Church
Savannah Theatre
|Preserved
|-
|16.
|Crawford
|William H. Crawford
,
U.S. Senator
|1841
|Houston Street and
East McDonough Street
|Gazebo
|
|Preserved
|-
|17.
|Pulaski
|Casimir Pulaski,
Brigadier General
|1837
|Barnard Street and
West Macon Street
|
|Francis Bartow House
|Preserved
|-
|18.
|Madison
|James Madison
,
U.S. President
|1837
|Bull Street and
Macon Street
|William Jasper
,
Sergeant
|Green-Meldrim House
St. John's Episcopal Church
Scottish Rite Temple
Old Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory
Sorrel Weed House
|Preserved>
|Lafayette
|Marquis de La Fayette
,
Lieutenant General
|1837
|Abercorn Street and
East Macon Street
|Semiquincentenary Fountain
|Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist
Hamilton-Turner House
Andrew Low House
|Preserved
|-
|20.
|Troup
|George Troup
,
Governor of Georgia
|1851
|Habersham Street and
East Macon Street
|Armillary sphere
|McDonough Row Houses
Kennedy Row
|Preserved
|-
|21.
|Chatham
|William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
,
U.K. Prime Minister
|1847
|Barnard Street and
West Wayne Street
|
|Gordon Row
|Preserved
|-
|22.
|Monterey
|Battle of Monterey
|1847
|Bull Street and
Wayne Street
|Kazimierz Pułaski,
Brigadier General
|Temple Mickve Israel
Mercer House
|Preserved
|-
|23.
|Calhoun
|John C. Calhoun
,
U.S. Senator
and
U.S. Vice President
|1851
|Abercorn Street and
East Wayne Street
|
|Wesley Monumental Methodist Church
Massie School
|Preserved
|-
|24.
|Whitefield
|George Whitefield
,
early leader of the Great Awakening
|1851
|Habersham Street and
East Wayne Street
|Gazebo
|First Congregational Church
|Preserved>
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, United States, was laid out in 1769 around four open squares. The plan anticipated growth of the city and thus expansion of the grid; additional squares were added during the 18th and 19th centuries, and by 1851 there were twenty four squares in the city. In the 20th century, three of the squares were demolished or altered beyond recognition, leaving twenty one. In 2010, one of the three "lost" squares, Ellis, was reclaimed. Most of Savannah's squares are named in honor or in memory of a person, persons or historical event, and many contain monuments, markers, memorials, statues, plaques, and other tributes.
Overview
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, and founder of the colony of Georgia...
. Although cherished by many today for their aesthetic beauty, the first squares were originally intended to provide colonists space for military exercises. The original plan resembles the layout of contemporary military camps, which were likely quite familiar to General Oglethorpe. The layout was also a reaction against the cramped conditions that fueled the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666, and there is speculation that Oglethorpe's military studies had made him familiar with the similar layout of Beijing (or "Peking," as it was formerly spelled). A square was established for each ward of the new city. The first four were Johnson, Percival (now Wright), Ellis, and St. James (now Telfair) Squares, and themselves formed a larger square on the bluff overlooking the Savannah River
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
. The original plan actually called for six squares, and as the city grew the grid of wards and squares was extended so that twenty four squares were eventually created on a six-by-five grid. (Two points on this grid were occupied by Colonial Park Cemetery, established in 1750, and four others—in the southern corners of the downtown area—were never developed with squares.) When the city began to expand south of Gaston Street, the grid of squares was abandoned and Forsyth Park
Forsyth Park
Forsyth Park is a large city park that occupies in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. The park is bordered by Gaston Street on the North, Drayton Street on the East, Park Avenue on the South and Whitaker Street on the West...
was allowed to serve as a single, centralized park for that area.
All of the squares measure approximately 200 feet (61 m) from north to south, but they vary east to west from approximately 100 to 300 feet (91.4 m). Typically, each square is intersected north-south and east-west by wide, two-way streets. They are bounded to the west and east by the south- and north-bound lanes of the intersecting north-south street, and to the north and south by smaller one-way streets running east-to-west and west-to-east, respectively. As a result, traffic flows one way—counterclockwise—around the squares, which thus function much like traffic circles.
All of the squares are a part of Savannah's historic district and fall within an area of less than one half square mile. The five squares along Bull Street—Monterey, Madison, Chippewa, Wright, and Johnson—were intended to be grand monument spaces and have been called Savannah's "Crown Jewels." Many of the other squares were designed more simply as commons or parks, although most serve as memorials as well.
Architect John Massengale has called Savannah's city plan "the most intelligent grid in America, perhaps the world", and Edmund Bacon wrote that "it remains as one of the finest diagrams for city organization and growth in existence." The American Society of Civil Engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
s has honored Oglethorpe's plan for Savannah as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and in 1994 the plan was nominated for inclusion in the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage List
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. The squares are a major point of interest for millions of tourists visiting Savannah each year, and they have been credited with stabilizing once-deteriorating neighborhoods and revitalizing Savannah's downtown commercial district.
