Lafayette Square (Savannah, Georgia)

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Lafayette Square
Flannery oconnor home.jpg
Flannery O'Connor's childhood home stands in the southeastern tything lot of the square
Namesake Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
Maintained byCity of Savannah
Location Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Coordinates 32°04′23″N81°05′30″W / 32.0730°N 81.0917°W / 32.0730; -81.0917
North Abercorn Street
EastEast Macon Street
SouthAbercorn Street
WestEast Macon Street
Construction
Completion1837(187 years ago) (1837)

Lafayette Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the fourth row of the city's five rows of squares, on Abercorn Street and East Macon Street, and was laid out in 1837. It is south of Colonial Park Cemetery, west of Troup Square, north of Taylor Square and east of Madison Square. The square is named for Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero of the American Revolution who visited Savannah in 1825. The oldest building on the square is the Andrew Low House, at 329 Abercorn Street, which dates to 1849. [1]

Contents

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. [2] [3] [4]

Adjacent to the square is the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist. Given this proximity, Lafayette Square features prominently in Savannah's Saint Patrick's Day celebrations. Water in the fountain is dyed green for the occasion. [5]

In this area is the museum known as the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home, which is open to the public.

Dedication

NamesakeImageNote
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Louise-Adeone Drolling dite Madame Joubert - Portrait du general de Lafayette dans le parc du chateau de La Grange-Bleneau.jpg The square is named for Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834), French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

Markers and structures

ObjectImageNote
Fountain Savannah Historic District (Savannah, Georgia) 4 50.JPG The square's fountain, looking south to the former site of the Marist School at today's 123 East Charlton Street
FountainA video of the fountain.

Constituent buildings

Each building below is in one of the eight blocks around the square composed of four residential "tything" blocks and four civic ("trust") blocks, now known as the Oglethorpe Plan. They are listed with construction years where known.

Northwestern residential/tything lot
  • 104 East Harris Street (1875) [1]
  • Centurian House, 106 East Harris Street (1903) [1]
  • 118 and 124 East Harris Street (1852) [1]
  • 319 Abercorn Street (1888) [1]
  • Henrietta Cohen Property, 312–314 Drayton Street (1882) [1]
Southwestern civic/trust lot
Southwestern residential/tything lot
  • Marist Place, 123 East Charlton Street – former site of the Marist School
  • Battersby–Hartridge–Anderson House, 119 East Charlton Street (1852) [1]
Northeastern residential/tything lot
Southeastern civic/trust lot
Southeastern residential/tything lot
  • Fitzgerald Pelot Duplex, 221–223 East Charlton Street (1854–1855) [1]
  • Catherine McMahon House, 211 East Charlton Street (1853) [1]
  • Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home, 207 East Charlton Street (1856) [1]
  • John B. Gallie House, 201–203 East Charlton Street (1858) [1]
  • 340 Abercorn Street (1903)

The Octavius Cohen House, built in 1848, formerly stood at 327 Abercorn Street. It was demolished to make way for today's Lafayette Condominiums, [6] once owned by Joe Odom. [7]

Related Research Articles

The city of Savannah, Province of Georgia, was laid out in 1733, in what was colonial America, around four open squares, each surrounded by four residential "tithing") blocks and four civic ("trust") blocks. The layout of a square and eight surrounding blocks was known as a "ward." The original plan was part of a larger regional plan that included gardens, farms, and "outlying villages." Once the four wards were developed in the mid-1730s, two additional wards were laid. Oglethorpe's agrarian balance was abandoned after the Georgia Trustee period. Additional squares were added during the late 18th and 19th centuries, and by 1851 there were 24 squares in the city. In the 20th century, three of the squares were demolished or altered beyond recognition, leaving 21. In 2010, one of the three "lost" squares, Ellis, was reclaimed, bringing the total to today's 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah Historic District (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Historic district in Georgia, United States

The Savannah Historic District is a large urban U.S. historic district that roughly corresponds to the pre–Civil War city limits of Savannah, Georgia. The area was declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1966, and is one of the largest urban, community-wide historic preservation districts in the United States. The district was established in recognition of the Oglethorpe Plan, a unique model of urban planning begun in 1733 by James Oglethorpe at Savannah's founding and propagated during the first century of the city's growth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Low House</span> Historic house in Savannah, Georgia

The Andrew Low House is a home in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located at 329 Abercorn Street, in Lafayette Square, it was built by John S. Norris in 1849 and is part of the Savannah Historic District and of the Juliette Gordon Low Historic District. It is the oldest building on Lafayette Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marist Place</span> Historic building in Savannah, Georgia, US

Marist Place is the former location of a school building at today's 123 East Charlton Street in Savannah, Georgia, United States, in the southwest tything block of Lafayette Square. It was located in what became Savannah's Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">330 Drayton Street</span> Historic house in Savannah, Georgia

