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“Buried History: Savannah’s African American Legacy” shares stories of black Savannahians, highlighting their contributions to Savannah’s history, economy, and culture. “Buried History” will take you to archaeological sites and reveal history that is often forgotten and ignored. Explore publicly available historical sites such as Mother Matilda Beasley's house. Read hidden stories of well known landmarks such as violence in Wright Square during the 1868 presidential election, the Whitefield Square cemetery, and the slave market next to the Customs House. The app also tells stories of persistence and success, such as the Kiah Museum and First Bryan Baptist Church. The tour is available in two digital versions: a walking tour of downtown and a driving tour that takes you beyond downtown.

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The app also tells stories of persistence and success, such as the Kiah Museum and First Bryan Baptist Church. The tour is available in two digital versions: a walking tour of downtown and a driving tour that takes you beyond downtown. 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W Charlton St, Savannah, GA 31401, USA","article_link","

Archaeologists have completed two projects in the Railroad Ward, the neighborhood adjacent to the Central of Georgia Railway repair shops. The first dig was in advance of constructing the Residence Inn by Marriott. Excavations took place only on part of hotel’s footprint, on land owned by Coastal Heritage Society, which also sponsored the dig. The second excavation was one block south. In order to preserve the last two original Railroad Ward houses, Coastal Heritage Society had to move the small white house one lot north, from facing Jones Street to its current location facing West Charlton. Archaeologists examined the two lots at the corner of West Charlton and Purse streets, now containing the white house with green trim and the two-story house facing Purse Street. These houses are currently undergoing historic preservation.

Around 1850, the Railroad Ward, previously colonial garden lots, began to be developed into housing and small commercial buildings. The neighborhood was diverse, with black and white residents holding white and blue collar working class jobs. Some owned their homes, others were renters. A good number of the residents, but not all, worked at the Central of Georgia Railway repair shops. By the early 1900s, the neighborhood had electric streetlights and gas and electric lines were available. However, to take advantage of these modernities, houses had to be remodeled. In reality, many houses got electricity in the 1920s, and the outhouses had plumbing until the late 1930s when it became more common inside the houses. The repair shops closed in 1963, at which point many residents left, and, consequently in the early 1970s, many houses were torn down in the name of urban renewal.

The archaeology helps to round out the picture of life in the Railroad Ward. A silver-plated teaspoon inscribed with “Ho…DeSoto” was originally from the DeSoto hotel, and another tablespoon was engraved with “Morrison’s” for Morrison’s Restaurant, a downtown Savannah eatery in the early 20th century. Were these purchased from surplus? Were they accidentally taken, much as we do with pens today? Or were they deliberately taken as a small act of resistance against an employer perceived as unfair?

Local drug store bottles (Solomon’s and Company and W. M. Mills) as well as national brand medicines were found. Residents might have used Prickly Ash Pokeroot Potassium, “The Great Blood Purifier,” for anything from syphilis to pimples. The makers claimed to cure nearly everything and were eventually shut down after federal court cases in 1918 and 1920. Children were given Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup for colic, teething, and stomach complaints. Later formulations of this medicine reduced, and finally eliminated, morphine and alcohol as ingredients. The neighborhood kids that survived this medicine played with porcelain dolls, miniature tea sets, and marbles. Both children and adults may have played with a die (one from a set of dice). Harmonica and concertina or accordion reeds were found as well.

Few canning jar lids were found, but there were plenty of store purchased products, indicating these urban dwellers were not preserving foods, but simply purchasing from town grocers. Bottle fragments originally containing fruit syrups, two kinds of hot sauce, fig syrup, soda, Gerber baby food, and milk from the Starland Dairy, located at 40th and Bull Street, Savannah, were found. Some residents like to fish, as fish hooks and fish scales were found. Finally, jewelry, a perfume bottle, and an iron straightening comb indicate that residents were just as particular about their appearance as we are today.

Visiting the site:

Coastal Heritage Society owns the last two original Railroad Ward houses, and one house is open for tours.

The rest of the neighborhood's buildings are businesses or private residences, which are not open for historic tours or general visitation unless you are patronizing the businesses.

Sources:
The Other Side of the Tracks: Archaeology in the Railroad Ward, Savannah, Georgia. by Rita Folse Elliott and Daniel T. Elliott Technical Report, Coastal Heritage Society, January 2013. Available here (caution, this is a large file).

","direction_intro","direction_notes","icon_color","#D32F2F","lat",32.07493857,"lng",-81.1008491,[139,140,141,142,143,144,145,146,147,148,149,150],"Archaeologists have completed two projects in the Railroad Ward, the neighborhood adjacent to the Central of Georgia Railway repair shops. The archaeology helps to round out the picture of life in the Railroad Ward. ","orphaned","parking_lat","parking_lng","Archaeologists have completed two projects in the Railroad Ward, the neighborhood adjacent to the Central of Georgia Railway repair shops. The first dig was in advance of constructing the Residence Inn by Marriott. Excavations took place only on part of hotel’s footprint, on land owned by Coastal Heritage Society, which also sponsored the dig. The second excavation was one block south. In order to preserve the last two original Railroad Ward houses, Coastal Heritage Society had to move the small white house one lot north, from facing Jones Street to its current location facing West Charlton. Archaeologists examined the two lots at the corner of West Charlton and Purse streets, now containing the white house with green trim and the two-story house facing Purse Street. These houses are currently undergoing historic preservation. Around 1850, the Railroad Ward, previously colonial garden lots, began to be developed into housing and small commercial buildings. The neighborhood was diverse, with black and white residents holding white and blue collar working class jobs. Some owned their homes, others were renters. A good number of the residents, but not all, worked at the Central of Georgia Railway repair shops. By the early 1900s, the neighborhood had electric streetlights and gas and electric lines were available. However, to take advantage of these modernities, houses had to be remodeled. In reality, many houses got electricity in the 1920s, and the outhouses had plumbing until the late 1930s when it became more common inside the houses. The repair shops closed in 1963, at which point many residents left, and, consequently in the early 1970s, many houses were torn down in the name of urban renewal. The archaeology helps to round out the picture of life in the Railroad Ward. A silver-plated teaspoon inscribed with “Ho…DeSoto” was originally from the DeSoto hotel, and another tablespoon was engraved with “Morrison’s” for Morrison’s Restaurant, a downtown Savannah eatery in the early 20th century. Were these purchased from surplus? Were they accidentally taken, much as we do with pens today? Or were they deliberately taken as a small act of resistance against an employer perceived as unfair?Local drug store bottles (Solomon’s and Company and W. M. Mills) as well as national brand medicines were found. Residents might have used Prickly Ash Pokeroot Potassium, “The Great Blood Purifier,” for anything from syphilis to pimples. The makers claimed to cure nearly everything and were eventually shut down after federal court cases in 1918 and 1920. Children were given Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup for colic, teething, and stomach complaints. Later formulations of this medicine reduced, and finally eliminated, morphine and alcohol as ingredients. The neighborhood kids that survived this medicine played with porcelain dolls, miniature tea sets, and marbles. Both children and adults may have played with a die (one from a set of dice). Harmonica and concertina or accordion reeds were found as well. Few canning jar lids were found, but there were plenty of store purchased products, indicating these urban dwellers were not preserving foods, but simply purchasing from town grocers. Bottle fragments originally containing fruit syrups, two kinds of hot sauce, fig syrup, soda, Gerber baby food, and milk from the Starland Dairy, located at 40th and Bull Street, Savannah, were found. Some residents like to fish, as fish hooks and fish scales were found. Finally, jewelry, a perfume bottle, and an iron straightening comb indicate that residents were just as particular about their appearance as we are today. Visiting the site:Coastal Heritage Society owns the last two original Railroad Ward houses, and one house is open for tours. The rest of the neighborhood's buildings are businesses or private residences, which are not open for historic tours or general visitation unless you are patronizing the businesses. Sources: The Other Side of the Tracks: Archaeology in the Railroad Ward, Savannah, Georgia. by Rita Folse Elliott and Daniel T. Elliott Technical Report, Coastal Heritage Society, January 2013. Available here (caution, this is a large file). 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Directly across Purse Street is the Central of Georgia repair shops, where many Railroad Ward residents worked. The smokestack is visible as well as a small portion of the Machine Shop.","RR_Ward4.jpg",{"_174":191,"_176":192,"_178":193,"_180":194,"_182":195},167,"Railroad Ward ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nvcmo2rwhsy29igiq6cfje0p7ial","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nvcmo2rwhsy29igiq6cfje0p7ial?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nvcmo2rwhsy29igiq6cfje0p7ial?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nvcmo2rwhsy29igiq6cfje0p7ial?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nvcmo2rwhsy29igiq6cfje0p7ial?variant=lqip",154," One of the two original, remaining Railroad Ward homes. This two-story house is still being rehabilitated and is not open for tours.","RR_Ward3.jpg",{"_174":202,"_176":203,"_178":204,"_180":205,"_182":206},169,"Railroad Ward home","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/g10fnu22kpqqrr8utyi145fea40x","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/g10fnu22kpqqrr8utyi145fea40x?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/g10fnu22kpqqrr8utyi145fea40x?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/g10fnu22kpqqrr8utyi145fea40x?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/g10fnu22kpqqrr8utyi145fea40x?variant=lqip",158,9,"From top to bottom: teaspoon, shoe sole fragment, a pocket knife. These were found near the one-story white house. Note the heavy rust and corrosion on the metal artifacts from the wet, acidic soil. ","539Charlton_012__1_.jpg",{"_174":213,"_176":214,"_178":215,"_180":216,"_182":217},173,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yyf28rs5c4q2knq2tp9xl9aa9xuo","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yyf28rs5c4q2knq2tp9xl9aa9xuo?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yyf28rs5c4q2knq2tp9xl9aa9xuo?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yyf28rs5c4q2knq2tp9xl9aa9xuo?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yyf28rs5c4q2knq2tp9xl9aa9xuo?variant=lqip",153,8,"One of the two original, remaining Railroad Ward homes. This is the back of the house that was moved. This home is open for tours. ","RR_Ward5.jpg",{"_174":225,"_176":226,"_178":227,"_180":228,"_182":229},168,"Railroad Ward homes","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2w2s0tnu31fqc8tgoecewq8hb7id","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2w2s0tnu31fqc8tgoecewq8hb7id?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2w2s0tnu31fqc8tgoecewq8hb7id?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2w2s0tnu31fqc8tgoecewq8hb7id?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2w2s0tnu31fqc8tgoecewq8hb7id?variant=lqip",151,7,"One of the two original, remaining Railroad Ward homes. This home was moved from the lot directly behind it in order to preserve it. Archaeology was completed on the new lot prior to the house's moving.","RR_Ward2.jpg",{"_174":237,"_176":238,"_178":239,"_180":240,"_182":241},166,"Railroad Ward houses","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/psukwf2a3eewajdndhoukqto0l66","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/psukwf2a3eewajdndhoukqto0l66?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/psukwf2a3eewajdndhoukqto0l66?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/psukwf2a3eewajdndhoukqto0l66?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/psukwf2a3eewajdndhoukqto0l66?variant=lqip",155,6,"These artifacts, from children's miniature tea sets, were found where the hotels are now (corner of West Harris and Purse streets). ",1350,"IMG_2825__1_.jpg",{"_174":251,"_176":252,"_178":253,"_180":254,"_182":255},170,270,675,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ednvbsn163rmnb06t070afo2ocby","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ednvbsn163rmnb06t070afo2ocby?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ednvbsn163rmnb06t070afo2ocby?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ednvbsn163rmnb06t070afo2ocby?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ednvbsn163rmnb06t070afo2ocby?variant=lqip",159,5,"A large privy (outdoor toilet) excavated in 2006 before the construction of the hotel at the corner of West Harris and Purse streets. Privies can be valuable sources of information for several reasons. First, items that fall in, stay in (for obvious reasons), and therefore, privies are rich in artifacts. Second, the soils in a privy can be tested for parasites and other diseases, therefore, we can learn much about the health of residents. ","IMG_0630_yes.JPG",{"_174":263,"_176":264,"_178":265,"_180":266,"_182":267},174,"Railroad Ward archaeology","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/99x11s3sh04woqbj05q9436ek8se","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/99x11s3sh04woqbj05q9436ek8se?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/99x11s3sh04woqbj05q9436ek8se?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/99x11s3sh04woqbj05q9436ek8se?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/99x11s3sh04woqbj05q9436ek8se?variant=lqip",160,4,"A buckle (top) and a straightening comb (bottom) are some of the many personal artifacts found before the hotel was constructed at West Harris and Purse streets. Lack of an archaeological ordinance in Savannah means that archaeological sites, and the information they contain, are destroyed when projects like these are undertaken. ","IMG_2833__1_.jpg",{"_174":274,"_176":275,"_178":276,"_180":277,"_182":278},175,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/pnf0l6sh0xmoicosizw02n3ufgcq","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/pnf0l6sh0xmoicosizw02n3ufgcq?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/pnf0l6sh0xmoicosizw02n3ufgcq?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/pnf0l6sh0xmoicosizw02n3ufgcq?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/pnf0l6sh0xmoicosizw02n3ufgcq?variant=lqip",150,3,"Archaeology was completed before some of these hotels were built, but not most. The closer hotel buildings were designed to look something like the older Railroad Ward buildings, but are grossly out of scale from the originals. The hotel to the far left is more typical of today's hotel structures. ","RR_Ward.jpg",{"_174":286,"_176":287,"_178":288,"_180":289,"_182":290},165,"Railroad Ward hotels","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3qvnxc3zle4gkqssd5sletit9p7t","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3qvnxc3zle4gkqssd5sletit9p7t?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3qvnxc3zle4gkqssd5sletit9p7t?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3qvnxc3zle4gkqssd5sletit9p7t?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3qvnxc3zle4gkqssd5sletit9p7t?variant=lqip",145,2,"Close-up of the 1888 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of the Railroad Ward and Central of Georgia rail shops. ","RR_Ward_Sanborn2.png",{"_174":297,"_176":298,"_178":299,"_180":300,"_182":301},"Sanborn Fire Insurance map","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4oqzmzj1do5ig41dlm2sfj7q53co","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4oqzmzj1do5ig41dlm2sfj7q53co?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4oqzmzj1do5ig41dlm2sfj7q53co?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4oqzmzj1do5ig41dlm2sfj7q53co?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4oqzmzj1do5ig41dlm2sfj7q53co?variant=lqip",144,"RR_Ward_Sanborn.png",{"_174":305,"_176":306,"_178":307,"_180":137,"_182":308},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q4nplrjazvbig2zibzuug01suecq","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q4nplrjazvbig2zibzuug01suecq?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q4nplrjazvbig2zibzuug01suecq?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q4nplrjazvbig2zibzuug01suecq?variant=lqip",71,"r-m-gilbert-civil-rights-museum","R. M. Gilbert Civil Rights Museum",{"_35":106,"_65":125,"_74":128},15,{"_35":351,"_65":352,"_74":353},"460 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Savannah ","

Reverend Ralph Mark Gilbert, First African Baptist Church pastor from 1939 to 1956, was a civil rights advocate who focused on voting rights and equal teacher pay. As the Citizens Democratic Club president, he lead black voter drives that resulted in more liberal city officials. These officials hired the city’s first black policemen in 1947, one of the first cities in the South to do so. He authored passion plays produced in the city auditorium and reorganized the local, youth, and state NAACP chapters. Over forty NAACP chapters were started in Georgia under his leadership. Rev. Gilbert recommended W.W. Law as the local NAACP chapter president, organized the West Broad Street YMCA by purchasing the building from the USO for $50, and helped establish the Greenbriar Orphanage in Carver Village, which is today the Greenbriar Children’s Center.