The First Four, 1733
The first four squares were laid out by James Oglethorpe in 1733, the same year in which he founded the Georgia colony and the city of Savannah.Johnson Square
Robert Johnson (governor)
Robert Johnson was the British colonial Governor of the Province of South Carolina in 1717-1719, and again from 1729-1735. Governor Johnson ordered Colonel William Rhett to engage the notorious pirate Stede Bonnet's sloops in the Battle of Cape Fear River near Charleston in 1718...
, colonial governor of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and a friend of General Oglethorpe. Interred in the square is Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
hero General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
, the namesake of nearby Greene Square. Greene died in 1786 and was buried in Savannah's Colonial Park Cemetery. His son, George Washington Greene, was buried beside him after drowning in the Savannah River in 1793. Following vandalism of the cemetery by occupying Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
forces during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the location of Greene's burial was lost. After the remains were re-identified Greene and his son were moved to Johnson Square. An obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
in the center of the square now serves as a memorial to Gen. Greene. The cornerstone of the monument was laid by the marquis de La Fayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
in 1825. At that time the obelisk did not yet commemorate any specific individual or event. In fact, due to financial restrictions the unmarked obelisk served for several years as a joint monument to both Greene and Casimir Pulaski. Inscriptions honoring Greene were added in 1886, but the Greenes’ physical remains did not arrive until 1901, following their "rediscovery."
Johnson Square contains two fountains, as well as a sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
dedicated to Colonel William Bull
William Bull (governor)
William Bull was a landowner and politician in the Province of South Carolina. He served on the governor's council and was lieutenant governor and acting governor from 1738 to 1744. In 1733 he assisted James Oglethorpe in the founding of the new Province of Georgia, laying out the town of Savannah...
, the namesake of Savannah's Bull Street. Bull was a South Carolinian who assisted Oglethorpe with the establishment of Savannah and, as a surveyor, laid out the original street grid. The sundial has four panels, one on each side of its square granite base. The dial itself is bronze, set atop a marble shaft. One of the base panels reproduces a 1734 map of Savannah.
Johnson Square is located on 69, between Bryan and Congress Streets.
Wright Square
The second square established in Savannah, Percival Square was named for Lord Percival, generally regarded as the man who gave the colony of Georgia its name (a tribute to Great Britain's King George IIGeorge II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
). It was renamed in 1763 to honor James Wright, the third, last and perhaps most notable of Georgia's royal governors. Throughout its history it has also been known as Court House Square and Post Office Square; the present Tomochichi Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is adjacent to the west.
The square is the burial site of Tomochichi
Tomochichi
Tomochichi was a seventeenth century Creek leader and the head chief of a Yamacraw town on the site of present day Savannah, Georgia. He remains a prominent character of early Georgia history...
, a leader of the Creek
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
nation of Native Americans. Tomochichi was a trusted friend of James Oglethorpe and assisted him in the founding of his colony. When Tomochichi died in 1739 Oglethorpe ordered him buried with military honors in the center of Percival Square. In accordance with his people's customs the grave was marked by a pyramid of stones gathered from the surrounding area. In 1883, citizens wishing to honor William Washington Gordon
William Washington Gordon
William Washington Gordon was an American politician and businessman.Gordon was born in Screven County, Georgia...
replaced Tomochichi's monument with an elaborate and highly allegorical monument to Gordon. William Gordon is thus the only native Savannahian honored with a monument in one of the city's squares. Gordon's own widow objected strongly to this perceived insult to Tomochichi. She and other members of the Colonial Dames
The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor "who came to reside in an American Colony before 1750, and whose services were rendered during the Colonial Period." The national headquarters of the society is at...
of the State of Georgia planned to erect a new monument to Tomochichi, made of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
from Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock in Stone Mountain, Georgia, United States. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet amsl and 825 feet above the surrounding area. Stone Mountain granite extends underground at its longest point into Gwinnett County...
. The Stone Mountain Monument Company offered the material at no cost. Mrs. Gordon felt that she was being condescended to and insisted on paying. The Monument Company sent her a bill—some sources say for fifty cents, others for one dollar—payable on Judgment Day
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
. Mrs. Gordon paid the bill and attached a note explaining that on Judgment Day she would be occupied with her own affairs. The new monument was erected in 1899. It stands in the southeast corner of the square and eulogizes Tomochichi as a great friend of James Oglethorpe and the people of Georgia.
Wright Square is on Bull, between State and York Streets.
Ellis Square
Ellis Square is located on Barnard between Bryan and Congress Streets. It was named after Henry Ellis, second Royal Governor of the Georgia colony. It was also known as Marketplace Square, as from the 1730s through the 1950s it served as a center of commerce and was home to four successive market houses. Prior to Union General Sherman'sWilliam Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
arrival in December 1864 it was also the site of a slave market. In 1954 the city signed a fifty-year lease with the Savannah Merchants Cooperative Parking Association, allowing the association to raze the existing structure and construct a parking garage to serve the City Market retail project. Anger over the demolition of the market house helped spur the historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
movement in Savannah. When the garage's lease expired in 2004, the city began plans to restore Ellis Square. The old parking garage was demolished in 2006 to make way for a new public square (park) that features open spaces for public concerts, as well as an underground parking garage. The underground facility was completed and formally dedicated in January 2009. Meanwhile, hotel, residential and commercial space on adjacent properties has been renovated concurrently with the Ellis Square project. The restoration of the square itself, begun in the spring of 2008, was completed in February 2010. Ellis Square officially reopened at a dedication ceremony held on March 11, 2010. A bronze statue of songwriter-lyricist Johnny Mercer, a native Savannahian, was formally unveiled in Ellis Square on November 18, 2009.
