All 24 Savannah Squares

At the top of Abercorn Street is Reynolds Square, originally laid out in 1734 as Lower New Square, but renamed in honor of the Royal Governor John Reynolds.

A stern 1969 statue of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, dominates the center of the square. The British preacher arrived in Savannah, on an invitation from Oglethorpe, to be the new city’s religious leader. He had a troubled time here, becoming romantically involved with a young woman, only to later refuse her communion after their affair came to an end. She brought suit against him, but he escaped to Britain plagued by self-doubt, and never returned to Georgia. The statue strikes an imposing figure, with Wesley forcefully clenching a Bible that looks small in his over-sized, powerful hands.

The northeast trust lot of Reynolds Square is where the colonial filature was found; this is where silk from the experimental Trustees Garden would be spun. The garden’s planters wo
uld spend a lot of time in around the square, and a couple of the buildings reflect that fact. The Planters Inn is a 200-year old hotel on the southwest side of the square and the tavern on the bottom floor of the Pink House is called Planters Tavern.

We walked about Reynolds Square somewhat wistfully. It was the last of Savannah’s 22 squares that we had documented, and although we were relieved to have completed the course, it was a little sad. We’d spent so much time around the squares, trying to capture their individual characteristics; many of them started to grow on us. What’s your favorite Savannah square? Leave a comment, and let us know why.

I was surprised to find that both Juergen and I agreed upon our favorite… can you guess which it is? If you have some time to kill, check out an index of all the squares and links to our posts, here.

Location on our Savannah Map

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Laid out in 1841, Crawford is the only of Savannah’s squares with recreational equipment: a basketball court, won after a 1946 Savannah-wide basketball competition. Found on Houston Street, the square was named after native Savannahian William Harris Crawford, who was Secretary of the Treasury and ran unsuccessfully for President in 1824.

All of the squares in Savannah were fenced in at one time, but only Crawford remains so. It’s also retained its cistern, from the days when Savannah’s fire department kept a station in every square. The fence, the cistern and the basketball court give Crawford a distinctly unique feel to it. Compared to the rest of Savannah’s squares, only Ellis Square is less “standard”. Still, with a gazebo in the center and azaleas that bloom in spring, Crawford definitely manages to charm.

During the days of Jim Crow, when segregation was the law of the land, Crawford was the only square which blacks were allowed to use. It’s a historically black neighborhood, and today a very quiet, peaceful one. But “peaceful” probably isn’t how Crawford was described a few years ago — none other than the fabulous Lady Chablis used to call it home. I doubt anything within a two-mile radius of her could be considered “peaceful”.

Check out our pictures of one of Savannah’s least appreciated, and most unique squares.

Location on our Savannah Map

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May we guide you through Savannah?

On New Year’s Eve, we had the opportunity to meet Alvin Neely, a true Savannahian in every sense of the word. We had been invited to his house for a couple drinks, and were left speechless when we came through the front door. His mansion, so impressive from the outside, was even more amazing once you stepped inside.

Built in 1887 by William G. Preston, the brick mansion just south of Gaston Street boasts complicated interior architecture, rounded arches and turrets. In the 30-odd years he’s owned it, Alvin’s done a excellent job of maintaining and restoring the house’s original elements, and decorating it with artwork and antique furniture. Juergen asked how he went about choosing what art to buy for his home. “Buy? No, this is all stuff I get for free”. He pointed to a beautiful painting of a dancing jester. “The artist gave me this in exchange for a month’s rent”, he said, chuckling about what a great deal that had been.

William G. Preston was also the architect of the late, lamented DeSoto Hotel. Alvin reminisced about that building, which was torn down to make space for the hideous Hilton DeSoto. He got out a book of old images from Savannah, back in the days when the live oaks which now tower over the city’s squares were just saplings. A member of the Historic Savannah Foundation, Alvin recounted some of the battles which he helped fight … the DeSoto was one they lost.

We had a great time hanging out with Alvin and seeing his house. Our time in the city is winding down, and I think one of the memories we’ll always carry is how welcoming and friendly the people of Savannah have been to us. It’s been wonderful.

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