The Civil Rights museum is named after Reverend Gilbert because he is considered the father of Savannah’s modern civil rights movement. W.W. Law was instrumental in raising the funds for the museum, choosing the former Wage Earners Savings and Loan Bank as the museum’s site. Built in 1914, this African American bank later housed Guaranty Insurance Company and Savannah’s NAACP offices. Walter Sanford Scott, the insurance company’s president, was a local black millionaire. The museum opened in 1996 and was designated \"Georgia's Official Civil Rights Museum” in 2009.

The museum has three floors with exhibits. There are several staircases, and the exhibits wind around, so make sure you see it all. There is an introductory video shown at the top and bottom of each hour.

Visiting the Site:
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm

Sources:
\"Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum.\" New Georgia Encyclopedia. by Charles J. Elmore. Link to full article here.

",32.0720779,-81.0999968,[329,330],"Reverend Ralph Mark Gilbert, First African Baptist Church pastor from 1939 to 1956, was a civil rights advocate who focused on voting rights and equal teacher pay. The Civil Rights museum is named after Reverend Gilbert because he is considered the father of Savannah’s modern civil rights movement. ","Reverend Ralph Mark Gilbert, First African Baptist Church pastor from 1939 to 1956, was a civil rights advocate who focused on voting rights and equal teacher pay. As the Citizens Democratic Club president, he lead black voter drives that resulted in more liberal city officials. These officials hired the city’s first black policemen in 1947, one of the first cities in the South to do so. He authored passion plays produced in the city auditorium and reorganized the local, youth, and state NAACP chapters. Over forty NAACP chapters were started in Georgia under his leadership. Rev. Gilbert recommended W. W. Law as the local NAACP chapter president, organized the West Broad Street YMCA by purchasing the building from the USO for $50, and helped establish the Greenbriar Orphanage in Carver Village, which is today the Greenbriar Children’s Center. The Civil Rights museum is named after Reverend Gilbert because he is considered the father of Savannah’s modern civil rights movement. W. W. Law was instrumental in raising the funds for the museum, choosing the former Wage Earners Savings and Loan Bank as the museum’s site. Built in 1914, this African American bank later housed Guaranty Insurance Company and Savannah’s NAACP offices. Walter Sanford Scott, the insurance company’s president, was a local black millionaire. The museum opened in 1996 and was designated \"Georgia's Official Civil Rights Museum” in 2009. The museum has three floors with exhibits. There are several staircases, and the exhibits wind around, so make sure you see it all. There is an introductory video shown at the top and bottom of each hour. Visiting the Site:Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pmSources:\"Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum.\" New Georgia Encyclopedia. by Charles J. Elmore. Link to full article here.",[328,310],{"_74":325,"_134":326,"_136":327},[],"Civil Rights Museum","The Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, front facade. Please note, photography is not permitted in the museum.","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rmiz7jw9t4hqahygc8kslzzuxj5v?variant=desktop","ralph-mark-gilbert-civil-rights-museum",{"_105":343,"_102":24,"_134":326,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":344,"_161":345,"_35":346,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":344,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":325,"_173":158},{"_105":331,"_102":24,"_134":332,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":334,"_161":335,"_35":151,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":334,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":325,"_173":158},143,"Evidence of the building's earlier purpose as the Guaranty Life Insurance Company. This is not the main entrance today. Follow the signs to the left to enter the museum.",1125,"civil_rights_2.jpg",{"_174":338,"_176":339,"_178":340,"_180":341,"_182":342},225,563,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1ktbtgi05sc2udjj82116vpu1wkq","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1ktbtgi05sc2udjj82116vpu1wkq?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1ktbtgi05sc2udjj82116vpu1wkq?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1ktbtgi05sc2udjj82116vpu1wkq?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1ktbtgi05sc2udjj82116vpu1wkq?variant=lqip",142,"civil_rights.jpg",{"_174":347,"_176":348,"_178":349,"_180":327,"_182":350},156,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rmiz7jw9t4hqahygc8kslzzuxj5v","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rmiz7jw9t4hqahygc8kslzzuxj5v?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rmiz7jw9t4hqahygc8kslzzuxj5v?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rmiz7jw9t4hqahygc8kslzzuxj5v?variant=lqip",70,"king-tisdell-cottage-museum","King-Tisdell Cottage Museum",{"_35":309,"_65":310,"_74":311},14,{"_35":416,"_65":18,"_74":417},"514 E Huntingdon St, Savannah, GA 31401","

The King-Tisdell Cottage Museum is named after Sarah and Eugene King, African American entrepreneurs in the early 20th century, and Robert Tisdell, Sarah’s second husband. The Victorian-style cottage home was built in 1896 on Ott Street. The King family purchased the home in 1925. Sarah operated confectionary from her home. After Sarah’s first husband Eugene died of a heart attack at age forty, she married Robert Tisdell, a longshoreman. Sarah died less than two years later. Twenty years after Sarah’s death, Robert married Alma, who was the house’s last owner before it was transformed into a museum.

W.W. Law, iconic civil rights activist and historic preservationist, relocated the home to its current lot on East Huntingdon Street and created the museum. Opened on July 26, 1981, the King-Tisdell Cottage Museum is Savannah’s first black history museum and only African American historic house museum. After 33 years, the museum underwent a renovation, reopening July 26, 2014. While the house, and five other homes, were removed from Ott Street, and therefore fortunately saved, this also means the house was divorced from its associated archaeology site. Frequently, structures that have been moved are not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for this reason. The King-Tisdell cottage’s relocation was done in the best possible way, since it was relocated to a comparable neighborhood, but still prevents further investigation of the King-Tisdell family and their neighbors via archaeology.

Visiting the Site:
Tuesday-Saturday: 12pm-5pm, Sunday-Monday: Closed
Buy tickets online.

Sources:
King-Tisdell Cottage Museum Reopening in Savannah after Renovations. by Karson Brandenburg, Savannah Morning News July 14, 2014. Available online.

King-Tisdell Cottage Reopens After Transformation. Savannah Podcast. Listen to the whole podcast here (about 20 minutes).

",32.0676174,-81.0894998,[371,372,373,374],"The King-Tisdell Cottage Museum is named after Sarah and Eugene King, African American entrepreneurs in the early 20th century, and Robert Tisdell, Sarah’s second husband. W.W. Law, iconic civil rights activist and historic preservationist, relocated the home to its current lot on East Huntingdon Street and created the museum. ","The King-Tisdell Cottage Museum is named after Sarah and Eugene King, African American entrepreneurs in the early 20th century, and Robert Tisdell, Sarah’s second husband. The Victorian-style cottage home was built in 1896 on Ott Street. The King family purchased the home in 1925. Sarah operated confectionary from her home. After Sarah’s first husband Eugene died of a heart attack at age forty, she married Robert Tisdell, a longshoreman. Sarah died less than two years later. Twenty years after Sarah’s death, Robert married Alma, who was the house’s last owner before it was transformed into a museum. W. W. Law, iconic civil rights activist and historic preservationist, relocated the home to its current lot on East Huntingdon Street and created the museum. Opened on July 26, 1981, the King-Tisdell Cottage Museum is Savannah’s first black history museum and only African American historic house museum. After 33 years, the museum underwent a renovation, reopening July 26, 2014. While the house, and five other homes, were removed from Ott Street, and therefore fortunately saved, this also means the house was divorced from its associated archaeology site. Frequently, structures that have been moved are not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for this reason. The King-Tisdell cottage’s relocation was done in the best possible way, since it was relocated to a comparable neighborhood, but still prevents further investigation of the King-Tisdell family and their neighbors via archaeology. Visiting the Site: Tuesday-Saturday: 12pm-5pm, Sunday-Monday: ClosedBuy tickets online. Sources: King-Tisdell Cottage Museum Reopening in Savannah after Renovations. by Karson Brandenburg, Savannah Morning News July 14, 2014. Available online. King-Tisdell Cottage Reopens After Transformation. Savannah Podcast. Listen to the whole podcast here (about 20 minutes).",[370,352],{"_74":367,"_134":368,"_136":369},[],"King-Tisdell Cottage","This side view of the King-Tisdell Cottage really highlights the house's intricate Victorian woodwork. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2j1s2m3xu0ujq63jn1x6goxxal2l?variant=desktop","king-tisdell-cottage",{"_105":409,"_102":24,"_134":368,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":410,"_161":411,"_35":242,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":410,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":367,"_173":158},{"_105":394,"_102":292,"_134":395,"_154":396,"_156":397,"_157":398,"_159":399,"_161":400,"_35":279,"_164":257,"_165":166,"_167":399,"_168":401,"_170":402,"_74":403,"_173":398},{"_105":385,"_102":280,"_134":386,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":387,"_161":388,"_35":230,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":387,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":367,"_173":158},{"_105":375,"_102":269,"_134":376,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":377,"_161":378,"_35":196,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":377,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":379,"_173":158},140,"The King-Tisdell House is the only African American historic house museum in Savannah. ","KT_House_lg_2.jpg",{"_174":380,"_176":381,"_178":382,"_180":383,"_182":384},"King-Tisdell House","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/m2mwfk3v541cesoluz1r187q1j0c","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/m2mwfk3v541cesoluz1r187q1j0c?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/m2mwfk3v541cesoluz1r187q1j0c?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/m2mwfk3v541cesoluz1r187q1j0c?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/m2mwfk3v541cesoluz1r187q1j0c?variant=lqip",137,"W.W. Law stands in front of the King-Tisdell Cottage, the house museum he helped found and preserve. Image from the New Georgia Encyclopedia.","KT_WWLaw.jpg",{"_174":389,"_176":390,"_178":391,"_180":392,"_182":393},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dbgyxu1c1i6b1b86zsa9zidflto6","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dbgyxu1c1i6b1b86zsa9zidflto6?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dbgyxu1c1i6b1b86zsa9zidflto6?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dbgyxu1c1i6b1b86zsa9zidflto6?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dbgyxu1c1i6b1b86zsa9zidflto6?variant=lqip",136,"The historic King-Tisdell Cottage dates back to the 1890s. Take a journey to a time oft-forgotten in this historic house where the preservation of Savannah's African-American culture started. At this historic cottage, visitors can view historic maps of black neighborhoods during the Jim Crow era in Savannah.",480,"//www.youtube.com/embed/Dd_QxCXtVqw","Dd_QxCXtVqw","Dd_QxCXtVqw.jpg",{"_174":404,"_176":405,"_178":406,"_180":407,"_182":408},"youtube",400,"Savannah's First Black History Museum","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2lgu18hwe6tjlin66bqnojkmze5a","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2lgu18hwe6tjlin66bqnojkmze5a?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2lgu18hwe6tjlin66bqnojkmze5a?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2lgu18hwe6tjlin66bqnojkmze5a?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2lgu18hwe6tjlin66bqnojkmze5a?variant=lqip",141,"KT_House_lg.jpg",{"_174":412,"_176":413,"_178":414,"_180":369,"_182":415},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2j1s2m3xu0ujq63jn1x6goxxal2l","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2j1s2m3xu0ujq63jn1x6goxxal2l?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2j1s2m3xu0ujq63jn1x6goxxal2l?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2j1s2m3xu0ujq63jn1x6goxxal2l?variant=lqip",69,"Mother Beasley Park",{"_35":351,"_65":352,"_74":353},13,{"_35":457,"_65":458,"_74":459},"606 E Broad St, Savannah, GA 31401, USA","

New Orleans native Mother Matilda Beasley (1833-1903) was born into slavery to a Native American father and Creole mother. Very little else is known about her early life until she moved to Savannah and taught at a clandestine school in the 1850s. On February 9, 1869, she married Abraham Beasley, an entrepreneur who owned a restaurant, a saloon, a grocery and was a slave dealer. The couple lived at 48 Harris Street and ran The Green Grocer. They were fairly prosperous, owning property in Savannah as well as on Isle of Hope and Skidaway Island. Abraham died in 1877, leaving Matilda with a substantial inheritance that she gave to the Catholic church to start an orphanage for African American children. Being an orphan herself, Matilda’s motivation was clear.

Matilda traveled to York, England, to become a Franciscan nun because it was illegal for her to become a nun in America. After returning to Savannah, she founded the Colored Orphan Asylum in 1887 at 32nd and Habersham streets, Sacred Heart Catholic church’s original location. The orphanage, later called Saint Francis Home, was a challenge. It was never in a good financial situation, and the girls started fires that destroyed property. The orphanage moved to Saint Benedict’s Church on East Broad in the late 1890s and operated into the 1940s. While operating the orphanage, Mother Matilda started the Third Order of Saint Francis, Georgia's first African American group of nuns, and by 1896 she had five nuns in the order. Later in her life, she moved to a cottage on Price Street and took in sewing jobs to make money for the poor, continuing her life-long work. On December 20, 1903, Mother Matilda was found dead in the chapel of her home, in a praying position with her burial clothes and last wishes nearby.

In 1982, the City of Savannah named a park after her; later, the City of Savannah declared February 24, 2002, Mother Matilda Beasley Day. Her house at 1511 Price Street was moved 20 blocks to the Park in 2013 and renovated the next year. The Georgia Historical Society owns two possible photographs of Mother Beasley. This Atlanta Journal Constitution article discusses how little is known about Mother Beasley. Be sure to click on the photographs' blue circles to see which one might actually be her.

Visiting her house:
Wednesday from 11 AM to 2 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM.
The park is open daylight hours.

Sources:

Savannah’s Black First Ladies, Volume 1. by Pamela Howard-Oglesby and Brenda L. Roberts. Outskirts Press, Inc. Denver, Co., 2010\t
Mother Matilda Beasley: The Mystery of Georgia’s First Black Nun. Atlanta Journal Constitution, Feb. 18, 2018. by Tia Mitchell online.
Savannah’s Mother Mathilda Beasley House under renovation. by Marcus E. Howard. Savannah Morning News Aug 10, 2014. Available online.
Mother Mathilda Beasely’s home to be moved. by Jan Skutch Savannah Morning News Aug. 2, 2013. Available online.
Mother Mathilda Beasley House Project. Savannah Tribune. July 31, 2013. Available online.