330 Drayton Street is a building in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located on Drayton Street, in Lafayette Square, it was built around 1849 and is part of the Savannah Historic District and of the Juliette Gordon Low Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greene Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Greene Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is the easternmost square in the second row of the city's five rows of squares. The square is located on Houston Street and East President Street, and is south of Washington Square, east of Columbia Square and north of Crawford Square. The oldest buildings on the square are at 510 East York Street, 509 East President Street and 503 East President Street, each in the southwestern trust/civic block, which are believed to have been built at the same time as the square itself (1799).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnson Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Johnson Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located in the northernmost row of the city's five rows of squares, it was the first of the squares to be laid out, in 1733, and remains the largest of the 22. It is east of Ellis Square, west of Reynolds Square and north of Wright Square. Situated on Bull Street and St. Julian Street, it is named for Robert Johnson, colonial governor of South Carolina and a friend of General James Oglethorpe. The oldest building on the square is the Ann Hamilton House, at 26 East Bryan Street, which dates to 1824.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reynolds Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Reynolds Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the northernmost row of the city's five rows of squares, on Abercorn Street and East St. Julian Street. It is east of Johnson Square, west of Warren Square and north of Oglethorpe Square. The oldest building on the square is The Olde Pink House, which dates to 1771.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oglethorpe Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Oglethorpe Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the second row of the city's five rows of squares, on Abercorn Street and East President Street, and was laid out in 1742. It is south of Reynolds Square, west of Columbia Square, north of Colonial Park Cemetery and east of Wright Square. The oldest building on the square is the Owens–Thomas House, at 124 Abercorn Street, which dates 1819.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chippewa Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Chippewa Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the middle row of the city's five rows of squares, on Bull Street and McDonough Street, and was laid out in 1815. It is south of Wright Square, west of Colonial Park Cemetery, north of Madison Square and east of Orleans Square. The oldest building on the square is The Savannah Theatre, at 222 Bull Street, which dates to 1818.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crawford Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Crawford Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the middle row of the city's five rows of squares, on Houston Street and East McDonough Street, and was laid out in 1841. It is south of Greene Square and east of Colonial Park Cemetery on the eastern edge of the Savannah Historic District. The oldest building on the square is at 224 Houston Street, which dates to 1850.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulaski Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Pulaski Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the fourth row of the city's five rows of squares, on Barnard Street and West Macon Street, and was laid out in 1837. It is south of Orleans Square, west of Madison Square and north of Chatham Square. It is known for its live oaks. The oldest buildings on the square are the Theodosius Bartow House and the Bernard Constantine House, which date to 1839.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Madison Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the fourth row of the city's five rows of squares, on Bull Street and Macon Street, and was laid out in 1837. It is south of Chippewa Square, west of Lafayette Square, north of Monterey Square and east of Pulaski Square. The square is named for James Madison, fourth president of the United States. The oldest building on the square is the Sorrel–Weed House, at 6 West Harris Street, which dates to 1840.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troup Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Troup Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the fourth row of the city's five rows of squares, on Habersham Street and East Macon Street, and was laid out in 1837. It is south of Colonial Park Cemetery, east of Lafayette Square and north of Whitefield Square. The square is named for George Troup, the former Georgia governor, Congressman and senator. It is one of only two Savannah squares named for a person living at the time, the other being Washington Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Square (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Taylor Square, formerly known as Calhoun Square, is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. Laid out in 1851 south of Lafayette Square, west of Whitefield Square, and east of Monterey Square, it is named in honor of the first American Civil War black nurse, educator and memoirist, Susie King Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Marshall Houses</span> Historic house in Savannah, Georgia

The Mary Marshall Houses is a duplex building in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the southwestern civic block of Oglethorpe Square and was built in the 1840s as rental property for Mary Marshall. It is part of the Savannah Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abercorn Street</span> Prominent street in Savannah, Georgia

Abercorn Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Drayton Street to the west and Lincoln Street to the east, it runs for about 7.8 miles (12.6 km) from East Bay Street in the north to Harry S. Truman Parkway in the south. It is concurrent with SR 204 from 37th Street south. The street is named for James Hamilton, 6th Earl of Abercorn, a financial benefactor of the Georgia colony. Its northern section passes through the Savannah Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drayton Street</span> Prominent street in Savannah, Georgia

Drayton Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Bull Street to the west and Abercorn Street to the east, it runs for about 2 miles (3.2 km) from East Bay Street in the north to East Victory Drive in the south. It is named for Ann Drayton, a member of a noted family in Charleston, South Carolina, who had lent four sawyers to assist colonists in building one of the first homes in Savannah. The street is one-way (northbound). Its northern section passes through the Savannah Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlton Street</span> Prominent street in Savannah, Georgia

Charlton Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Harris Street to the north and Jones Street to the south, it runs for about 0.86 miles (1.38 km) from Purse Street in the west to East Broad Street in the east. Originally known only as Charlton Street singular, its addresses are now split between "West Charlton Street" and "East Charlton Street", the transition occurring at Bull Street in the center of the downtown area. The street is named for Thomas Charlton, fifteenth mayor of Savannah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris Street (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Prominent street in Savannah, Georgia

Harris Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Liberty Street to the north and Charlton Street to the south, it runs for about 0.86 miles (1.38 km) from Purse Street in the west to East Broad Street in the east. Originally known only as Gordon Street Harris, its addresses are now split between "West Harris Street" and "East Harris Street," the transition occurring at Bull Street in the center of the downtown area. The street is named for Charles Harris, former mayor of Savannah. The street is entirely within Savannah Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Historic Building Map: Savannah Historic District – Historic Preservation Department of the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (November 17, 2011), p. 51
  2. See Savannah by T.D. Conner (2001), accessed June 14, 2007
  3. Savannah Scene Archived 2008-11-03 at the Wayback Machine magazine, May–June 2007, pp 10–11, accessed June 16, 2007.
  4. City of Savannah's monuments page Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine This page links directly to numerous short entries, many accompanied by photographs, discussing a variety of monuments, memorials, etc., in the squares and elsewhere. Accessed June 16, 2007.
  5. Chan Sieg (1984). The squares: an introduction to Savannah. Virginia Beach: Donning.
  6. Spracher, Luciana M. (2003). Lost Savannah: Photographs from the Collection of the Georgia Historical Society. Arcadia Publishing. p. 30. ISBN   978-0-7385-1487-1.
  7. Porter, Darwin; Prince, Danforth (1998-04-17). Frommer's Portable Charleston & Savannah. Wiley. ISBN   978-0-02-862445-7.