Telfair Square
St. James Square was named in honor of a green space in London, England and marked one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in early Savannah. It was renamed in 1883 to honour the Telfair family. It is the only square honoring a family rather than an individual. The Telfairs included former Governor Edward TelfairEdward Telfair
Edward Telfair was the Governor of the state of Georgia in 1786, and from 1790 through 1793. He was a member of the Continental Congress, and a signer of the Articles of Confederation.-Early Life:...
, Congressman Thomas Telfair
Thomas Telfair
Thomas Telfair was a United States Representative from Georgia. Born in Savannah, Georgia, he graduated from Princeton College in 1805. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Savannah....
(Edward Telfair's son), and Mary Telfair (1791–1875), benefactor of Savannah's Telfair Museum of Art. The square also contains tributes to the Girl Scouts of America, founded by Savannahian Juliette Gordon Low
Juliette Gordon Low
Juliette Gordon Low was an American youth leader and the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1912.-Early life:...
, and to the chambered nautilus
Chambered Nautilus
The Chambered Nautilus, Nautilus pompilius, is the best-known species of nautilus. The shell, when cut away reveals a lining of lustrous nacre and displays a nearly perfect equiangular spiral, although it is not a golden spiral. The shell exhibits countershading, being light on the bottom and dark...
. Telfair Square is located on Barnard, between State and York Streets.
Two New squares
Oglethorpe's plan called for six wards and squares. Lower New Square and Upper New Square—now Reynolds and Oglethorpe Squares—completed the founder's vision.Reynolds Square
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, founder of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
. Wesley spent most of his life in England but undertook a mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
to Savannah (1735–1738), during which time he founded the first Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
in America. The statue was installed in 1969 on the spot where Wesley's home is believed to have stood. The statue is intended to show Wesley preaching out-of-doors as he did when leading services for Native Americans, a practice which angered church elders who believed that the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
should only be preached inside the church building.
Reynolds Square was the site of the Filature, which housed silkworms as part of an early—and unsuccessful—attempt to establish a silk industry in the Georgia colony. It is located on Abercorn, between Bryan and Congress Streets.
Oglethorpe Square
Upper New Square was laid out in 1742 and was later renamed in honor of Georgia founder General James Oglethorpe. The modest home of Georgia's first Royal Governor, John Reynolds, was located on the southeast Trust Lot (now a parking lot of The Presidents' Quarters Inn) overlooking Oglethorpe Square. Reynolds arrived in Savannah October 29, 1754. The residences of the Royal Surveyors of Georgia and South Carolina were located on the northeast Trust Lots, the site of today's Owens-Thomas HouseOwens-Thomas House
The Owens-Thomas House is a historic home in Savannah, Georgia that is operated as a historic house museum by the Telfair Museum of Art.It is located at 124 Abercorn Street, on the northeast corner of Oglethorpe Square...
. The Presidents' Quarters Inn, a 16-room historic bed and breakfast, is located on the southeast Trust Lots. The square contains a pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
honoring Moravian missionaries who arrived at the same time as John Wesley and settled in Savannah from 1735 to 1740, before resettling in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. A Savannah veterans’ group had unsuccessfully proposed erecting a memorial to veterans of World War II in Oglethorpe Square. (which was installed on River Street). Oglethorpe Square is located on Abercorn, between State and York Streets; President Street intersects east and west. After the American Revolutionary War, the British name of "Prince Street" was official renamed "State Street". "King Street" was renamed "President Street".
The 1790s
Savannah grew rapidly in the late 18th century and six new wards were established in the 1790s alone, including the four that now comprise the northeastern quadrant of the Historic District. The new wards expanded the grid by one unit to the west and by two to the east. Due to space restrictions these new wards are slightly narrower east-to-west than the original six.Washington Square
Built in 1790, Washington Square was named in 1791 for the first President of the United States, who visited Savannah in that year. Washington Square had been the site of the Trustees' Garden. Named for the trustees of Oglethorpe's colony the garden was the proving ground for a variety of experimental crops—including mulberryMulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
(for silkworms), hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
, and indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
—viewed as potential cash crops for the new colony. Most of these experiments proved unsuccessful. Washington Square is on Houston, between Bryan and Congress Streets. Washington Square was one of only two squares named to honor a then-living person; Troup Square was the other. Washington Square was once the site of massive New Year's Eve bonfires; these were discontinued in the 1950s.