","Mother Beasley's house is located at the park's north end, along East Broad Street, but down slope and not very visible from the street. The park itself contains sports fields, playgrounds, and a picnic pavilion that is available for rent.",32.06719526,-81.08730139,[436,437],"New Orleans native Mother Matilda Beasley (1833-1903) was born into slavery to a Native American father and Creole mother. Very little else is known about her early life until she moved to Savannah and taught at a clandestine school in the 1850s. ","New Orleans native Mother Matilda Beasley (1833-1903) was born into slavery to a Native American father and Creole mother. Very little else is known about her early life until she moved to Savannah and taught at a clandestine school in the 1850s. On February 9, 1869, she married Abraham Beasley, an entrepreneur who owned a restaurant, a saloon, a grocery and was a slave dealer. The couple lived at 48 Harris Street and ran The Green Grocer. They were fairly prosperous, owning property in Savannah as well as on Isle of Hope and Skidaway Island. Abraham died in 1877, leaving Matilda with a substantial inheritance that she gave to the Catholic church to start an orphanage for African American children. Being an orphan herself, Matilda’s motivation was clear. Matilda traveled to York, England, to become a Franciscan nun because it was illegal for her to become a nun in America. After returning to Savannah, she founded the Colored Orphan Asylum in 1887 at 32nd and Habersham streets, Sacred Heart Catholic church’s original location. The orphanage, later called Saint Francis Home, was a challenge. It was never in a good financial situation, and the girls started fires that destroyed property. The orphanage moved to Saint Benedict’s Church on East Broad in the late 1890s and operated into the 1940s. While operating the orphanage, Mother Matilda started the Third Order of Saint Francis, Georgia's first African American group of nuns, and by 1896 she had five nuns in the order. Later in her life, she moved to a cottage on Price Street and took in sewing jobs to make money for the poor, continuing her life-long work. On December 20, 1903, Mother Matilda was found dead in the chapel of her home, in a praying position with her burial clothes and last wishes nearby. In 1982, the City of Savannah named a park after her; later, the City of Savannah declared February 24, 2002, Mother Matilda Beasley Day. Her house at 1511 Price Street was moved 20 blocks to the Park in 2013 and renovated the next year. The Georgia Historical Society owns two possible photographs of Mother Beasley. This Atlanta Journal Constitution article discusses how little is known about Mother Beasley. Be sure to click on the photographs' blue circles to see which one might actually be her. Visiting her house:Wednesday from 11 AM to 2 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM. The park is open daylight hours. Sources: Savannah’s Black First Ladies, Volume 1. by Pamela Howard-Oglesby and Brenda L. Roberts. Outskirts Press, Inc. Denver, Co., 2010\tMother Matilda Beasley: The Mystery of Georgia’s First Black Nun. Atlanta Journal Constitution, Feb. 18, 2018. by Tia Mitchell online. Savannah’s Mother Mathilda Beasley House under renovation. by Marcus E. Howard. Savannah Morning News Aug 10, 2014. Available online. Mother Mathilda Beasely’s home to be moved. by Jan Skutch Savannah Morning News Aug. 2, 2013. Available online. Mother Mathilda Beasley House Project. Savannah Tribune. July 31, 2013. Available online.",[435,18],{"_74":432,"_134":433,"_136":434},[],"Mother Matilda Beasley's house","Mother Beasley's house was moved from nearby Price Street to preserve it. The house open the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays for a few hours. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5e9vcx6vbn4qxj02hyzjhsu7o8b?variant=desktop","mother-matilda-beasley-park",{"_105":449,"_102":24,"_134":433,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":450,"_161":451,"_35":452,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":450,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":432,"_173":158},{"_105":438,"_102":292,"_134":439,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":440,"_161":441,"_35":442,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":440,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":443,"_173":158},134,"One of two playgrounds at the park with athletic fields in the background.","Matilda.jpg",{"_174":444,"_176":445,"_178":446,"_180":447,"_182":448},148,"Mother Matilda Beasley Park","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vhzbm72dimgxi1jy1pe0k5k0v25b","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vhzbm72dimgxi1jy1pe0k5k0v25b?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vhzbm72dimgxi1jy1pe0k5k0v25b?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vhzbm72dimgxi1jy1pe0k5k0v25b?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vhzbm72dimgxi1jy1pe0k5k0v25b?variant=lqip",135,"Matilda2.jpg",{"_174":453,"_176":454,"_178":455,"_180":434,"_182":456},149,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5e9vcx6vbn4qxj02hyzjhsu7o8b","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5e9vcx6vbn4qxj02hyzjhsu7o8b?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5e9vcx6vbn4qxj02hyzjhsu7o8b?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5e9vcx6vbn4qxj02hyzjhsu7o8b?variant=lqip",68,"whitefield-square-cemetery","Whitefield Square Cemetery",{"_35":416,"_65":18,"_74":417},{"_35":518,"_65":519,"_74":520},"Whitefield Square","

Whitefield Square was not laid out until 1853, in fact, it was the last square designated in the historic district. Prior to this, some researchers believe this square had been allocated several times as a burial ground for people of color. This burial ground is first referenced in a General Assembly Act dated April 7, 1763, which stated, “two hundred feet square, on the Common, towards the five Acre lots, for the convenience of a burial ground for negroes, was directed to be laid out.” A July 29, 1789, ordinance again designates this space as, “a space of ground to be used as the burial place for people of colour, for preventing the bodies of people of colour from being buried on any part of the city Common or parts adjoining except within the limits of the said space of ground.” The ordinance was specifically trying to address a problem of Africans being buried outside of designated burial areas. However, the problem persisted. “An Ordinance for appropriating a space of Ground as a Burial place for persons of color” was read for the third time and passed at the June 28, 1813, Savannah City Council meeting. Researchers have concluded that the burial ground was in use between 1813 and 1853, when the city officially closed it. By 1850, city cemeteries were overcrowded, so Laurel Grove Cemetery and Bonaventure Cemetery were created. Bodies, including Reverend Andrew Bryan of First Bryan Baptist church and Reverend Henry Cunningham of Second African Baptist Church were exhumed and reburied in Laurel Grove South.

 In 2010, archaeology was conducted in Whitefield Square on a project unrelated to the burial ground. Savannah Under Fire was a project to discover portions of the Revolutionary War battlefield that arcs through Savannah’s downtown historic district. Archaeologists used a ground penetrating radar survey, and two shovel test pits were excavated. The ground penetrating radar survey indicated many modern utilities running under the square, and no archaeological features were identified. No graves were noted, however, researchers were not looking for graves either. The shovel test pits recovered artifacts from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries including a ginger beer bottle fragment, glass bottle fragments, nails, and a glass marble.

However, Calhoun Square, one square west of Whitefield, is another potential candidate for the burial ground. The Savannah Morning News reported in December of 1927 that coffins containing skeletons were found in Gordon Lane, just south of Calhoun Square. In 2004, workers digging in Calhoun Square discovered a skull was discovered. Savannah Under Fire archaeologists also conducted research in Calhoun Square, using ground penetrating radar and digging shovel test pits. The results were very similar to Whitefield square, no evidence of the Revolutionary War nor a graveyard was found.

Visiting the site:
Savannah’s squares are public space and always open.

Sources:

Historical Markers and African American Heritage in Savannah, by Candace McNeal, et al., Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History 3, no. 2 (April 2013).
Savannah Under Fire, 1779: Expanding the Boundaries. by Rita Folse Elliott and Daniel T. Elliott, with contributions by Laura E. Seifert. Prepared for the National Park Service. Grant Agreement No. 2255-09-004, Coastal Heritage Society. November 2011. Available for download here, caution, this is a large file.
Haunted Savannah by James Caskey, Bonaventure Books, Savannah, 2005

",32.0702236,-81.090556,[475,476,477,478],"Prior to 1853, this area had been allocated several times as a burial ground for people of color. This burial ground is first referenced in a General Assembly Act dated April 7, 1763, which stated, “two hundred feet square, on the Common, towards the five Acre lots, for the convenience of a burial ground for negroes, was directed to be laid out.” ","Whitefield Square was not laid out until 1853, in fact, it was the last square designated in the historic district. Prior to this, some researchers believe this square had been allocated several times as a burial ground for people of color. This burial ground is first referenced in a General Assembly Act dated April 7, 1763, which stated, “two hundred feet square, on the Common, towards the five Acre lots, for the convenience of a burial ground for negroes, was directed to be laid out.” A July 29, 1789, ordinance again designates this space as, “a space of ground to be used as the burial place for people of colour, for preventing the bodies of people of colour from being buried on any part of the city Common or parts adjoining except within the limits of the said space of ground.” The ordinance was specifically trying to address a problem of Africans being buried outside of designated burial areas. However, the problem persisted. “An Ordinance for appropriating a space of Ground as a Burial place for persons of color” was read for the third time and passed at the June 28, 1813, Savannah City Council meeting. Researchers have concluded that the burial ground was in use between 1813 and 1853, when the city officially closed it. By 1850, city cemeteries were overcrowded, so Laurel Grove Cemetery and Bonaventure Cemetery were created. Bodies, including Reverend Andrew Bryan of First Bryan Baptist church and Reverend Henry Cunningham of Second African Baptist Church were exhumed and reburied in Laurel Grove South. In 2010, archaeology was conducted in Whitefield Square on a project unrelated to the burial ground. Savannah Under Fire was a project to discover portions of the Revolutionary War battlefield that arcs through Savannah’s downtown historic district. Archaeologists used a ground penetrating radar survey, and two shovel test pits were excavated. The ground penetrating radar survey indicated many modern utilities running under the square, and no archaeological features were identified. No graves were noted, however, researchers were not looking for graves either. The shovel test pits recovered artifacts from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries including a ginger beer bottle fragment, glass bottle fragments, nails, and a glass marble. However, Calhoun Square, one square west of Whitefield, is another potential candidate for the burial ground. The Savannah Morning News reported in December of 1927 that coffins containing skeletons were found in Gordon Lane, just south of Calhoun Square. In 2004, workers digging in Calhoun Square discovered a skull was discovered. Savannah Under Fire archaeologists also conducted research in Calhoun Square, using ground penetrating radar and digging shovel test pits. The results were very similar to Whitefield square, no evidence of the Revolutionary War nor a graveyard was found. Visiting the site: Savannah’s squares are public space and always open. Sources: Historical Markers and African American Heritage in Savannah, by Candace McNeal, et al., Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History 3, no. 2 (April 2013).Savannah Under Fire, 1779: Expanding the Boundaries. by Rita Folse Elliott and Daniel T. Elliott, with contributions by Laura E. Seifert. Prepared for the National Park Service. Grant Agreement No. 2255-09-004, Coastal Heritage Society. November 2011. Available for download here, caution, this is a large file. Haunted Savannah by James Caskey, Bonaventure Books, Savannah, 2005",[474,458],{"_74":462,"_134":472,"_136":473},[],"The Whitefield Square gazebo is a popular spot for weddings. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jhsb783mgpwq4w6bir3ct3mkjdsv?variant=desktop","whitefield-square",{"_105":510,"_102":24,"_134":472,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":511,"_161":512,"_35":513,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":511,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":462,"_173":158},{"_105":500,"_102":292,"_134":501,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":502,"_161":503,"_35":504,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":502,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":462,"_173":158},{"_105":490,"_102":280,"_134":491,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":492,"_161":493,"_35":494,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":492,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":484,"_173":158},{"_105":479,"_102":269,"_134":480,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":481,"_161":482,"_35":483,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":481,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":484,"_173":158},299,"Archaeologists dig a shovel test pit in Whitefield Square. All soil excavated goes through the small screen to capture artifacts. ","NPS2_WS_035.jpg",{"_174":485,"_176":486,"_178":487,"_180":488,"_182":489},308,"Whitefield Square archaeology","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ohojfwtwzq2x87x5ahmkab6i3jjg","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ohojfwtwzq2x87x5ahmkab6i3jjg?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ohojfwtwzq2x87x5ahmkab6i3jjg?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ohojfwtwzq2x87x5ahmkab6i3jjg?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ohojfwtwzq2x87x5ahmkab6i3jjg?variant=lqip",298,"Archaeologist Dan Elliott discusses the project with volunteers while working on the ground penetrating radar survey. ","NPS2_WS_019.jpg",{"_174":495,"_176":496,"_178":497,"_180":498,"_182":499},307,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hcna29k0hnvyfqa3s8vgkpl1af28","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hcna29k0hnvyfqa3s8vgkpl1af28?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hcna29k0hnvyfqa3s8vgkpl1af28?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hcna29k0hnvyfqa3s8vgkpl1af28?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hcna29k0hnvyfqa3s8vgkpl1af28?variant=lqip",133,"Overall view of Whitefield Square, facing south. No traces of the cemetery have been found, either on the surface or archaeologically. ","Whitefield.jpg",{"_174":505,"_176":506,"_178":507,"_180":508,"_182":509},147,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w8dchy1bmceylqnizmum6bpo7zut","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w8dchy1bmceylqnizmum6bpo7zut?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w8dchy1bmceylqnizmum6bpo7zut?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w8dchy1bmceylqnizmum6bpo7zut?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w8dchy1bmceylqnizmum6bpo7zut?variant=lqip",132,"Whitefield2.jpg",{"_174":514,"_176":515,"_178":516,"_180":473,"_182":517},146,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jhsb783mgpwq4w6bir3ct3mkjdsv","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jhsb783mgpwq4w6bir3ct3mkjdsv?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jhsb783mgpwq4w6bir3ct3mkjdsv?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jhsb783mgpwq4w6bir3ct3mkjdsv?variant=lqip",67,"the-beach-institute","The Beach Institute",{"_35":457,"_65":458,"_74":459},{"_35":554,"_65":555,"_74":556},"502 E. Harris St., Savannah, GA 31401","

Immediately following the Civil War, Freedmen formed the Savannah Education Association and began opening schools to supply the intense demand for education. The Beach Institute was an independent school open from 1867 to 1919. The American Missionary Association founded the school, funded by Scientific American editor Alfred E. Beach, who gave $13,000, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and donations from citizens. The Beach Institute replaced Sturtevant Hall, a one-story, all-purpose classroom, teacher’s living area, and chapel. The new building was two stories with a raised basement, featuring eight classrooms. A teachers home was also shortly built on the property, opening on Thanksgiving Day in 1867.

The opening enrollment was 600 students, with a mostly white staff. The Beach Institute charged $1 monthly tuition until becoming a free public school in 1874 after two years of negotiation with the public Board of Education. The public schools rented the building for $600 per year until a February 20, 1878, fire causing $7,775 in damage temporarily closed the building. The public school temporarily moved to Fair Lawn plantation. The fire was considered suspicious, but no charges were ever brought. Suspicious fires were not uncommon at Freepeople schools across the South. African American education posed a real threat to white supremacy, and violence against teachers, students, and the school buildings themselves was disturbingly frequent.

