101 E. Bay Street
Voted one of the 10 Most Beautiful Places in America by USA Weekend Magazine, the squares and parks of Savannah are the community’s most beloved icons. Originally designed with 24 squares, 22 remain today to be enjoyed by the millions who grace their grassy utopias every year.
Abercorn and Wayne Streets
Calhoun Square was designed in 1851 and named in honor of John C. Calhoun. Calhoun was a South Carolina statesman and Vice President under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Calhoun Square is the only square where all of the original historic buildings remain.
Located on the square: Massie School and Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church
Barnard and Wayne Streets
Chatham Square was designed in 1847 and named in honor of William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham. Pitt was an early supporter of the colony and though he never visited Savannah, Chatham County and Chatham Square were named in his honor.
Located on the square: Gordon Row, 15 four-storied townhouses each 20 feet wide with identical architecture. Admired for its ironwork and unique doorways
Bull and McDonough Streets
Chippewa Square was designed in 1815 and named to commemorate the Battle of Chippewa in the War of 1812. In the center stands a bronze statue of the colony’s founder, General James Edward Oglethorpe, who faces south protecting Savannah from the Spanish in Florida.
Located on the Square: First Baptist Church, the Savannah Theatre and the Eastman-Stoddard House. Also know as Forrest Gump Square, the bus stop scenes from the Oscar winning motion picture was filmed on the north end of the square.
Habersham and Presidents Streets
Columbia Square was designed in 1799 and named “Columbia,” the female personification of the United States of America. In the center sits a fountain from the Wormsloe Plantation, an early Savannah settlement.
Located on the square: The Davenport House and the Kehoe House
Houston and McDonough Streets
Crawford Square was designed in 1841 and named in honor of William Harrison Crawford, Minister of France during the reign of Napoleon. Crawford was said to be the only foreign politician with any influence over Napoleon.
Lost to urban sprawl, Elbert Square was designed out in 1801 between Montgomery and McDonough streets. It was named in honor of Samuel Elbert, a Revolutionary War hero and Georgia Governor.
Ellis Square: Re-opening 2009
Bryan and Barnard Street
Once lost to urban sprawl, the old city square is being restored thanks to a public/private partnership by the City of Savannah and area developers. The restored square will feature underground parking, retail centers and hotels. The City hopes to have restorative effors complete by 2009. Ellis Square was designed in 1733 and was named in honor of Henry Ellis, the second Royal Governor. It was here that the “Old City Market” was located and merchants sold crops and wares.
Montgomery Street and St. Julian Streets
Franklin Square was designed in 1791 and named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, for many years the square was the site of the city’s water tower and was referred to as “water tower square.”
Located on the square: First African Baptist Church and the west end of City Market
Houston and Presidents Streets
Greene Square was designed in 1799 to honor General Nathanael Greene, a Revolutionary War hero who fought against the British in Savannah.
Located on the square: Second African Baptist Church
Bull and St. Julian Streets
Johnson Square was designed in 1733 and named for Robert Johnson, the Royal Governor of South Carolina when Georgia was founded. Johnson Square was the first of Savannah’s 24 squares and served as its commercial hub. In the center stands a monument of General Nathanael Greene, a Revolutionary War hero and Savannah patriot.
Located on the square: Christ Episcopal Church
Abercorn and Macon Streets
Lafayette Square was designed in 1873 to honor the Marquis de Lafayette, who aided the Americans during the Revolutionary War. In the center sits a fountain dedicated by the Colonial Dames of America.
Located on the square: The Hamilton-Turner House, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the Low-Colonial Dames House and the childhood home of author Flannery O’ Conner
Lost to urban sprawl, Liberty Square was designed in 1799 between Montgomery and Presidents Streets and named to honor Savannah patriots, the “Liberty Boys.” The Liberty Boys were instrumental in setting the stage for Georgia’s involvement in the American Revolution.
Bull and Macon Streets
Madison Square was designed in 1837 and named to honor James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. In the center stands a monument of Sergeant William Jasper who fell during the Siege of Savannah in 1779. A granite marker denotes the southern line of the British defense during the 1779 battle.
Located on the square: St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Green-Meldrim House and the Sorrel-Weed House
Bull and Wayne Streets
Monterey Square was designed in 1847 and was named to commemorate the 1846 Battle of Monterey during the Mexican American War. It was the battle of the Mexican War in which a Savannah unit of the Irish Jasper Greens fought. The square’s monument honors Casimir Pulaski, a Polish nobleman who was mortally wounded during the Siege of Savannah while fighting for Americans.
Located on the square: Temple Mickve Israel and the Mercer House
Abercorn and Presidents Streets
Oglethorpe Square was designed in 1742 in honor of James Edward Oglethorpe, the founder of Savannah, Georgia’s First City. In the center sits a marker to the Moravians who arrived in Savannah in 1735 from the current day Czech Republic.
Located on the square: The Owens-Thomas House
Barnard and McDonough Streets
Orleans Square was designed in 1815 in honor of the heroes of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. The fountain in the square was dedicated in 1989 by Savannah’s German Society to recognize the contributions of Savannah’s early German immigrants.
Located on the square: The Champion-McAlpin House
Barnard and Macon Streets
Pulaski Square was designed in 1837 and named in honor of Count Casimir Pulaski of Poland, the highest ranking foreign officer to die in the American Revolution. Pulaski fell during the Siege of Savannah in 1779.
Located on the square: The house of Confederate hero Francis S. Bartow
Abercorn and St. Julian Streets
Reynolds Square was designed in 1733 and named for Georgia’s first Royal Governor, John Reynolds. In the center stands a monument to Reynolds, the founder of Methodism and the Anglican minister to the colony in 1736.
Located on the square: The Olde Pink House and the Lucas Theatre
Barnard and President Streets
Telfair Square was designed in 1733 as St. James Square; and it was renamed in 1883 to honor Edward Telfair a three-time governor of Georgia and patron to the arts.
Located on the square: Trinity United Methodist Church, the Telfair Museum of Art and Jepson Center for the Arts
Habersham and McDonough Streets
Troup Square was designed in 1851 and named in honor of George Michael Troup, a Senator and Governor of Georgia. In the center stands the Armillary Sphere a astronomical device designed to show the relationship among the celestial circles.
Located on the square: The Unitarian Universalist Church and the McDonough Row Houses