Franklin Square
Franklin Square was laid out in 1790. In 1791 it was named for Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, who served as an agent for the colony of Georgia from 1768 to 1778 and who had died in 1790. It was also known as Water Tank Square, Water Tower Square and Reservoir Square, having been the site of the city's water supply. Franklin Square almost suffered the same fate as other Montgomery Street squares that were lost to development in the 1970s but was restored during the following decade. Franklin Square is located on Montgomery, between Bryan and Congress Streets, and anchors the western end of the City Market retail area. A memorial honoring Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an volunteers who fought with Pulaski during the Siege of Savannah
Siege of Savannah
The Siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was an encounter of the American Revolutionary War in 1779. The year before, the city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British expeditionary corps under Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell. The siege itself consisted of a joint...
, created by sculptor James Mastin, was unveiled in Franklin Square on the 228th anniversary of the battle.
Warren Square
Warren Square was laid out in 1791 and named for General Joseph WarrenJoseph Warren
Dr. Joseph Warren was an American doctor who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in early days of the American Revolution, eventually serving as president of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress...
, a Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
hero killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
and who had served as President of the Provincial Government of Massachusetts. British gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
seized by Savannahians had been sent to aid the Americans at Bunker Hill. The ‘’sister city’’ relationship between Savannah and Boston survived even the Civil War, and Bostonians sent shiploads of provisions to Savannah shortly after the city surrendered to Gen. Sherman in 1864. Warren Square is on Habersham, between Bryan and Congress Streets.
Columbia Square
Columbia Square was laid out in 1799 and is named for ColumbiaHistorical Columbia
Columbia is an historical and poetic name for America – and the early United States of America in particular, for which it is also the name of its female personification...
, the poetic personification of the United States. It is located on Habersham, between State and York Streets. In the center of the square is a fountain that formerly stood at Wormsloe
Wormsloe Historic Site
The Wormsloe Historic Site is a state historic site near Savannah, Georgia, in the southeastern United States. The site consists of protecting part of what was once the Wormsloe Plantation, a large estate established by one of Georgia's colonial founders, Noble Jones...
, the estate of Noble Jones
Noble Jones
Noble Wimberly Jones was an American physician and statesman from Savannah, Georgia. A leading Georgia patriot in the American Revolution, he served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1781 and 1782....
, one of Georgia's first settlers. It was moved to Columbia Square in 1970 to honor Augusta and Wymberly DeRenne, descendants of Jones. It is sometimes called the "rustic fountain," as it is decorated with vines, leaves, flowers, and other woodland motifs.
Greene Square
Greene Square was laid out in 1799 and is named for Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
hero General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
, an aide to George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. A native of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Greene commanded southern forces during the Revolution, and after the war settled at Mulberry Grove
Mulberry Grove Plantation
Mulberry Grove Plantation, located north of Port Wentworth, Chatham County, Savannah, was once a thriving rice plantation, notable for the location where Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin....
, an estate fourteen miles (21 km) above Savannah. Greene, along with his son, is actually buried in Savannah's Johnson Square. Greene Square was once the center of Savannah's African-American community. On the northeast Trust Lot is Second African Baptist Church, the site where Union General William Sherman famously announced Special Field Orders 15, better known as "Forty Acres and a mule". Green Palm Inn (two seamen's cottages, ca. 1897) is on the square. The square is located on Houston, between State and York Streets. Before the American Revolutionary War, State Street was named Prince Street.
Liberty Square
Liberty Square was laid out in 1799 and named in honor of the Sons of LibertySons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were a political group made up of American patriots that originated in the pre-independence North American British colonies. The group was formed to protect the rights of the colonists from the usurpations by the British government after 1766...
and the victory over the British in the Revolutionary War. It was located on Montgomery between State and York Streets. It was paved over to make way for improvements to Montgomery Street. A small portion remains and is the site of the "Flame of Freedom" sculpture.
Nineteenth-Century Squares
Expansion of Oglethorpe's grid of wards and squares continued through the first half of the 19th century, until a total of twenty-four squares stood in downtown Savannah.Elbert Square
Elbert Square was laid out in 1801 and named for Samuel Elbert, a Revolutionary soldier, sheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Chatham County
Chatham County, Georgia
Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, and Governor of Georgia. It was located on Montgomery between Hull and Perry streets. It was paved over to make way for improvements to Montgomery Street and today is represented by a small grassy area across Montgomery from the west entrance to the Civic Center.
Chippewa Square
Chippewa Square was laid out in 1815 and named in honor of American soldiers killed in the Battle of ChippawaBattle of Chippawa
The Battle of Chippawa was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during an invasion of Upper Canada along the Niagara River on July 5, 1814.-Background:...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. (The spelling "Chippewa" is correct in reference to this square.)
In the center of the square is a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of Georgia founder General James Oglethorpe
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, and founder of the colony of Georgia...
created by sculptor Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
and unveiled in 1910. Oglethorpe faces south, toward Georgia's one-time enemy in Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
Florida, and his sword is drawn. Busts
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
figures Francis Stebbins Bartow and Lafayette McLaws
Lafayette McLaws
Lafayette McLaws was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
were moved from Chippewa Square to Forsyth Park
Forsyth Park
Forsyth Park is a large city park that occupies in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. The park is bordered by Gaston Street on the North, Drayton Street on the East, Park Avenue on the South and Whitaker Street on the West...
to make room for the Oglethorpe monument. Due to the location of the monument, Savannahians sometimes refer to this as Oglethorpe Square, although the actual Oglethorpe Square sits just to the northeast.