The American Missionary Association rebuilt and expanded the school, which now faced Price Street, and reopened the school in 1879. A second suspicious fire in 1909 also temporarily closed the school. After the American Missionary Association closed the school in 1919, it was operated briefly as a nautical school then reopened as a continuation school from 1922-1928. The building stood vacant for several years, but the Savannah Board of Education bought the property for $5,000 and opened the Harris Street School, which operated from 1939 until 1960. Later several education groups worked from the building including Harris Vocational Trade School, Harris Reading Center, Harris Adult Education Center, and Beach Institute Alternative High School as well as operating as the Board of Education central office annex in the 1970s. Today, the Beach Institute is a cultural center and museum open to the public.

Visiting the Site:
Tuesday-Saturday: 12pm-5pm, Sunday to Monday: Closed
Buy tickets online here.

Sources:

The Beach Institute website
Second Class Students: The First Public School Buildings for African Americans in Savannah 1872-1914. by Penny Clark Johnson A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Architectural History Department in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Architectural History at Savannah College of Art and Design. 2016
Self-taught: African American Education in Slavery and Freedom. by Heather Andrea Williams University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. 2005

",32.0726661,-81.0883573,[536,537],"The Beach Institute was an independent school open from 1867 to 1919. The American Missionary Association founded the school, funded by Scientific American editor Alfred E. Beach, who gave $13,000, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and donations from citizens. ","Immediately following the Civil War, Freedmen formed the Savannah Education Association and began opening schools to supply the intense demand for education. The Beach Institute was an independent school open from 1867 to 1919. The American Missionary Association founded the school, funded by Scientific American editor Alfred E. Beach, who gave $13,000, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and donations from citizens. The Beach Institute replaced Sturtevant Hall, a one-story, all-purpose classroom, teacher’s living area, and chapel. The new building was two stories with a raised basement, featuring eight classrooms. A teachers home was also shortly built on the property, opening on Thanksgiving Day in 1867. The opening enrollment was 600 students, with a mostly white staff. The Beach Institute charged $1 monthly tuition until becoming a free public school in 1874 after two years of negotiation with the public Board of Education. The public schools rented the building for $600 per year until a February 20, 1878, fire causing $7,775 in damage temporarily closed the building. The public school temporarily moved to Fair Lawn plantation. The fire was considered suspicious, but no charges were ever brought. Suspicious fires were not uncommon at Freepeople schools across the South. African American education posed a real threat to white supremacy, and violence against teachers, students, and the school buildings themselves was disturbingly frequent. The American Missionary Association rebuilt and expanded the school, which now faced Price Street, and reopened the school in 1879. A second suspicious fire in 1909 also temporarily closed the school. After the American Missionary Association closed the school in 1919, it was operated briefly as a nautical school then reopened as a continuation school from 1922-1928. The building stood vacant for several years, but the Savannah Board of Education bought the property for $5,000 and opened the Harris Street School, which operated from 1939 until 1960. Later several education groups worked from the building including Harris Vocational Trade School, Harris Reading Center, Harris Adult Education Center, and Beach Institute Alternative High School as well as operating as the Board of Education central office annex in the 1970s. Today, the Beach Institute is a cultural center and museum open to the public. Visiting the Site: Tuesday-Saturday: 12pm-5pm, Sunday to Monday: ClosedBuy tickets online here. Sources: The Beach Institute websiteSecond Class Students: The First Public School Buildings for African Americans in Savannah 1872-1914. by Penny Clark Johnson A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Architectural History Department in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Architectural History at Savannah College of Art and Design. 2016Self-taught: African American Education in Slavery and Freedom. by Heather Andrea Williams University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. 2005",[535,519],{"_74":520,"_134":533,"_136":534},[],"The Beach Institute at the corner of Price and Harris streets. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1rkq5bm3p0yhwph6p89xwzy52m5c?variant=desktop","beach-institute",{"_105":547,"_102":24,"_134":533,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":548,"_161":549,"_35":291,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":548,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":520,"_173":158},{"_105":538,"_102":292,"_134":539,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":540,"_161":541,"_35":302,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":540,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":520,"_173":158},130,"The garden adjacent to the Beach Institute. The teachers' home (now gone) was to the left of this photograph.","Beach2.jpg",{"_174":542,"_176":543,"_178":544,"_180":545,"_182":546},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lgoptp79sr05nknf0r76gxoizrxl","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lgoptp79sr05nknf0r76gxoizrxl?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lgoptp79sr05nknf0r76gxoizrxl?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lgoptp79sr05nknf0r76gxoizrxl?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lgoptp79sr05nknf0r76gxoizrxl?variant=lqip",131,"Beach.jpg",{"_174":550,"_176":551,"_178":552,"_180":534,"_182":553},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1rkq5bm3p0yhwph6p89xwzy52m5c","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1rkq5bm3p0yhwph6p89xwzy52m5c?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1rkq5bm3p0yhwph6p89xwzy52m5c?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1rkq5bm3p0yhwph6p89xwzy52m5c?variant=lqip",66,"second-african-baptist-church-on-greene-square","Second African Baptist Church on Greene Square",{"_35":518,"_65":519,"_74":520},{"_35":654,"_65":655,"_74":656},"123 Houston St., Savannah","

Andrew Bryan helped found Second Colored Baptist church in 1802 when his church, then called First Colored Baptist, was rapidly outgrowing its space. Rev. Henry Cunningham, the first pastor of Second Colored Baptist Church (1802 to 1833), changed the name to Second African Baptist in 1822.

Like most churches, Second African Baptist has hosted many meetings and special events to support the congregation, from an 1866 Freedmen’s Savings Bank meeting to a 1914 Negro Business League session. However, Second African Baptist Church is most often recognized as the site where the “40 acres and mule” policy was announced. A meeting was called at the church to announce and explain the new policy, formally known as General William T. Sherman’s Special Field Order #15. Northern journalist Charles Coffin gives a first hand description of the people attending the meeting, “They clapped their hands and gave expression to their joy in emphatic demonstrations. It was a strange sight,—a sea of turbaned heads in the body of the house, occupied by the women, wearing brightest colored handkerchiefs, or bonnets with flaming ribbons”. The men sat separately in the galleries, and people crowded around each window.

The church was packed inside and out. The meeting started with the choir singing, “ My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing…” Then Union General Saxton addressed the crowd, explaining the war and explaining freedom. While Saxton and others in similar positions often genuinely cared, their writings and speeches are, at best, comically patronizing to our 21st century ears. Saxton read and explained General Sherman’s Special Field Order #15, which allowed Freedmen to take possessory title to confiscated lands along the Sea Islands, 30 miles inland from the ocean. The general encouragement settlement of the islands and also encouraged young men to enlist in the army saying, “They were citizens, and they must begin to do their part as citizens. They were free, but there was still some fighting to be done to secure their liberty.” (Coffin 1866: 421) While Saxton meant the Civil War was not over, his words are prophetic in many ways.

Reverend French spoke next, also using patronizing language and advising Freepeople to settle the islands and work hard at their new farms. Coffin’s writing captures some of the call and response from the speakers and audience. As Reverend French speaks, the audiences assents. Until French tells them they can only have one wife, not two or three. At which points, the audience simply laughs uproariously at him. Coffin admits his own ignorance in interpreting this exchange, “There was a great sensation at this point, — an outburst of laughter echoing and re-echoing from floor to ceiling. I was utterly unable to understand how the remark was received, but the sable audience evidently looked upon it as a very funny affair.” Reverend Houston ended the meeting with a prayer and a hymn.

Visiting the Site:
Sunday School 9:30, Worship Sunday 11:00
Bible Study Wednesday 12 and 6:30pm

Sources:

Four Years of Fighting by Charles Carleton Coffin, Ticknor and Fields, Boston, 1866
Savannah Daily Advertiser, Tuesday, Oct 06, 1874 , Savannah, GA, Vol: VIII, Page: 3

",32.0766497,-81.0864966,[573,574,575,576,577,578,579],"Like most churches, Second African Baptist has hosted many meetings and special events to support the congregation, from an 1866 Freedmen’s Savings Bank meeting to a 1914 Negro Business League session. However, Second African Baptist Church is most often recognized as the site where the “40 acres and mule” policy was announced. ","Andrew Bryan helped found Second Colored Baptist church in 1802 when his church, then called First Colored Baptist, was rapidly outgrowing its space. Rev. Henry Cunningham, the first pastor of Second Colored Baptist Church (1802 to 1833), changed the name to Second African Baptist in 1822. Like most churches, Second African Baptist has hosted many meetings and special events to support the congregation, from an 1866 Freedmen’s Savings Bank meeting to a 1914 Negro Business League session. However, Second African Baptist Church is most often recognized as the site where the “40 acres and mule” policy was announced. A meeting was called at the church to announce and explain the new policy, formally known as General William T. Sherman’s Special Field Order #15. Northern journalist Charles Coffin gives a first hand description of the people attending the meeting, “They clapped their hands and gave expression to their joy in emphatic demonstrations. It was a strange sight,—a sea of turbaned heads in the body of the house, occupied by the women, wearing brightest colored handkerchiefs, or bonnets with flaming ribbons”. The men sat separately in the galleries, and people crowded around each window. The church was packed inside and out. The meeting started with the choir singing, “ My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing…” Then Union General Saxton addressed the crowd, explaining the war and explaining freedom. While Saxton and others in similar positions often genuinely cared, their writings and speeches are, at best, comically patronizing to our 21st century ears. Saxton read and explained General Sherman’s Special Field Order #15, which allowed Freedmen to take possessory title to confiscated lands along the Sea Islands, 30 miles inland from the ocean. The general encouragement settlement of the islands and also encouraged young men to enlist in the army saying, “They were citizens, and they must begin to do their part as citizens. They were free, but there was still some fighting to be done to secure their liberty.” (Coffin 1866: 421) While Saxton meant the Civil War was not over, his words are prophetic in many ways. Reverend French spoke next, also using patronizing language and advising Freepeople to settle the islands and work hard at their new farms. Coffin’s writing captures some of the call and response from the speakers and audience. As Reverend French speaks, the audiences assents. Until French tells them they can only have one wife, not two or three. At which points, the audience simply laughs uproariously at him. Coffin admits his own ignorance in interpreting this exchange, “There was a great sensation at this point, — an outburst of laughter echoing and re-echoing from floor to ceiling. I was utterly unable to understand how the remark was received, but the sable audience evidently looked upon it as a very funny affair.” Reverend Houston ended the meeting with a prayer and a hymn. Visiting the Site: Sunday School 9:30, Worship Sunday 11:00Bible Study Wednesday 12 and 6:30pmSources: Four Years of Fighting by Charles Carleton Coffin, Ticknor and Fields, Boston, 1866Savannah Daily Advertiser, Tuesday, Oct 06, 1874 , Savannah, GA, Vol: VIII, Page: 3",[572,555],{"_74":569,"_134":570,"_136":571},[],"Second African Baptist Church","Front view of Second African Baptist Church, from Greene Square","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4n06ay1xvk69l7ftlicev8n7of0d?variant=desktop","second-african-baptist-church",{"_105":647,"_102":24,"_134":570,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":648,"_161":649,"_35":385,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":648,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":569,"_173":158},{"_105":633,"_102":292,"_134":634,"_154":635,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":636,"_161":637,"_35":638,"_164":-5,"_165":639,"_167":636,"_168":169,"_170":640,"_74":641,"_173":158},{"_105":624,"_102":280,"_134":625,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":626,"_161":627,"_35":394,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":626,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":569,"_173":158},{"_105":614,"_102":269,"_134":615,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":616,"_161":617,"_35":618,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":616,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":569,"_173":158},{"_105":602,"_102":257,"_134":603,"_154":604,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":605,"_161":606,"_35":343,"_164":-5,"_165":607,"_167":605,"_168":169,"_170":608,"_74":569,"_173":158},{"_105":593,"_102":243,"_134":594,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":595,"_161":596,"_35":438,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":595,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":569,"_173":158},{"_105":580,"_102":231,"_134":581,"_154":582,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":583,"_161":584,"_35":331,"_164":-5,"_165":585,"_167":583,"_168":169,"_170":586,"_74":587,"_173":158},129,"Negro Business League held a meeting at Second African Baptist Church, from the March 14, 1914, Savannah Tribune newspaper.",896,"2nd_Afr_Savannah_Tribune_1914-03-14__1__crop.gif",{"_174":588,"_176":589,"_178":590,"_180":591,"_182":592},179,448,"Second African Baptist Church ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/o823alaf1npmj9g5bctrxn0g499f","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/o823alaf1npmj9g5bctrxn0g499f?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/o823alaf1npmj9g5bctrxn0g499f?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/o823alaf1npmj9g5bctrxn0g499f?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/o823alaf1npmj9g5bctrxn0g499f?variant=lqip",120,"Stained glass window on front facade.","2nd_Afr3.jpg",{"_174":597,"_176":598,"_178":599,"_180":600,"_182":601},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/so22u8bdb2bw97wywvw7qm6ijfd2","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/so22u8bdb2bw97wywvw7qm6ijfd2?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/so22u8bdb2bw97wywvw7qm6ijfd2?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/so22u8bdb2bw97wywvw7qm6ijfd2?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/so22u8bdb2bw97wywvw7qm6ijfd2?variant=lqip",128,"Newspaper announcement for a Freedmen Savings Bank meeting held at Second African Baptist Church, from the Savannah Republican, January 11, 1866. ",1332,"2nd_Afr_Savannah_Republican_1866-01-11_7.png",{"_174":609,"_176":610,"_178":611,"_180":612,"_182":613},266,666,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k07kc64gsl6vcfst85779kag98nm","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k07kc64gsl6vcfst85779kag98nm?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k07kc64gsl6vcfst85779kag98nm?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k07kc64gsl6vcfst85779kag98nm?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k07kc64gsl6vcfst85779kag98nm?variant=lqip",124,"side view of the church","2nd_Afr4.jpg",{"_174":619,"_176":620,"_178":621,"_180":622,"_182":623},138,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/deuvhfin9voxor8k8e2citm9afgc","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/deuvhfin9voxor8k8e2citm9afgc?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/deuvhfin9voxor8k8e2citm9afgc?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/deuvhfin9voxor8k8e2citm9afgc?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/deuvhfin9voxor8k8e2citm9afgc?variant=lqip",122,"Closer view of the church's front","2nd_Afr2.jpg",{"_174":628,"_176":629,"_178":630,"_180":631,"_182":632},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/buk4n816h6gp1j0y0x5sdnszy2e3","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/buk4n816h6gp1j0y0x5sdnszy2e3?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/buk4n816h6gp1j0y0x5sdnszy2e3?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/buk4n816h6gp1j0y0x5sdnszy2e3?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/buk4n816h6gp1j0y0x5sdnszy2e3?variant=lqip",125,"Newspaper announcement about the new organ at Second African Baptist, from the Savannah Daily Advertiser, May 9, 1871.",1382,"2nd_Afr_Savannah_Daily_Advertiser_1871-05-09__3_.png",{"_174":642,"_176":643,"_178":644,"_180":645,"_182":646},139,276,691,"Second African Baptist Church's new organ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h1b53jr3a6rlqvmfys5a3zw9k2tj","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h1b53jr3a6rlqvmfys5a3zw9k2tj?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h1b53jr3a6rlqvmfys5a3zw9k2tj?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h1b53jr3a6rlqvmfys5a3zw9k2tj?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h1b53jr3a6rlqvmfys5a3zw9k2tj?variant=lqip",123,"2nd_AFr.jpg",{"_174":650,"_176":651,"_178":652,"_180":571,"_182":653},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4n06ay1xvk69l7ftlicev8n7of0d","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4n06ay1xvk69l7ftlicev8n7of0d?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4n06ay1xvk69l7ftlicev8n7of0d?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4n06ay1xvk69l7ftlicev8n7of0d?variant=lqip",65,"davenport-house-museum-on-columbia-square","Davenport House Museum on Columbia Square",{"_35":554,"_65":555,"_74":556},{"_35":742,"_65":743,"_74":744},"Davenport House Museum","

