The year was 1733 and for the first time, Savannah began to come to life thanks to bands of brave colonists and the leadership of General James Edward Oglethorpe.
In its earliest days, Savannah was a melting pot of religious cultures including Jewish, Lutheran, and Anglican all working together to establish a new life in a brave new world. Indeed, as Georgia’s first city, Savannah set a shining example of diversity in action; an example the city has continued to foster to this very day.
Remnants of the legacy left behind by Oglethorpe and his fellow colonists are still alive and well throughout Savannah. The cobblestones on River Street once helped add weight to ships making the treacherous journey across the Atlantic. As the ships arrived in Savannah, they would offload the stones, which created the first ‘paved roads’ in the city. Oglethorpe’s square grid for the city was planned to allow for public buildings and churches on the east and west sides of the squares with settlers’ homes on the north and south sides. Today, these squares are picturesque gathering places where public benches sit in the shade of centuries-old oaks and bountiful azalea blooms color their perimeters each spring.
Perhaps that is what draws so many to Savannah every year; it is a place where you not only learn about history, you experience it first hand. Make your plans with our historic