The "park bench" scene which opens the 1994 film Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
was filmed on the north side of Chippewa Square. The bench was a fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
prop, rather than one of the park's actual benches. A prop bench used in the film is on display at the Savannah Visitors Center. Chippewa Square is located on Bull, between Hull and Perry Streets.
Orleans Square
Orleans Square was laid out in 1815 and commemorates General Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
's victory in the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
that same year. In the center of the square the German Memorial Fountain honours early German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrants to Savannah. Installed in 1989 it commemorates the 250th anniversary of Georgia and of Savannah, as well as the 300th anniversary of the arrival in Philadelphia of thirteen Rhenish
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
families. Orleans Square is located on Barnard, between Hull and Perry Streets, and is adjacent to the Savannah Civic Center.
Lafayette Square
Lafayette Square was laid out in 1837 and is named for Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La FayetteGilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
, the French hero of the American Revolution
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, who visited Savannah in 1825. The square contains a fountain commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Georgia colony, donated by the Colonial Dames of Georgia in 1984, as well as cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
sidewalks. Lafayette Square is located on Abercorn, between Harris and Charlton Streets. Adjacent to the square is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Given this proximity Lafayette Square features prominently in Savannah's massive St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Water in the fountain is dyed green for the occasion.
Pulaski Square
Pulaski Square was laid out in 1837 and is named for General Casimir Pulaski, a PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-born Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
hero who died of wounds received in the Siege of Savannah
Siege of Savannah
The Siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was an encounter of the American Revolutionary War in 1779. The year before, the city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British expeditionary corps under Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell. The siege itself consisted of a joint...
(1779). It is one of the few squares without a monument—General Pulaski's statue is actually in nearby Monterey Square. Prior to the birth of the historical preservation movement and the restoration of much of Savannah's downtown Pulaski sheltered a sizeable homeless population and was one of several squares that had been paved to allow traffic to drive straight through its center.
Pulaski square is located on Barnard, between Harris and Charlton Streets and is known for its live oak
Live oak
Live oak , also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States...
s.
Madison Square
Madison Square was laid out in 1837 and named for James MadisonJames Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, fourth President of the United States. In the center of the square is a 1888 statue by Alexander Doyle memorializing Sgt. William Jasper
William Jasper
William Jasper was a noted American soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was a sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment.Jasper distinguished himself in the defense of Fort Moultrie on June 28, 1776...
, a soldier in the Siege of Savannah who, though mortally wounded, heroically recovered his company's banner
Banner
A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from late Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made...
. Savannahians sometimes refer to this as Jasper Square, in honor of Jasper's statue. Madison Square features vintage cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
from the Savannah Armory
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
. These now mark the starting points of the first highways in Georgia, the Ogeechee Road leading to Darien
Darien, Georgia
Darien is a city in McIntosh County, Georgia, United States. It lies on Georgia's coast at the mouth of the Altamaha River about 50 miles south of Savannah, and is part of the Brunswick, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of Darien was 1,719 at the 2000 census. The city is the...
and the Augusta Road to Augusta
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
. The square also includes a monument marking the center of the British resistance during the Siege. Madison Square is located on Bull, between Harris and Charlton Streets.
Crawford Square
Crawford Square was laid out in 1841 and named in honor of Secretary of the Treasury William Harris Crawford, born in Savannah in 1772. Crawford ran for President in 1824 but came in third, after winner John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
and runner-up Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
. Although Crawford is the smallest of the squares it anchors the largest ward, as Crawford Ward includes the territory of Colonial Park Cemetery. It is located on Houston, between Hull and Perry Streets on the eastern edge of the historic district. During the era of Jim Crow this was the only square in which African-Americans were permitted. The square contains playground facilities, a basketball court, and a gazebo. While all squares were once fenced it is the only one that remains so. Crawford Square has also retained its cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
, a holdover from early fire fighting practices. After a major fire in 1820 firemen maintained duty stations in the squares, each of which was equipped with a storage cistern.
Chatham Square
Chatham Square was laid out in 1847 and named in 1851 for William Pitt, 1st Earl of ChathamWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
. Although Pitt never visited Savannah he was an early supporter of the Georgia colony and both Chatham Square and Chatham County
Chatham County, Georgia
Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...
are named in his honor. The square is located on Barnard, between Taylor and Gordon Streets. Chatham Square is sometimes known locally as Barnard Square, in reference to a city school that stood adjacent for many years.
Monterey Square
Monterey Square was laid out in 1847 and commemorates the Battle of MonterreyBattle of Monterrey
In the Battle of Monterrey during the Mexican-American War, General Pedro de Ampudia and the Mexican Army of the North was defeated by U.S...