Master Builder Isaiah Davenport built this Federal-style, circa 1820 house as a showcase for his talents and as a home for his wife Sarah, their children, and the Davenport bondpeople including Nancy, Bella, Isaac, Jacob, Jack, Polly, Mary, Deeping, Tom, Ned, Ann, Davy, and Peggy. Arriving in Savannah from New England in 1808, Isaiah Davenport married Sarah Rosamond Clark the next year. Together they had 10 children, however not all survived to adulthood. The family initially built a wooden home next door to the current house, but sold it in 1812, only to return in 1820 to their new, impressive brick home. 1820 was a difficult year in Savannah, starting with a massive fire, then enduring a yellow fever epidemic, which killed approximately 800 of Savannah’s 7,500 residents, and ended with a severe storm in October. The Davenport family was fairly prosperous until Isaiah died of yellow fever in 1827. While the family had lots of debts, there were plenty of assets as well, and Sarah continued to live in her home, running a genteel boardinghouse until 1840. In 1840, the Davenport House was sold to William E. Baynard for $9,000.

Discovering details of enslaved people’s lives is very difficult because the historical records are extremely sparse. It was illegal to teach a bondperson to read, and therefore, the enslaved rarely left their own records. The Davenport House recently expanded their interpretation to all household members, based on extensive research. We share the partial story of only some of the bondpeople that lived here.

Bella and her four children Jack (born 1808), twins Jacob and Issac (born 1812), and Polly (born 1816) were purchased as a family unit by Isaiah Davenport in 1817. Originally from Hilton Head Island, Bella and all of her children were together until 1828, at which point Polly and Jack may be working in another relatives’ household or “rented out,” meaning they worked in another house and their wages were given to Mrs. Davenport. Bella lived longer with her twin boys; they are still together in 1843. Researchers discovered a loan document in which they are listed together as collateral. By 1850, Bella is not living in Sarah’s household, but may be with Sarah’s son, Hugh McCall. Bella is not listed in the 1860 Slave Census, and may be deceased by then, as she would be approximately 71 years old. Jacob and Issac are listed as collateral on several loans until 1858, showing they were owned by the Davenport family. Issac died in January 1860 of dysentery and was buried in Laurel Grove South. He was 48 years old.

Baynard relatives and then tenants occupied the Davenport house until 1955, when the house was purchased with intent to demolish it for parking spaces. By the 1950s, the house had fallen into disrepair and the neighborhood had fallen into disrepute. However, after the galvanizing loss of City Market, seven Savannah ladies banded together, raised $22,500, and purchased the Davenport House creating the Historic Savannah Foundation in the process. The house was restored in 1963, opened as a museum in 1964, re-restored in the early 2000s, and is currently under-going a reinterpretation to include all of the household members, including the enslaved individuals.

LAMAR Institute archaeologists did research in 2014 that is also informing the new interpretation. A ground penetrating radar survey was conducted throughout the yard and house basement. Several intriguing anomalies guided the placement of test units, or excavation areas, in the garden and yard. Mid-to-late 18th century trash scatters were found. Columbia Ward was a commons area outside of the city at this time, so this refuse is people dumping trash away from houses. Additionally, a privy (outdoor toilet) was found containing artifacts from approximately 1800 to 1830. Animal bones tell us what was eaten on site. Commercially butchered beef, probably from City Market, was found as well as pork that was butchered on site. This pattern has been found on other sites in Savannah as well as Charleston. Pigs could be more easily raised on city lots than cows. Fish bones were also found, but dating closer to 1830 than 1800. More expensive and poorer cuts of meat were mixed together, likely showing both the Davenport family and the enslaved persons’ meals. Poor cuts of meat included a goat or sheep forelimb and heel, pig teeth, a poor beef and chicken cuts. Soil samples revealed no parasite eggs, leading archaeologists to conclude that the household was quite healthy. This conclusion was supported by the lack of medicine bottles found. Pollen analysis showed short grasses, clover, dandelion, and weedy legume, goosefoot, and mustard families. The lawn would not have been clipped short and manicured as it is today. Celery seeds, mustard seeds, and mint as well as wheat, rye, and barely starches were found, detailing the household diet.

Visiting the Site:
Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The last tour begins daily at 4 p.m.

Sources:

Deep, Dirty Secrets: 2014 Archaeological Excavations at the Isaiah Davenport House, Savannah, Georgia Volume I. by Rita Folse Elliott with Contributions by Daniel T. Elliott, LAMAR Institute, Chance Copperstone and Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman, University of Arizona, Leslie Branch-Raymer, PaleoBot, Linda Scott Cummings, R.A. Varney and, Jennifer L.B. Milligan, PaleoResearch InstituteLamar Institute Publication Series Report Number 195, 2015. Download here. Caution, this is a large file.
A Report on the Davenport Bondpeople: A Review of New and Old Sources and a Reconstruction of their Pre-Davenport Lives. by Kelly Westfield, 2017. On file, Davenport House Museum.

",32.077305,-81.088013,[672,673,674,675,676,677],"Master Builder Isaiah Davenport built this Federal-style, circa 1820 house as a showcase for his talents and as a home for his wife Sarah, their children, and the Davenport bondpeople including Nancy, Bella, Isaac, Jacob, Jack, Polly, Mary, Deeping, Tom, Ned, Ann, Davy, and Peggy. ","Master Builder Isaiah Davenport built this Federal-style, circa 1820 house as a showcase for his talents and as a home for his wife Sarah, their children, and the Davenport bondpeople including Nancy, Bella, Isaac, Jacob, Jack, Polly, Mary, Deeping, Tom, Ned, Ann, Davy, and Peggy. Arriving in Savannah from New England in 1808, Isaiah Davenport married Sarah Rosamond Clark the next year. Together they had 10 children, however not all survived to adulthood. The family initially built a wooden home next door to the current house, but sold it in 1812, only to return in 1820 to their new, impressive brick home. 1820 was a difficult year in Savannah, starting with a massive fire, then enduring a yellow fever epidemic, which killed approximately 800 of Savannah’s 7,500 residents, and ended with a severe storm in October. The Davenport family was fairly prosperous until Isaiah died of yellow fever in 1827. While the family had lots of debts, there were plenty of assets as well, and Sarah continued to live in her home, running a genteel boardinghouse until 1840. In 1840, the Davenport House was sold to William E. Baynard for $9,000.Discovering details of enslaved people’s lives is very difficult because the historical records are extremely sparse. It was illegal to teach a bondperson to read, and therefore, the enslaved rarely left their own records. The Davenport House recently expanded their interpretation to all household members, based on extensive research. We share the partial story of only some of the bondpeople that lived here. Bella and her four children Jack (born 1808), twins Jacob and Issac (born 1812), and Polly (born 1816) were purchased as a family unit by Isaiah Davenport in 1817. Originally from Hilton Head Island, Bella and all of her children were together until 1828, at which point Polly and Jack may be working in another relatives’ household or “rented out,” meaning they worked in another house and their wages were given to Mrs. Davenport. Bella lived longer with her twin boys; they are still together in 1843. Researchers discovered a loan document in which they are listed together as collateral. By 1850, Bella is not living in Sarah’s household, but may be with Sarah’s son, Hugh McCall. Bella is not listed in the 1860 Slave Census, and may be deceased by then, as she would be approximately 71 years old. Jacob and Issac are listed as collateral on several loans until 1858, showing they were owned by the Davenport family. Issac died in January 1860 of dysentery and was buried in Laurel Grove South. He was 48 years old. Baynard relatives and then tenants occupied the Davenport house until 1955, when the house was purchased with intent to demolish it for parking spaces. By the 1950s, the house had fallen into disrepair and the neighborhood had fallen into disrepute. However, after the galvanizing loss of City Market, seven Savannah ladies banded together, raised $22,500, and purchased the Davenport House creating the Historic Savannah Foundation in the process. The house was restored in 1963, opened as a museum in 1964, re-restored in the early 2000s, and is currently under-going a reinterpretation to include all of the household members, including the enslaved individuals. LAMAR Institute archaeologists did research in 2014 that is also informing the new interpretation. A ground penetrating radar survey was conducted throughout the yard and house basement. Several intriguing anomalies guided the placement of test units, or excavation areas, in the garden and yard. Mid-to-late 18th century trash scatters were found. Columbia Ward was a commons area outside of the city at this time, so this refuse is people dumping trash away from houses. Additionally, a privy (outdoor toilet) was found containing artifacts from approximately 1800 to 1830. Animal bones tell us what was eaten on site. Commercially butchered beef, probably from City Market, was found as well as pork that was butchered on site. This pattern has been found on other sites in Savannah as well as Charleston. Pigs could be more easily raised on city lots than cows. Fish bones were also found, but dating closer to 1830 than 1800. More expensive and poorer cuts of meat were mixed together, likely showing both the Davenport family and the enslaved persons’ meals. Poor cuts of meat included a goat or sheep forelimb and heel, pig teeth, a poor beef and chicken cuts. Soil samples revealed no parasite eggs, leading archaeologists to conclude that the household was quite healthy. This conclusion was supported by the lack of medicine bottles found. Pollen analysis showed short grasses, clover, dandelion, and weedy legume, goosefoot, and mustard families. The lawn would not have been clipped short and manicured as it is today. Celery seeds, mustard seeds, and mint as well as wheat, rye, and barely starches were found, detailing the household diet. Visiting the Site: Monday – Saturday: 10 a. m. – 4 p. m., Sunday: 1 p. m. – 4 p. m.The last tour begins daily at 4 p. m.Sources: Deep, Dirty Secrets: 2014 Archaeological Excavations at the Isaiah Davenport House, Savannah, Georgia Volume I. by Rita Folse Elliott with Contributions by Daniel T. Elliott, LAMAR Institute, Chance Copperstone and Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman, University of Arizona, Leslie Branch-Raymer, PaleoBot, Linda Scott Cummings, R. A. Varney and, Jennifer L. B. Milligan, PaleoResearch InstituteLamar Institute Publication Series Report Number 195, 2015. Download here. Caution, this is a large file. A Report on the Davenport Bondpeople: A Review of New and Old Sources and a Reconstruction of their Pre-Davenport Lives. by Kelly Westfield, 2017. On file, Davenport House Museum.",[671,655],{"_74":659,"_134":669,"_136":670},[],"Davenport House Museum today, fronting Columbia Square.","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/63xvb1ka4i9t4kxm0jtvsyvs5v9x?variant=desktop","davenport-house-museum",{"_105":734,"_102":24,"_134":669,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":735,"_161":736,"_35":737,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":735,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":659,"_173":158},{"_105":724,"_102":292,"_134":725,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":726,"_161":727,"_35":728,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":726,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":718,"_173":158},{"_105":713,"_102":280,"_134":714,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":715,"_161":716,"_35":717,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":715,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":718,"_173":158},{"_105":699,"_102":269,"_134":700,"_154":701,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":702,"_161":703,"_35":704,"_164":-5,"_165":705,"_167":702,"_168":169,"_170":706,"_74":707,"_173":158},{"_105":689,"_102":257,"_134":690,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":691,"_161":692,"_35":693,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":691,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":683,"_173":158},{"_105":678,"_102":243,"_134":679,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":680,"_161":681,"_35":682,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":680,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":683,"_173":158},208,"Measuring and mapping the privy (outdoor toilet) foundation. The upper walls were destroyed and some of the rubble can be seen in the side of the excavation hole. ","ef45eb91402b84374bf8950ed79e3848.jpg",{"_174":684,"_176":685,"_178":686,"_180":687,"_182":688},216,"Davenport House archaeology","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/apyj9vlknfgg0euma0ysm0zsm8xr","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/apyj9vlknfgg0euma0ysm0zsm8xr?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/apyj9vlknfgg0euma0ysm0zsm8xr?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/apyj9vlknfgg0euma0ysm0zsm8xr?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/apyj9vlknfgg0euma0ysm0zsm8xr?variant=lqip",207,"Archaeological excavation in the Davenport House garden. All soil excavated goes through the hanging screen to recover artifacts. Note the reddish bumps in the test unit (excavation hole). These are bricks from a demolished privy, or outdoor toilet.","7e861e244def50ba0775597abfa40772.jpg",{"_174":694,"_176":695,"_178":696,"_180":697,"_182":698},215,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ldcsl9ff8wx7nym7okli2qkdtq0i","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ldcsl9ff8wx7nym7okli2qkdtq0i?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ldcsl9ff8wx7nym7okli2qkdtq0i?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ldcsl9ff8wx7nym7okli2qkdtq0i?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ldcsl9ff8wx7nym7okli2qkdtq0i?variant=lqip",105,"Davenport House main hallway. Historic American Buildings Survey staff took this picture in 1934. The whole record is available in the Library of Congress.",1085,"DH_inside.jpg",{"_174":708,"_176":709,"_178":710,"_180":711,"_182":712},119,217,542,"Davenport House interior","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jcpzbb8hh5ywf2b4j83z0zqtayrg","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jcpzbb8hh5ywf2b4j83z0zqtayrg?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jcpzbb8hh5ywf2b4j83z0zqtayrg?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jcpzbb8hh5ywf2b4j83z0zqtayrg?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jcpzbb8hh5ywf2b4j83z0zqtayrg?variant=lqip",104,"Note the smaller building in the back, which has been removed. Historic American Buildings Survey staff took this picture in 1934. The whole record is available in the Library of Congress.","DH_side.jpg",{"_174":719,"_176":720,"_178":721,"_180":722,"_182":723},118,"Davenport House in 1934","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/to5sdbu8kbtsclbxwna10eki0piz","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/to5sdbu8kbtsclbxwna10eki0piz?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/to5sdbu8kbtsclbxwna10eki0piz?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/to5sdbu8kbtsclbxwna10eki0piz?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/to5sdbu8kbtsclbxwna10eki0piz?variant=lqip",103,"Historic American Buildings Survey staff took this picture in 1934. The whole record is available in the Library of Congress.","DH_front.jpg",{"_174":729,"_176":730,"_178":731,"_180":732,"_182":733},117,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/r2fti8tlmu9m79orj7by7fw5lqeh","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/r2fti8tlmu9m79orj7by7fw5lqeh?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/r2fti8tlmu9m79orj7by7fw5lqeh?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/r2fti8tlmu9m79orj7by7fw5lqeh?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/r2fti8tlmu9m79orj7by7fw5lqeh?variant=lqip",102,"Davenport_house.jpg",{"_174":738,"_176":739,"_178":740,"_180":670,"_182":741},116,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/63xvb1ka4i9t4kxm0jtvsyvs5v9x","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/63xvb1ka4i9t4kxm0jtvsyvs5v9x?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/63xvb1ka4i9t4kxm0jtvsyvs5v9x?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/63xvb1ka4i9t4kxm0jtvsyvs5v9x?variant=lqip",64,"owens-thomas-slave-quarter","Owens-Thomas Slave Quarter",{"_35":654,"_65":655,"_74":656},{"_35":838,"_65":839,"_74":840},"124 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401, USA","

Will, Frank, ship carpenters Caesar and Dick, Venus (Caesar’s wife), Henry (a blacksmith), Rose (age 40), and Rose’s daughter Kate (age 22) are some of the enslaved people living here by 1820. Eleven enslaved people are listed at this address in the 1820 Census. There are no names in the census, so it is difficult to identify the other three bondpeople.

