Did You Know? Savannah Facts from 1899 and Prior

1. Savannah was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe as the first capital of Georgia.

2. The First African Baptist Church, established in 1777, is one of the oldest African American congregations in the U.S.

3. In 1733, Savannah welcomed 42 Jewish immigrants, making it home to the oldest Jewish congregation in the South.

4. Button Gwinnett, a Savannah resident, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

5. John Wesley, founder of Methodism, preached in Savannah during the 1730s and established the first Sunday school in America.

6. Savannah’s original layout included 24 squares, designed for public gatherings and defense; 22 squares remain today.

7. The Siege of Savannah in 1779, during the American Revolutionary War, was one of the bloodiest battles of the war.

8. The SS Savannah became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1819.

9. The Savannah Cotton Exchange was established in the mid-19th century, making the city a major cotton trading center.

10. Oglethorpe’s ban on slavery in Savannah lasted until 1750, when it was lifted by the Trustees of Georgia.

11. Christ Church, founded in 1733, is Georgia’s oldest Christian congregation.

12. In 1820, a devastating fire destroyed nearly half of Savannah, but the city was quickly rebuilt.

13. Savannah’s Bonaventure Cemetery, established in 1846, became famous for its beauty and notable burials.

14. Fort Pulaski, completed in 1847, was one of the most advanced coastal forts in the country.

15. The Tybee Island Lighthouse, rebuilt in 1867, is one of the oldest lighthouses in America, originally constructed in 1736.

16. During the Civil War, General William T. Sherman spared Savannah, presenting it to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift in 1864.

17. The Pirates’ House, built in 1753, is one of Savannah’s oldest buildings and was once frequented by sailors and pirates.

18. Savannah’s Independent Presbyterian Church, established in 1755, played a key role in the city’s religious community.

19. Mary Musgrove, a Creek woman, served as an interpreter between Oglethorpe and local Native American tribes in the 1730s.

20. Savannah was the capital of Georgia until 1786, when it was moved to Augusta.

21. The First African Baptist Church served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, with hidden spaces under the floorboards for escaping slaves.

22. The Confederate Powder Works in Savannah was one of the South’s key resources during the Civil War.

23. Bonaventure Cemetery’s most famous statue, known as the Bird Girl, became iconic after being featured on the cover of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

24. General Lafayette visited Savannah in 1825 during his grand tour of the United States.

25. The Savannah Theatre, built in 1818, is one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the U.S.

26. Savannah’s Waving Girl, Florence Martus, began greeting ships with a handkerchief in 1887 and continued until 1931.

27. The Old Sorrel-Weed House, built in 1840, is considered one of the most haunted places in Savannah.

28. Savannah’s City Market, established in the 1700s, was the center of commerce for centuries.

29. The Colonial Park Cemetery, dating back to 1750, contains graves of soldiers from the Revolutionary War.

30. The Savannah River has been a lifeline for the city since its founding, supporting trade and transportation.

31. Savannah’s Oglethorpe Plan is one of the earliest examples of urban planning in America, known for its grid layout and squares.

32. John Wesley’s Chapel, built in the 1730s, was the first place of worship in the city, though it no longer exists today.

33. The Mercer-Williams House, built in 1860, became famous for its connection to the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

34. Savannah’s Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, completed in 1876, is one of the most beautiful examples of Gothic architecture in the South.

35. The Old Harbor Light, built in 1858, helped guide ships safely into Savannah’s port from the Atlantic Ocean.

36. Fort Jackson, completed in 1808, played an important role during the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

37. Wormsloe Plantation, established in the 1730s, is Georgia’s oldest plantation and is still preserved today.

38. Savannah was a major center for rice production during the 18th and early 19th centuries.

39. The Savannah Riverfront has been an important hub for trade and commerce since the city’s founding.

40. Savannah’s gas street lamps, installed in the early 1800s, illuminated the city long before electric lighting was common.

41. Savannah’s squares were originally designed to serve as defensive positions and gathering places.

42. Sherman’s March to the Sea ended with the capture of Savannah in December 1864, but the city was spared from burning.

43. The Owens-Thomas House, built in 1819, is a prime example of English Regency architecture in America.

44. The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1883, was the first public art museum in the South.

45. Savannah’s Laurel Grove Cemetery, opened in 1852, is the final resting place for many prominent African American figures.

46. The Savannah Cotton Exchange Building, completed in 1887, was the center of the city’s thriving cotton trade.

47. Savannah’s Waving Girl greeted over 50,000 ships during her lifetime, earning a place in local folklore.

48. Savannah’s Jewish community, established in 1733, was the largest in the South during the colonial period.

49. Fort Pulaski, captured by Union forces in 1862, marked a turning point in the Civil War with the use of rifled cannon technology.

50. The First Baptist Church of Savannah, founded in 1800, is one of the oldest religious institutions in the city.

51. The Colonial Park Cemetery was closed to new burials in 1853, but it remains one of the city’s most haunted locations.

52. Savannah’s Old Harbor, located along River Street, was once the bustling center of the city’s shipping industry.

53. Savannah’s Riverboat industry thrived in the 19th century, as paddle steamers transported goods along the river.

54. The Savannah Gas Company, established in 1852, was one of the first in the South to provide gas lighting for the city.

55. Fort James Jackson, built in 1808, protected the city during the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

56. Savannah’s Christ Church was the site of Georgia’s first Anglican congregation, established in 1733.

57. Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, was born in Savannah in 1860.

58. Savannah’s Market Square was the city’s main marketplace from its earliest days.

59. The Pulaski Monument, dedicated in 1855, honors the Polish nobleman who fought for American independence during the Revolutionary War.

60. The Wormsloe Family Cemetery dates back to the 1730s and is one of the oldest family graveyards in the region.

61. Savannah’s Riverwalk, once the heart of the city’s port, was transformed into a scenic public promenade.

62. The Savannah Armory, built in 1893, served as a military headquarters during the Spanish-American War.

63. Lafayette Square, established in 1837, was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette.

64. The Old Sorrel-Weed House, built in 1840, has been the subject of many ghost stories and supernatural encounters.

65. The Independent Presbyterian Church was destroyed by fire in 1889 but was rebuilt and still stands today.

66. Savannah’s Old City Hall, completed in 1812, housed the city’s government for much of the 19th century.

67. The Telfair Academy, originally a family mansion, became one of the South’s first public art museums.

68. The Savannah Female Asylum, founded in the early 1800s, provided shelter and education for orphaned girls.

69. Savannah’s Fort Jackson was Georgia’s oldest standing fort, used during the War of 1812.

70. The King-Tisdell Cottage, built in the 1890s, highlights Savannah’s African American heritage.

71. Savannah’s Board of Trade, established in the late 1800s, played a crucial role in the city’s economic development.

72. The Andrew Low House, built in 1848, was the residence of Juliette Gordon Low in her later years.

73. Savannah’s Pulaski Monument was the first monument in the city dedicated