(1846), in which American forces under General Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
captured the city of Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
during the Mexican-American War. (The correct spelling in reference to the square is "Monterey", with a single r.) In the center of the square is an 1852 monument honoring General Casimir Pulaski. The cornerstone of the monument was laid by Lafayette—in Chippewa Square in 1825. Due to financial limitations an obelisk in Johnson Square served as a joint memorial to Nathanael Green and Pulaski for several years. By 1852 funds had been collected to give Pulaski his own monument. The sculptor was allowed to choose the site for the project and he had the cornerstone moved to Monterey Square. Deterioration of the Pulaski monument was noted as early as 1912, and pieces began to fall in the 1990s. Restoration of the monument was completed in 2001. The body of an unknown Revolutionary soldier is said to be buried beneath Pulaski's monument. Some have speculated that Pulaski himself is buried there, although he is generally believed to have been buried at sea
Burial at sea
Burial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean, normally from a ship or boat. It is regularly performed by navies, but also can be done by private citizens in many countries.-By religion:...
.
Monterey Square is the site of Mercer House, built by Hugh Mercer and more recently the home of antiques dealer and restorationist Jim Williams. The house, and the square itself, were featured prominently in John Berendt
John Berendt
John Berendt is an American author, known for writing the best-selling non-fiction book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction....
's 1994 true crime
True crime
True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a non-fiction work by John Berendt. Published in 1994, the book was Berendt's first, and became a The New York Times bestseller for 216 weeks following its debut....
. The square has been used as a setting for several motion pictures, including the 1997 film version of Berendt's novel.
The square also is home to Congregation Mickve Israel
Congregation Mickve Israel
Congregation Mickve Israel in Savannah, Georgia, is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States, the congregation having begun in 1733. The synagogue, located on Monterey Square in historic Savannah, was consecrated in 1878, and is a rare example of a Gothic-style synagogue...
, which boasts the only Gothic-style synagogue in America, dating from 1878.
Monterey Square is located on Bull, between Taylor and Gordon Streets, and is widely considered to be the most picturesque of Savannah's squares. All of the surrounding buildings but one (the United Way Building) are original to the square.
Troup Square
Troup Square was laid out in 1851 and named for former Georgia Governor, Congressman, and Senator, George TroupGeorge Troup
George Michael Troup was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. He served in the Georgia General Assembly, U.S. House of Representatives, and Senate before becoming the 32nd Governor of Georgia for two terms and then returning to the Senate...
. It is one of only two squares named for a person living at the time (the other being Washington Square). A large iron armillary sphere
Armillary sphere
An armillary sphere is a model of objects in the sky , consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centred on Earth, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features such as the ecliptic...
stands in the center of the square, supported by six small metal turtles. The armillary has been the source of some controversy, as it is one of the few examples of modern sculpture in the squares. Troup Square is located on Habersham, between Harris and Charlton Streets. A special dog fountain is located on the west side of the square. The Myers Drinking Fountain was a gift from Savannah mayor Herman Myers in 1897 and originally placed in Forsyth Park. When moved to Troup Square its height was adjusted for canine use and has become the site of an annual Blessing of the Animals.
Calhoun Square
Calhoun Square was laid out in 1851 and is named for South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
statesman John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
, who served as Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
, Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
, and as Vice President under John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
and Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
. It is sometimes called Massie Square in reference to a neighborhood school. It is the only square with all of its original buildings intact. It is located on Abercorn, between Taylor and Gordon Streets.
Whitefield Square
Whitefield Square was laid out in 1851—the final square built. It is named for the Rev. George Whitefield, founder of Bethesda Home for Boys (a residential educationResidential education
Residential Education, broadly defined, is a pre-college education provided in an environment where students both live and learn outside of their family homes. Varied forms of residential education have been in existence in the United States since before the nation's founding...
program – formerly the Bethesda Orphanage) in the 18th century, and still in existence on the south side of the city. It has a gazebo in its center. A notable building facing the square is the First Congregational Church. Other prominent though 20th-century buildings are the Rose-of-Sharon Apartments and the Red Cross Building. It is on Habersham, between Taylor and Gordon Streets.
Forsyth Park
After 1851, as the city expanded south of Gaston Street, further extensions of Oglethorpe's grid of wards and squares were abandoned. Forsyth ParkForsyth Park
Forsyth Park is a large city park that occupies in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. The park is bordered by Gaston Street on the North, Drayton Street on the East, Park Avenue on the South and Whitaker Street on the West...
, located just south of Monterey Ward, was intended to be a single large park that would serve the growing southern portion of the city just as the squares had served their individual wards. The original northern portion of the park, surrounding the well-known fountain, occupied an area the size of an entire ward from the old city, and the park more than doubled in size during later years. Other, smaller neighborhood parks have been established in the southern portions of the city.
New Squares
A huge section of land to the east of Broad Street is currently (May 2009) being developed along the lines of the grid plan of the Historic District, and is expected to contain several new squares.Summary
! #
! Name
! class="unsortable"|Name Origin
! Year Established
! class="unsortable"|Intersection
! class="unsortable"|Monuments
! class="unsortable"|Landmarks
! Status
|-
|1.
|Franklin
|Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
|1790
|Montgomery Street and
West St. Julian Street
|Chasseurs volontaires de Saint-Domingue
|First African Baptist Church
First African Baptist Church (Savannah)
First African Baptist Church, located in Savannah, Georgia claims evolution from the first black Baptist congregation in North America. While it was not officially organized until 1788, it grew from members who founded a church in 1773...
|Nearly lost in the 1970s; restored
|-
|2.
|Ellis
|Henry Ellis
Henry Ellis (governor)
Henry Ellis was an explorer, author, and a colonial governor of Georgia.Ellis was born in County Monaghan, Ireland. He was educated in law at the Temple Church in London. In May 1746, he went out as agent of a company for the discovery of the Northwest Passage...