The northern half of this building was the slave quarter, and the southern half was a stable, hay loft, and carriage house. The slave quarter had more internal division that you see today: the first floor had one larger and two smaller rooms, while the second floor was split into four small spaces. On the first floor, look up to see the largest existing, preserved example of haint blue paint. This paint was supposed to repel ghosts and other evil spirits, protecting the occupants. The paint itself is a mix of lime, buttermilk, and indigo, which lends its blue color. The slave quarter has outside windows facing Lincoln Street. This is a rare feature, allowing access to the street and the exchange of goods and information, or even an avenue for escape.

Many archaeological digs have taken place at the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarter. Starting in 1965, J. Everette Fauber dug in the southwest corner of the basement, finding an extensive and complicated drainage system. He found a charming assortment of artifacts, but without archaeological training, his collection remains just that. Fauber was an architect, and his primary research goal was investigating the buildings. He was able to gain much information about the building’s construction and subsequent alterations. Staff were told Boy Scouts dug on the property at one time, but, if so, there is no documentation, and no artifacts were saved.

The Chicora Foundation’s 1993 excavation was focused on the architecture of the carriage house and slave quarters and the nature of urban slave life. The archaeologists found surprisingly many clothing and personal items, showing that urban bondpeople had access to more material goods and possibly had more control over certain aspects their lives than rural enslaved people. Archaeologists also found many plates, rather than bowls. Bowls are often found on rural slave sites because the enslaved people usually made slow-cooking soups and stews that can be started in the morning and simmered all day, breaking down poor, tough cuts of meat. The presence of more plates may suggest a diet of less soups and more “meat-and-sides”. Archaeologists could not determine if the plates were purchased by the slaves or were hand-me-downs from the main house.

In 1992, the Coastal Georgia Archaeological Society dug approximately 300 square feet near the slave quarters. The ceramics and faunal materials (mostly animal bone) were re-analyzed in 2000 to gain new insight. The ceramic data supported the original excavator’s conclusion that the architectural finds were the walls and floor of William DeBraham’s late eighteenth century house, which possibly burned. Many tea wares were found, further suggesting this house was wealthier than average. Animals bones show that the residents were eating lots of pork and beef, supplemented with fish, seafood, turtle, chicken, turkey, white-tailed deer, and rabbit. Compared to similar sites, this is a typical coastal colonial diet.

Visiting the site:
Guided tours only; last tour begins at 4:20pm.
Sunday and Monday 12-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm

Sources:

The Ceramics from Trust Lot X: Archaeological Investigations at the Owens-Thomas House Site (9CH787), Savannah, Georgia. by Connie M. Huddleston, Alex Y. Sweeney and Alana A. Lynch. Prepared for The Owens-Thomas House and The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. Brockington and Associates, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia February 2000
The Owens-Thomas House by Tania June Sammons, Telfair Books, Savannah, GA., 2009
Archaeological Studies Associated With The Nineteenth Century Owens-Thomas Carriage House, Savannah, Georgia by Michael Trinkley, Natalie Adams, and Debi Hacker, Research Series 38. Chicora Foundation, Inc. Columbia, South Carolina. July 1993
Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Survey number: HABS GA-14-9. View the whole record here.

","The slave quarter is along Lincoln Street, and the entrance faces the garden and main house.",32.07728782,-81.08898898,[760,761,762,763,764,765,766],"Will, Frank, ship carpenters Caesar and Dick, Venus (Caesar’s wife), Henry (a blacksmith), Rose (age 40), and Rose’s daughter Kate (age 22) are some of the enslaved people living here by 1820.","Will, Frank, ship carpenters Caesar and Dick, Venus (Caesar’s wife), Henry (a blacksmith), Rose (age 40), and Rose’s daughter Kate (age 22) are some of the enslaved people living here by 1820. Eleven enslaved people are listed at this address in the 1820 Census. There are no names in the census, so it is difficult to identify the other three bondpeople. The northern half of this building was the slave quarter, and the southern half was a stable, hay loft, and carriage house. The slave quarter had more internal division that you see today: the first floor had one larger and two smaller rooms, while the second floor was split into four small spaces. On the first floor, look up to see the largest existing, preserved example of haint blue paint. This paint was supposed to repel ghosts and other evil spirits, protecting the occupants. The paint itself is a mix of lime, buttermilk, and indigo, which lends its blue color. The slave quarter has outside windows facing Lincoln Street. This is a rare feature, allowing access to the street and the exchange of goods and information, or even an avenue for escape. Many archaeological digs have taken place at the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarter. Starting in 1965, J. Everette Fauber dug in the southwest corner of the basement, finding an extensive and complicated drainage system. He found a charming assortment of artifacts, but without archaeological training, his collection remains just that. Fauber was an architect, and his primary research goal was investigating the buildings. He was able to gain much information about the building’s construction and subsequent alterations. Staff were told Boy Scouts dug on the property at one time, but, if so, there is no documentation, and no artifacts were saved. The Chicora Foundation’s 1993 excavation was focused on the architecture of the carriage house and slave quarters and the nature of urban slave life. The archaeologists found surprisingly many clothing and personal items, showing that urban bondpeople had access to more material goods and possibly had more control over certain aspects their lives than rural enslaved people. Archaeologists also found many plates, rather than bowls. Bowls are often found on rural slave sites because the enslaved people usually made slow-cooking soups and stews that can be started in the morning and simmered all day, breaking down poor, tough cuts of meat. The presence of more plates may suggest a diet of less soups and more “meat-and-sides”. Archaeologists could not determine if the plates were purchased by the slaves or were hand-me-downs from the main house. In 1992, the Coastal Georgia Archaeological Society dug approximately 300 square feet near the slave quarters. The ceramics and faunal materials (mostly animal bone) were re-analyzed in 2000 to gain new insight. The ceramic data supported the original excavator’s conclusion that the architectural finds were the walls and floor of William DeBraham’s late eighteenth century house, which possibly burned. Many tea wares were found, further suggesting this house was wealthier than average. Animals bones show that the residents were eating lots of pork and beef, supplemented with fish, seafood, turtle, chicken, turkey, white-tailed deer, and rabbit. Compared to similar sites, this is a typical coastal colonial diet. Visiting the site: Guided tours only; last tour begins at 4:20pm. Sunday and Monday 12-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pmSources: The Ceramics from Trust Lot X: Archaeological Investigations at the Owens-Thomas House Site (9CH787), Savannah, Georgia. by Connie M. Huddleston, Alex Y. Sweeney and Alana A. Lynch. Prepared for The Owens-Thomas House and The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. Brockington and Associates, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia February 2000The Owens-Thomas House by Tania June Sammons, Telfair Books, Savannah, GA., 2009Archaeological Studies Associated With The Nineteenth Century Owens-Thomas Carriage House, Savannah, Georgia by Michael Trinkley, Natalie Adams, and Debi Hacker, Research Series 38. Chicora Foundation, Inc. Columbia, South Carolina. July 1993Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Survey number: HABS GA-14-9. View the whole record here.",[743],{"_74":744,"_134":758,"_136":759},[],"Entrance to the museum and the front of the slave quarter.","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gsvjgrupkdi2mo3r9bxld1d9t0ll?variant=desktop",{"_105":830,"_102":24,"_134":758,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":831,"_161":832,"_35":833,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":831,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":744,"_173":158},{"_105":819,"_102":292,"_134":820,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":821,"_161":822,"_35":823,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":821,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":824,"_173":158},{"_105":810,"_102":280,"_134":811,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":812,"_161":813,"_35":166,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":812,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":782,"_173":158},{"_105":800,"_102":269,"_134":801,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":802,"_161":803,"_35":804,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":802,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":782,"_173":158},{"_105":788,"_102":257,"_134":789,"_154":790,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":791,"_161":792,"_35":490,"_164":-5,"_165":793,"_167":791,"_168":169,"_170":794,"_74":782,"_173":158},{"_105":778,"_102":243,"_134":779,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":780,"_161":781,"_35":479,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":780,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":782,"_173":158},{"_105":767,"_102":231,"_134":768,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":769,"_161":770,"_35":771,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":769,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":772,"_173":158},293,"Scaled drawing of the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarter. While the Historical American Buildings Survey extensively documented the \"main house\" through architectural drawings, research, and photographs, the slave quarter along Lincoln Street was almost entirely ignored. The exception is the mid-1930s drawing pictured here. The slave quarters, labeled \"Stables,\" were apartments at the time. ","OT_House_drawing.jpg",{"_174":773,"_176":774,"_178":775,"_180":776,"_182":777},302,"Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarter","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gurcmwc10sjjdy92xmg9urnh5zo9","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gurcmwc10sjjdy92xmg9urnh5zo9?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gurcmwc10sjjdy92xmg9urnh5zo9?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gurcmwc10sjjdy92xmg9urnh5zo9?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gurcmwc10sjjdy92xmg9urnh5zo9?variant=lqip",289,"Owens-Thomas House interior, front of the second story hall in 1936. Image from the Historic American Buildings Survey, housed at the Library of Congress.","OT_House3.jpg",{"_174":783,"_176":784,"_178":785,"_180":786,"_182":787},"Owens-Thomas House","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fqj24xm7yty5vn73xfdpn9z9ar7i","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fqj24xm7yty5vn73xfdpn9z9ar7i?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fqj24xm7yty5vn73xfdpn9z9ar7i?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fqj24xm7yty5vn73xfdpn9z9ar7i?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fqj24xm7yty5vn73xfdpn9z9ar7i?variant=lqip",290,"Interior of the Owens-Thomas House, the detail of a curved door and cornice in the dining room. Image from the Historic American Buildings Survey, 1936.",1091,"OT_House2.jpg",{"_174":795,"_176":796,"_178":797,"_180":798,"_182":799},218,546,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h9q1gj01ms46fobqbjgiwp1ugguc","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h9q1gj01ms46fobqbjgiwp1ugguc?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h9q1gj01ms46fobqbjgiwp1ugguc?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h9q1gj01ms46fobqbjgiwp1ugguc?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h9q1gj01ms46fobqbjgiwp1ugguc?variant=lqip",292,"The Owens-Thomas house today","OT_House4.jpg",{"_174":805,"_176":806,"_178":807,"_180":808,"_182":809},301,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycuiainyxne54icw5imyyaksuc8h","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycuiainyxne54icw5imyyaksuc8h?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycuiainyxne54icw5imyyaksuc8h?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycuiainyxne54icw5imyyaksuc8h?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycuiainyxne54icw5imyyaksuc8h?variant=lqip",291,"Owens-Thomas House, mid-1930s photograph from the Historic American Buildings Survey, housed at the Library of Congress.","OT_House.jpg",{"_174":814,"_176":815,"_178":816,"_180":817,"_182":818},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z1j27fapf32a1mokzipfchfx579j","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z1j27fapf32a1mokzipfchfx579j?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z1j27fapf32a1mokzipfchfx579j?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z1j27fapf32a1mokzipfchfx579j?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z1j27fapf32a1mokzipfchfx579j?variant=lqip",101,"Back of the slave quarter along Lincoln Street. Note the full size windows on the first floor. This is a rare feature, allowing access to the street, and potentially allowing the exchange of goods and information, or an avenue for escape. ","OT_slave_quarter.jpg",{"_174":825,"_176":826,"_178":827,"_180":828,"_182":829},115,"Owens-Thomas slave quarter","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4pzbbwr09hz7883llgjz1hw85qs0","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4pzbbwr09hz7883llgjz1hw85qs0?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4pzbbwr09hz7883llgjz1hw85qs0?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4pzbbwr09hz7883llgjz1hw85qs0?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4pzbbwr09hz7883llgjz1hw85qs0?variant=lqip",100,"rEQeHPBfTXKjM_8e3WUONA_thumb_2b66.jpg",{"_174":834,"_176":835,"_178":836,"_180":759,"_182":837},114,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gsvjgrupkdi2mo3r9bxld1d9t0ll","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gsvjgrupkdi2mo3r9bxld1d9t0ll?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gsvjgrupkdi2mo3r9bxld1d9t0ll?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gsvjgrupkdi2mo3r9bxld1d9t0ll?variant=lqip",63,"voting-violence-and-the-1868-election","Voting Violence and the 1868 Election",{"_35":742,"_65":743,"_74":744},{"_35":879,"_65":880,"_74":881},"Wright Square, Savannah","

November 3, 1868, was the first presidential election day for newly enfranchised Freedmen. Over one thousand Freedmen gathered in Wright Square before six a.m. to ensure they could vote. Legally, Savannah needed three separate polling places to minimize long lines. Actually, all three voting boxes were placed in the courthouse, and the space was organized for maximum confusion. Registrars, with sheriff’s deputies standing by, asked black voters to swear to a long list of qualifying items (such as asking if the voter had paid a poll tax). Any hesitation or problem resulted in the voter’s dismissal. In later Congressional testimony, Reverend James Simms estimated that nine out of ten African American voters were turned away.