,
Governor of Georgia
|1733
|Barnard Street and
West St. Julian Street
|Johnny Mercer,
songwriter-lyricist
|City Market
|Lost in the 1950s; fully restored in 2010
|-
|3.
|Johnson
|Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson (governor)
Robert Johnson was the British colonial Governor of the Province of South Carolina in 1717-1719, and again from 1729-1735. Governor Johnson ordered Colonel William Rhett to engage the notorious pirate Stede Bonnet's sloops in the Battle of Cape Fear River near Charleston in 1718...
,
Governor of South Carolina
|1733
|Bull Street and
St. Julian Street
|Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
,
Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
|Christ Church Anglican
|Preserved
|-
|4.
|Reynolds
|John Reynolds
John Reynolds (Georgia)
John Reynolds was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served for a period as the royal governor of the Province of Georgia from 1754-1757....
,
Governor of Georgia
|1734
|Abercorn Street and
East St. Julian Street
|John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
,
early leader of the Methodist movement
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
|Pink House
Lucas Theater
|Preserved
|-
|5.
|Warren
|Dr. Joseph Warren
Joseph Warren
Dr. Joseph Warren was an American doctor who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in early days of the American Revolution, eventually serving as president of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress...
,
Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
|1791
|Habersham Street and
East St. Julian Street
|
|John David Mongin House
Spencer House
|Preserved
|-
|6.
|Washington
|George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
,
U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
|1790
|Houston Street and
East St. Julian Street
|
|Seaman's House
|Preserved
|-
|7.
|Liberty
|Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were a political group made up of American patriots that originated in the pre-independence North American British colonies. The group was formed to protect the rights of the colonists from the usurpations by the British government after 1766...
|1799
|133 Montgomery Street
|Flame of Freedom
|County Courthouse
|Lost>
|Telfair
|Edward Telfair
Edward Telfair
Edward Telfair was the Governor of the state of Georgia in 1786, and from 1790 through 1793. He was a member of the Continental Congress, and a signer of the Articles of Confederation.-Early Life:...
,
Governor of Georgia
|1733
|Barnard Street and
West President Street
|
|Telfair Academy of Arts & Sciences
Telfair Museum of Art
The Telfair Museum of Art, located in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia, is the South’s first public art museum. Founded through the bequest of Mary Telfair , a prominent local citizen, the museum opened in 1886 in the Telfair family’s renovated Regency-style mansion, known as the Telfair...
Trinity Methodist Church
|Preserved
|-
|9.
|Wright
|James Wright
James Wright (governor)
James Wright was an American colonial lawyer and jurist who was the last British Royal Governor of the Province of Georgia. He was the only Royal Governor of the Thirteen Colonies to regain control of his colony during the American Revolutionary War.James Wright was born in London to Robert Wright...
,
Governor of Georgia
|1733
|Bull Street and
President Street
|William Washington Gordon
William Washington Gordon
William Washington Gordon was an American politician and businessman.Gordon was born in Screven County, Georgia...
,
Mayor of Savannah
|Lutheran Church of the Ascension
Tomochichi Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
Old County Courthouse
Tomochichi's
Tomochichi
Tomochichi was a seventeenth century Creek leader and the head chief of a Yamacraw town on the site of present day Savannah, Georgia. He remains a prominent character of early Georgia history...
grave
|Preserved
|-
|10.
|Oglethorpe
|James Oglethorpe
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, and founder of the colony of Georgia...
,
Founder of Savannah
|1742
|Abercorn Street and
East President Street
|
|Owens-Thomas House
Owens-Thomas House
The Owens-Thomas House is a historic home in Savannah, Georgia that is operated as a historic house museum by the Telfair Museum of Art.It is located at 124 Abercorn Street, on the northeast corner of Oglethorpe Square...
,
The Presidents' Quarters Inn, Moravian Monument
|Preserved
|-
|11.
|Columbia
|Columbia,
American symbol
|1799
|Habersham Street and
East President Street
|Wormsloe Fountain
|Davenport House
Kehoe House
Universalist Church
|Preserved
|-
|12.
|Greene
|Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
,
Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
|1799
|Houston Street and
East President Street
|
|Second African Baptist Church
|Preserved
|-
|13.
|Elbert
|Samuel Elbert
Samuel Elbert
Samuel Elbert was an American merchant, soldier, and politician from Savannah, Georgia.Elbert fought in the Revolutionary War, commanding the victorious American colonial forces in a naval battle near St. Simons Island, Georgia on April 19, 1778...