At eight a.m., 50 white Central of Georgia Railroad workers arrived. Seeing the long lines, they asked the county sheriff to clear the area so they could vote and return to work quickly. The Savannah Morning News reported that African Americans blocked the courthouse entrance and “clubbed away” anyone who tried to enter, resisting even the sheriff. But ultimately, the protestors were removed, and police reinforcements were called in, who allowed white but not black citizens into the courthouse. At this point, an estimated 3,000 people were in Wright Square. African Americans again tried to enter the courthouse to vote. A gunshot was fired, followed quickly by more gun shots. After one or two minutes of silence, police fired into the crowd and five to ten minutes of chaos and gunfire ensued. The historic accounts vary widely. J. Murray Hoag, the US Army Captain and Freedmen’s Bureau employee who investigated the incident, is likely one of the more neutral sources. He stated that we do not know who fired the first shot. Hoag wrote in his report, “Not one in fifty [African Americans] were armed, while the democracy had one or more revolvers each.” The casualty numbers are also in dispute, but likely were four police (including two dead) and one white citizen. Hoag reported seventeen African Americans were wounded and three were killed.

By the time the army arrived, the white men were voting in an orderly manner. The African Americans gathered at St. Philip AME (the church’s old location, not its current site on MLK Jr. Blvd.). By 10 a.m. they decided to go home. Again from Hoag’s report, “They unanimously resolved to go to their respective homes rather than risk their lives or bring on a riot.”

Visiting the site:
The courthouse currently contains offices. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation unless you have business in the offices. Wright Square is always open.

Sources:
“We Defy You! Politics and Violence in Reconstruction Savannah” by Jonathan M. Bryant in Slavery and Freedom in Savannah, edited by Leslie M. Harris, and Daina Ramey Berry, University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia, 2014.

","The courthouse is the yellow brick building on Wright Square's eastern side.",32.0779179,-81.0922804,[857,858],"November 3, 1868, was the first presidential election day for newly enfranchised Freedmen. Over one thousand Freedmen gathered in Wright Square before six a.m. to ensure they could vote.","November 3, 1868, was the first presidential election day for newly enfranchised Freedmen. Over one thousand Freedmen gathered in Wright Square before six a. m. to ensure they could vote. Legally, Savannah needed three separate polling places to minimize long lines. Actually, all three voting boxes were placed in the courthouse, and the space was organized for maximum confusion. Registrars, with sheriff’s deputies standing by, asked black voters to swear to a long list of qualifying items (such as asking if the voter had paid a poll tax). Any hesitation or problem resulted in the voter’s dismissal. In later Congressional testimony, Reverend James Simms estimated that nine out of ten African American voters were turned away. At eight a. m., 50 white Central of Georgia Railroad workers arrived. Seeing the long lines, they asked the county sheriff to clear the area so they could vote and return to work quickly. The Savannah Morning News reported that African Americans blocked the courthouse entrance and “clubbed away” anyone who tried to enter, resisting even the sheriff. But ultimately, the protestors were removed, and police reinforcements were called in, who allowed white but not black citizens into the courthouse. At this point, an estimated 3,000 people were in Wright Square. African Americans again tried to enter the courthouse to vote. A gunshot was fired, followed quickly by more gun shots. After one or two minutes of silence, police fired into the crowd and five to ten minutes of chaos and gunfire ensued. The historic accounts vary widely. J. Murray Hoag, the US Army Captain and Freedmen’s Bureau employee who investigated the incident, is likely one of the more neutral sources. He stated that we do not know who fired the first shot. Hoag wrote in his report, “Not one in fifty [African Americans] were armed, while the democracy had one or more revolvers each.” The casualty numbers are also in dispute, but likely were four police (including two dead) and one white citizen. Hoag reported seventeen African Americans were wounded and three were killed. By the time the army arrived, the white men were voting in an orderly manner. The African Americans gathered at St. Philip AME (the church’s old location, not its current site on MLK Jr. Blvd.). By 10 a. m. they decided to go home. Again from Hoag’s report, “They unanimously resolved to go to their respective homes rather than risk their lives or bring on a riot.”Visiting the site:The courthouse currently contains offices. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation unless you have business in the offices. Wright Square is always open. Sources:“We Defy You! Politics and Violence in Reconstruction Savannah” by Jonathan M. Bryant in Slavery and Freedom in Savannah, edited by Leslie M. Harris, and Daina Ramey Berry, University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia, 2014.",[839],{"_74":854,"_134":855,"_136":856},[],"Chatham County Courthouse, circa 1889","This Romanesque-style courthouse, built circa 1889, was constructed on the same location as the earlier, Greek Revival courthouse.","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/wqockhc2d1uvb7japfdvfg2ds7s0?variant=desktop",{"_105":704,"_102":24,"_134":855,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":873,"_161":874,"_35":500,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":873,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":854,"_173":158},{"_105":859,"_102":292,"_134":860,"_154":861,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":862,"_161":863,"_35":864,"_164":-5,"_165":865,"_167":862,"_168":169,"_170":866,"_74":867,"_173":158},99,"WW Gordon, Central of Georgia Railway founder and grandfather to Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, is memorialized in Wright Square. ",1095,"WWGordon_monument1.jpg",{"_174":868,"_176":869,"_178":870,"_180":871,"_182":872},113,219,548,"William Washington Gordon monument in Wright Square","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ooj1fl96k94x3061bqh7krsrmxuf","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ooj1fl96k94x3061bqh7krsrmxuf?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ooj1fl96k94x3061bqh7krsrmxuf?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ooj1fl96k94x3061bqh7krsrmxuf?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ooj1fl96k94x3061bqh7krsrmxuf?variant=lqip","courthouse.jpg",{"_174":875,"_176":876,"_178":877,"_180":856,"_182":878},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/wqockhc2d1uvb7japfdvfg2ds7s0","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/wqockhc2d1uvb7japfdvfg2ds7s0?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/wqockhc2d1uvb7japfdvfg2ds7s0?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/wqockhc2d1uvb7japfdvfg2ds7s0?variant=lqip",62,"joseph-bryan-son-slave-market","Joseph Bryan & Son Slave Market",{"_35":838,"_65":839,"_74":840},{"_35":906,"_65":907,"_74":908},"7 E Bay St, Savannah, GA 31401, USA","

The “new” 1799 Georgia Constitution banned the importation of slaves. This was not centered in humanitarian concerns, but due to fears of slave uprisings. By 1860 there were approximately 500,000 bondpeople in Georgia. Across the South, almost four million people were enslaved at the Civil War’s beginning. The internal slave trade was an immense industry encompassing many trades: slave brokers and traders, banks who made loans, auctioneers, holding yards and slave marts, lawyers, doctors, notaries, and insurance agents. The slave trade was also integrated into “everyday” commerce. Brokers sold people, real estate, lottery tickets, groceries. Before the Civil War, there were over 20 brokers and auctioneers working in Savannah.

The City of Savannah profited as well. The city charged a $200 annual tax on slave marts, defined as a “house, yard, or other place for the purpose of keeping slaves therein for sale of or hire or confining” (Sheehy 2012). All brokers and auctioneers paid taxes on commissions. Slave owners paid taxes on their bondpeople at the rate of three dollars per year for people age 12 to 60 and fifty cents on those younger than age 12. Enslaved people who hired themselves out for wages were taxed at ten dollars per year, and still had to pay most of their wages back to their owners.

The Central Railway and Banking Company built this building to house offices in 1853. Joseph Bryan’s offices had a separate entrance onto Bay Lane facing the Custom House. Joseph Bryan & Son were considered the city’s premier slavebrokers. Bryan’s father was Joseph Bryan Senior, who owned Brampton Plantation, the founding site of First Bryan Baptist Church. After General Sherman took Savannah, General John Geary, commander of the city after surrender, had his office in this building.

Visiting the site:
Businesses currently occupy this building. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation unless you are patronizing the businesses.

Sources:
Civil War Savannah. Volume 2 Brokers, bankers, and Bay Lane: the Savannah slave trade and business model, 1850-1865. by Barry Sheehy et al. Emerald Book Co., Austin, TX, 2012

","Joseph Bryan’s offices had a separate entrance onto Bay Lane facing the Custom House. To see the original site, you need to enter Bay Lane behind the Custom's House, watch carefully for traffic!",32.08049687,-81.0908322,[899],"The “new” 1799 Georgia Constitution banned the importation of slaves. This was not centered in humanitarian concerns, but due to fears of slave uprisings. ","The “new” 1799 Georgia Constitution banned the importation of slaves. This was not centered in humanitarian concerns, but due to fears of slave uprisings. By 1860 there were approximately 500,000 bondpeople in Georgia. Across the South, almost four million people were enslaved at the Civil War’s beginning. The internal slave trade was an immense industry encompassing many trades: slave brokers and traders, banks who made loans, auctioneers, holding yards and slave marts, lawyers, doctors, notaries, and insurance agents. The slave trade was also integrated into “everyday” commerce. Brokers sold people, real estate, lottery tickets, groceries. Before the Civil War, there were over 20 brokers and auctioneers working in Savannah. The City of Savannah profited as well. The city charged a $200 annual tax on slave marts, defined as a “house, yard, or other place for the purpose of keeping slaves therein for sale of or hire or confining” (Sheehy 2012). All brokers and auctioneers paid taxes on commissions. Slave owners paid taxes on their bondpeople at the rate of three dollars per year for people age 12 to 60 and fifty cents on those younger than age 12. Enslaved people who hired themselves out for wages were taxed at ten dollars per year, and still had to pay most of their wages back to their owners. The Central Railway and Banking Company built this building to house offices in 1853. Joseph Bryan’s offices had a separate entrance onto Bay Lane facing the Custom House. Joseph Bryan & Son were considered the city’s premier slavebrokers. Bryan’s father was Joseph Bryan Senior, who owned Brampton Plantation, the founding site of First Bryan Baptist Church. After General Sherman took Savannah, General John Geary, commander of the city after surrender, had his office in this building. Visiting the site:Businesses currently occupy this building. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation unless you are patronizing the businesses. Sources:Civil War Savannah. Volume 2 Brokers, bankers, and Bay Lane: the Savannah slave trade and business model, 1850-1865. by Barry Sheehy et al. Emerald Book Co., Austin, TX, 2012",[898,880],{"_74":895,"_134":896,"_136":897},[],"Bay Lane","The tan building at center was the location of Joseph Bryan's slave market and office. This building was recently painted. Several years ago, traces of the original doors, which faced the Customs House on the left, were visible. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b7lniul6pqx8hlkdjcgrdgslaguo?variant=desktop","bay-lane-slave-market",{"_105":717,"_102":24,"_134":896,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":900,"_161":901,"_35":510,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":900,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":895,"_173":158},"Bay_slave.jpg",{"_174":902,"_176":903,"_178":904,"_180":897,"_182":905},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b7lniul6pqx8hlkdjcgrdgslaguo","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b7lniul6pqx8hlkdjcgrdgslaguo?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b7lniul6pqx8hlkdjcgrdgslaguo?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b7lniul6pqx8hlkdjcgrdgslaguo?variant=lqip",61,"street-car-protests","Street car protests",{"_35":879,"_65":880,"_74":881},{"_35":932,"_65":933,"_74":934},"City Hall , Savannah","

Rosa Parks-style protests were held in the early 1870s attempting to desegregate Savannah’s street cars. Here are few examples of individuals who participated in these efforts. On May 6, 1870, African American Chatham County constable James Habersham got on a Savannah, Skidaway, and Seaboard Railroad streetcar at Bay and Bull streets. The car was designated whites-only. This was a deliberate protest, as there were separate cars designated for blacks. Police officers removed Habersham before the car moved forward. The mayor dismissed the case believing Habersham to be naive and coerced into his actions by others.

A group took the same action on July 27, 1872 during a ride to Liberty Street. Three white men pushed the protestors from the streetcar. A large crowd of African Americans saw the incident and blocked the streetcar. One man was knocked down by a white streetcar rider when he grabbed the horse’s bridle to stop and stabilize the car. The next day, Richard W. White, an African American Union Army veteran who went to Oberlin College, attempted to board a whites-only streetcar and was thrown off immediately. African Americans threw bottles at the streetcar, and white citizens began assaulting the African American protestors. That day, more than one thousand African Americans tried to board streetcars and were forcibly removed. The day ended with gun violence on Bull Street near the intersection with Anderson Street. Three African Americans were killed and more wounded. Bullets and shrapnel hit two white women and their children.

The next week, Avery Smith, an African American federal customs worker, sued three white men for civil rights violations when he was kicked off of a streetcar. US Commissioner Henry Wayne ruled that Smith had violated the streetcar regulations and disturbed the peace, but the Savannah, Skidaway, and Seaboard Railroad needed to add more streetcars designated for African Americans. Black Savannahians held a two month boycott in response.

Emil Pollard, a United States postal employee, and his wife boarded a whites-only street car in August of 1875. Conductors George Willet and George Alley ordered the couple to leave. They did, after initially refusing. A few days later, the conductors were charged with violations of the 1875 Civil Rights Act. On August 15, the US Commissioner ruled that the case had to go to the United States Circuit Court and set bail at $1,000. On November 15, the grand jury indicted the conductors. Despite this initial progress, it was five years later when Judge John Erskine ruled the indictment was insufficient, and the case was closed.

Visiting the site:
Today Savannah's only streetcars run along River Street. It is free to ride.