,
Governor of Georgia
|1801
|237 Montgomery Street
|
|Savannah Civic Center
Savannah Civic Center
The Savannah Civic Center is a 9,600-seat multi-purpose arena located on Montgomery Street in Savannah, Georgia. The facility has two venues: The Martin Luther King Arena and the Johnny Mercer Theater...
|Lost
|-
|14.
|Orleans
|Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
|1815
|Barnard Street and
West McDonough Street
|German Societies Fountain
|Champion-McAlpin House
Savannah Civic Center
Savannah Civic Center
The Savannah Civic Center is a 9,600-seat multi-purpose arena located on Montgomery Street in Savannah, Georgia. The facility has two venues: The Martin Luther King Arena and the Johnny Mercer Theater...
|Preserved
|-
|15.
|Chippewa
|Battle of Chippawa
Battle of Chippawa
The Battle of Chippawa was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during an invasion of Upper Canada along the Niagara River on July 5, 1814.-Background:...
|1815
|Bull Street and
McDonough Street
|James Oglethorpe
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, and founder of the colony of Georgia...
,
Founder of Savannah
|First Baptist Church
Savannah Theatre
|Preserved
|-
|16.
|Crawford
|William H. Crawford
William H. Crawford
William Harris Crawford was an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as United States Secretary of War from 1815 to 1816 and United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1816 to 1825, and was a candidate for President of the United States in 1824.-Political...
,
U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
|1841
|Houston Street and
East McDonough Street
|Gazebo
|
|Preserved
|-
|17.
|Pulaski
|Casimir Pulaski,
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
|1837
|Barnard Street and
West Macon Street
|
|Francis Bartow House
|Preserved
|-
|18.
|Madison
|James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
,
U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
|1837
|Bull Street and
Macon Street
|William Jasper
William Jasper
William Jasper was a noted American soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was a sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment.Jasper distinguished himself in the defense of Fort Moultrie on June 28, 1776...
,
Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
|Green-Meldrim House
Green-Meldrim House
The Green-Meldrim House is a historic house located in Savannah, Georgia. It is located at 14 West Macon Street, on the northwest corner of Madison Square and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.-History:...
St. John's Episcopal Church
St. John's Church, Savannah
St. John's Church in Savannah is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia.The church was formed in 1840 from the growing Christ Church, Savannah, as part of a plan to increase Episcopal presence in Georgia and to provide for a first bishop of the diocese. In addition to his Episcopal duties,...
Scottish Rite Temple
Old Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory
Sorrel Weed House
Sorrel Weed House
The Sorrel Weed House, or the Francis Sorrel House, is a historic facility located in Savannah, Georgia. It represents one of the finest examples of Greek Revival and Regency architecture in Savannah and was one of the first two homes in the state of Georgia to be made a state landmark in 1954...
|Preserved>
|Lafayette
|Marquis de La Fayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
,
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
|1837
|Abercorn Street and
East Macon Street
|Semiquincentenary Fountain
|Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Savannah)
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral at 222 East Harris Street, Savannah, Georgia, in the United States. It is the Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah.-History:...
Hamilton-Turner House
Andrew Low House
|Preserved
|-
|20.
|Troup
|George Troup
George Troup
George Michael Troup was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. He served in the Georgia General Assembly, U.S. House of Representatives, and Senate before becoming the 32nd Governor of Georgia for two terms and then returning to the Senate...
,
Governor of Georgia
|1851
|Habersham Street and
East Macon Street
|Armillary sphere
|McDonough Row Houses
Kennedy Row
|Preserved
|-
|21.
|Chatham
|William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
,
U.K. Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
|1847
|Barnard Street and
West Wayne Street
|
|Gordon Row
|Preserved
|-
|22.
|Monterey
|Battle of Monterey
Battle of Monterey
-Preliminaries:Prior to the Mexican-American War the Californio forces had already driven the Mexican appointed Governor Manuel Micheltorena and most of his soldiers from Alta California...
|1847
|Bull Street and
Wayne Street
|Kazimierz Pułaski,
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
|Temple Mickve Israel
Mercer House
|Preserved
|-
|23.
|Calhoun
|John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
,
U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and
U.S. Vice President
|1851
|Abercorn Street and
East Wayne Street
|
|Wesley Monumental Methodist Church
Massie School
|Preserved
|-
|24.
|Whitefield
|George Whitefield
George Whitefield
George Whitefield , also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally...
,
early leader of the Great Awakening
First Great Awakening
The First Awakening was a Christian revitalization movement that swept Protestant Europe and British America, and especially the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a permanent impact on American religion. It resulted from powerful preaching that gave listeners a sense of personal...
|1851
|Habersham Street and
East Wayne Street
|Gazebo
|First Congregational Church
|Preserved>
External links
- Downtown Savannah street map from Mapquest Map and aerial views of the historic district] from * Visitor information from Savannah.com, accessed June 16, 2007.
- A street map of the historic district from Savannah.com, accessed June 14, 2007.
- Another street map of the historic district from Sherpa Guides, accessed June 16, 2007
- Squares book site, the popular tour book "Savannah Squares", accessed July 22, 2008.
- Haitian American Historical Society, organizers of the Haitian Volunteers monument, accessed June 16, 2007.
- A photo assay of all 24 squares in Savannah.