Sources:
Savannah in the New South: From the Civil War to the Twenty-first Century by Walter J. Fraser, University of South Carolina Press, 2018

","Street car protests took place throughout the city, not just here. City Hall stands at Bull and Bay streets, one protest location, and seems like a fitting place to discuss these events. ",32.081136,-81.091112,[925],"Rosa Parks-style protests were held in the early 1870s attempting to desegregate Savannah’s street cars. Here are few examples of individuals who participated in these efforts. ","Rosa Parks-style protests were held in the early 1870s attempting to desegregate Savannah’s street cars. Here are few examples of individuals who participated in these efforts. On May 6, 1870, African American Chatham County constable James Habersham got on a Savannah, Skidaway, and Seaboard Railroad streetcar at Bay and Bull streets. The car was designated whites-only. This was a deliberate protest, as there were separate cars designated for blacks. Police officers removed Habersham before the car moved forward. The mayor dismissed the case believing Habersham to be naive and coerced into his actions by others. A group took the same action on July 27, 1872 during a ride to Liberty Street. Three white men pushed the protestors from the streetcar. A large crowd of African Americans saw the incident and blocked the streetcar. One man was knocked down by a white streetcar rider when he grabbed the horse’s bridle to stop and stabilize the car. The next day, Richard W. White, an African American Union Army veteran who went to Oberlin College, attempted to board a whites-only streetcar and was thrown off immediately. African Americans threw bottles at the streetcar, and white citizens began assaulting the African American protestors. That day, more than one thousand African Americans tried to board streetcars and were forcibly removed. The day ended with gun violence on Bull Street near the intersection with Anderson Street. Three African Americans were killed and more wounded. Bullets and shrapnel hit two white women and their children. The next week, Avery Smith, an African American federal customs worker, sued three white men for civil rights violations when he was kicked off of a streetcar. US Commissioner Henry Wayne ruled that Smith had violated the streetcar regulations and disturbed the peace, but the Savannah, Skidaway, and Seaboard Railroad needed to add more streetcars designated for African Americans. Black Savannahians held a two month boycott in response. Emil Pollard, a United States postal employee, and his wife boarded a whites-only street car in August of 1875. Conductors George Willet and George Alley ordered the couple to leave. They did, after initially refusing. A few days later, the conductors were charged with violations of the 1875 Civil Rights Act. On August 15, the US Commissioner ruled that the case had to go to the United States Circuit Court and set bail at $1,000. On November 15, the grand jury indicted the conductors. Despite this initial progress, it was five years later when Judge John Erskine ruled the indictment was insufficient, and the case was closed. Visiting the site:Today Savannah's only streetcars run along River Street. It is free to ride. Sources: Savannah in the New South: From the Civil War to the Twenty-first Century by Walter J. Fraser, University of South Carolina Press, 2018",[907],{"_74":922,"_134":923,"_136":924},[],"City Hall","Today, City Hall dominates the intersection of Bay and Bull streets, where African Americans protested segregated street cars in the 1870s. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k7xjd7ln1vuehsoe5hsbgl25nztt?variant=desktop",{"_105":737,"_102":24,"_134":923,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":926,"_161":927,"_35":538,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":926,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":922,"_173":158},"city_hall.jpg",{"_174":928,"_176":929,"_178":930,"_180":924,"_182":931},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k7xjd7ln1vuehsoe5hsbgl25nztt","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k7xjd7ln1vuehsoe5hsbgl25nztt?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k7xjd7ln1vuehsoe5hsbgl25nztt?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k7xjd7ln1vuehsoe5hsbgl25nztt?variant=lqip",60,"bryan-slave-market-on-ellis-square","Bryan Slave Market on Ellis Square",{"_35":906,"_65":907,"_74":908},{"_35":966,"_65":967,"_74":968},"217 W Bryan St, Savannah, GA 31401, USA","

Slave trader John S. Montmollin had this building built in 1856-57 for $11,500. Shortly later in June 1859, Montmollin died brutally while riding aboard the Steamer John G. Lawton when the ship’s boiler exploded. The disaster, which killed several and injured more, made national news. After Montmollin’s death, Alexander Bryan leased the third floor, as a slave trade and auction facility. Bryan continued to use the building as a “jail and office for the barter and sale of slaves” until several days before Union General William Sherman arrived in Savannah in late December 1864 (Savannah Daily Herald).

In early 1865, the former auction house hosted an informational meeting about Freedpeople settling Georgia’s Sea Islands under General Sherman’s Special Field Order #15. This order, better known as \"forty acres and a mule\", allowed Freepeople to claim confiscated Confederate land for farm settlements. Charles Coffin, a Boston-based journalist recorded the meeting and the building’s details in his 1866 book, Four Years Fighting. Coffin describes walking up to the third floor and envisioning that “thousands of slaves had been dragged, chained in coffle.” The eight foot square auctioneer’s block was still present, as were the iron bars on the window. “In an anteroom at the right women had been stripped and exposed to the gaze of brutal men.” (Coffin 1866)

After prayers and hymns, Union Army Lt. Ketchum answered the Freedmen’s questions, such as, what kind of land title would they receive if they agreed to settle on the confiscated Sea Islands? The Freedmen were reluctant to uproot without a guarantee but were told, “You will have the faith and honor of the United States.” While some declared they would become settlers, their questions proved wise and prescient. By the end of the year, President Lincoln had been assassinated, and President Johnson revoked Sherman’s Special Field Order #15, allowing the white owners to reclaim their land.

The building was also quickly turned into a schoolhouse for newly freed children. Coffin describes the students the day after the meeting, “I saw a school of one hundred colored children assembled, taught by colored teachers, who sat on the auctioneer's platform, from which had risen voices of despair instead of accents of love, brutal cursing instead of Christian teaching. I listened to the recitations, and heard their songs of jubilee. The slave-mart transformed to a school-house!”

Visiting the site:
Businesses currently occupy this building. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation unless you are patronizing the businesses.

Sources:

Savannah Daily Herald, March 20, 1865
Savannah in the New South by Walter Fraser, University of South Carolina Press, 2018
Savannah, Immortal City: Volume I, Civil War Savannah by Barry Sheehy and Cindy Wallace with Vaughnette Goode-Walker, Emerald Book Company, 2011
Four Years of Fighting by Charles Carleton Coffin, 1866

\n\n\n\n\n",32.08080838,-81.09433431,[950,951],"In early 1865, the former auction house hosted an informational meeting about Freedpeople settling Georgia’s Sea Islands under General Sherman’s Special Field Order #15.","Slave trader John S. Montmollin had this building built in 1856-57 for $11,500. Shortly later in June 1859, Montmollin died brutally while riding aboard the Steamer John G. Lawton when the ship’s boiler exploded. The disaster, which killed several and injured more, made national news. After Montmollin’s death, Alexander Bryan leased the third floor, as a slave trade and auction facility. Bryan continued to use the building as a “jail and office for the barter and sale of slaves” until several days before Union General William Sherman arrived in Savannah in late December 1864 (Savannah Daily Herald). In early 1865, the former auction house hosted an informational meeting about Freedpeople settling Georgia’s Sea Islands under General Sherman’s Special Field Order #15. This order, better known as \"forty acres and a mule\", allowed Freepeople to claim confiscated Confederate land for farm settlements. Charles Coffin, a Boston-based journalist recorded the meeting and the building’s details in his 1866 book, Four Years Fighting. Coffin describes walking up to the third floor and envisioning that “thousands of slaves had been dragged, chained in coffle.” The eight foot square auctioneer’s block was still present, as were the iron bars on the window. “In an anteroom at the right women had been stripped and exposed to the gaze of brutal men.” (Coffin 1866)After prayers and hymns, Union Army Lt. Ketchum answered the Freedmen’s questions, such as, what kind of land title would they receive if they agreed to settle on the confiscated Sea Islands? The Freedmen were reluctant to uproot without a guarantee but were told, “You will have the faith and honor of the United States.” While some declared they would become settlers, their questions proved wise and prescient. By the end of the year, President Lincoln had been assassinated, and President Johnson revoked Sherman’s Special Field Order #15, allowing the white owners to reclaim their land. The building was also quickly turned into a schoolhouse for newly freed children. Coffin describes the students the day after the meeting, “I saw a school of one hundred colored children assembled, taught by colored teachers, who sat on the auctioneer's platform, from which had risen voices of despair instead of accents of love, brutal cursing instead of Christian teaching. I listened to the recitations, and heard their songs of jubilee. The slave-mart transformed to a school-house!” Visiting the site:Businesses currently occupy this building. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation unless you are patronizing the businesses. Sources: Savannah Daily Herald, March 20, 1865Savannah in the New South by Walter Fraser, University of South Carolina Press, 2018Savannah, Immortal City: Volume I, Civil War Savannah by Barry Sheehy and Cindy Wallace with Vaughnette Goode-Walker, Emerald Book Company, 2011Four Years of Fighting by Charles Carleton Coffin, 1866\n\n\n\n\n",[933],{"_74":947,"_134":948,"_136":949},[],"Montmollin Building","This was and remains an extremely busy part of Savannah. The Old City Market, a hub of commerce, was nearby, and the recently reclaimed Ellis Square (to the right of this photograph) is a popular gathering spot. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4e3915kmoqvwf4o32ej2rdq08shw?variant=desktop",{"_105":833,"_102":24,"_134":948,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":960,"_161":961,"_35":602,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":960,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":947,"_173":158},{"_105":823,"_102":24,"_134":952,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":953,"_161":954,"_35":580,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":953,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":947,"_173":158},"Make sure you see the (totally unrelated) Johnny Mercer statue on the edge of Ellis Square. Savannah-native Johnny Mercer (1909-1976) was a songwriter, winning multiple Oscars for his songs including \"Moon River\" and \"Days of Wine and Roses\".","Bryan_slave2.jpg",{"_174":955,"_176":956,"_178":957,"_180":958,"_182":959},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/s0zy7t2t8iu1jqmnu3qsoznifc84","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/s0zy7t2t8iu1jqmnu3qsoznifc84?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/s0zy7t2t8iu1jqmnu3qsoznifc84?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/s0zy7t2t8iu1jqmnu3qsoznifc84?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/s0zy7t2t8iu1jqmnu3qsoznifc84?variant=lqip","Bryan_slave.jpg",{"_174":962,"_176":963,"_178":964,"_180":949,"_182":965},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4e3915kmoqvwf4o32ej2rdq08shw","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4e3915kmoqvwf4o32ej2rdq08shw?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4e3915kmoqvwf4o32ej2rdq08shw?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4e3915kmoqvwf4o32ej2rdq08shw?variant=lqip",59,"haitian-monument-in-franklin-square","Haitian Monument in Franklin Square",{"_35":932,"_65":933,"_74":934},{"_35":1058,"_65":1059,"_74":1060},"Franklin Square, Savannah","

The larger story of the 1779 Battle of Savannah is easily available elsewhere (see source section below), so this entry will focus specifically on the Haitian contribution and the associated archaeological work. The Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah began in the very early hours of October 9, 1779. By 5 a.m., the French Caribbean reserve column under the command of Major General Viscount de Noailles took its place on a slight bluff near the Jewish Cemeteries. The main battle took place 400 yards north of this position, as the American allies attacked British-held Savannah. The reserves had a good view of the Spring Hill redoubt (or small fort) and the thorough defeat the British forces handed the American and French allies. After the brief, perhaps 50 to 60 minute, battle, the Americans and their allies fled to the west and south into the swamps, and the British troops pursued them. Noallies and the French West India Troops, including the Volunteer Chasseurs of San Domingo from Haiti, stopped the British counterattack, saving the lives of many. The troops’ actions were of great consequence for a battle with hundreds of casualties, the vast majority American. Their acts did not go unnoticed. Pechot, a sailor, wrote in his journal, “The reserve corps by its good behavior prevented the enemy pursuing the fugitives, the retreat began at seven o’clock, and at midday little groups of men who had lost their way in the swamp were still coming back into the camp” (quoted in Elliott et al 2011). A French Captain de Terson noted the troop’s “good discipline” and said they “so impressed the enemy that they did not dare pursue us” (quoted in Elliott et al 2009).

The Levi Sheftall Cemetery, founded circa 1765 for the Sheftall family, and the Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery, established between 1762 and 1773 for any Jewish person, were built on portions the Sheftall brothers’ five-acre garden plots. The cemeteries remained relatively isolated until the 1850s when the area was developed with both residential buildings and businesses, including railroad activity and the large Savannah Cotton Mill. In 2010, archaeologists explored the surrounding area looking for evidence of this portion of the 1779 battlefield. East of the cemeteries, deep deposits from the later 1800s houses and businesses dominated, and without heavy machinery to remove these upper layers, the archaeologists could not get deep enough to explore the potential Revolutionary War battlefield. Worse, west, south, and north of the cemeteries, the historical soil layers had been stripped away during the construction of Interstate 16 and Garrison Elementary school and playground. Archaeologists consulted with artifact collectors who had metal detected the site during the playground construction. One collector said he saw cannonballs, gunflints, military buttons, a wrought iron axe head, and approximately 300 lead balls (bullets for muskets) removed from the playground, only some of which were in his collection. He made a sketch map of the findings, which showed two lines of lead balls running northeast/southwest and parallel to each other, and he suggested these remained from opposing Haitian and British forces. Despite the collector’s generosity and sharing, he is not a professional archaeologist and his information can only give hints as to battle details.

Archaeologist Rita Elliott (2011) extrapolates the loss of information, “Construction of Garrison Elementary school on this extremely historical site without first implementing a professional archeological investigation is a travesty resulting in a monumental loss to history and the story of the Haitian’s role in the Battle of Savannah. Priceless information about that role could have been recovered had scientific archeological procedures and investigations been undertaken before school construction began… Had the exact locations of these artifacts been mapped with a laser transit, the entire artifact assemblage analyzed completely, and any associated features excavated archeologically, then the story of what actually happened during the final minutes of the battle would have unfolded in concise detail. This would have included the role the Haitian reserve troops and others played; a role currently no more than a footnote in most histories of the battle.”

Further, since the publication of the 2011 report, another apartment complex was built on a property that potentially held deeply buried portions of the battlefield. These examples all demonstrate the necessity of an archaeological ordinance for Savannah.

Visiting the site:
Savannah’s square are public space and always open.

Sources:

Savannah Under Fire, 1779: Identifying Savannah’s Revolutionary War Battlefield Prepared for the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program Grant Agreement No. GA-2255-07-007. by Rita Folse Elliott and Daniel T. Elliott with contributions by Laura E. Seifert. Final Report June 2009. Coastal Heritage Society. Download the report here (caution, this is a very large file).
Savannah Under Fire, 1779: Expanding the Boundaries. Prepared for the National Park Service, Grant Agreement No. 2255-09-004. by Rita Folse Elliott and Daniel T. Elliott with contributions by Laura E. Seifert. Coastal Heritage Society. November 2011. Download the report here (caution, this is a very large file).

\n\n\n\n\n\n",32.0809908,-81.0959016,[983,984,985,986,987,988,989],"The Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah began in the very early hours of October 9, 1779. By 5 a.m., the French Caribbean reserve column under the command of Major General Viscount de Noailles took its place on a slight bluff near the Jewish Cemeteries.","The larger story of the 1779 Battle of Savannah is easily available elsewhere (see source section below), so this entry will focus specifically on the Haitian contribution and the associated archaeological work. The Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah began in the very early hours of October 9, 1779. By 5 a. m., the French Caribbean reserve column under the command of Major General Viscount de Noailles took its place on a slight bluff near the Jewish Cemeteries. The main battle took place 400 yards north of this position, as the American allies attacked British-held Savannah. The reserves had a good view of the Spring Hill redoubt (or small fort) and the thorough defeat the British forces handed the American and French allies. After the brief, perhaps 50 to 60 minute, battle, the Americans and their allies fled to the west and south into the swamps, and the British troops pursued them. Noallies and the French West India Troops, including the Volunteer Chasseurs of San Domingo from Haiti, stopped the British counterattack, saving the lives of many. The troops’ actions were of great consequence for a battle with hundreds of casualties, the vast majority American. Their acts did not go unnoticed. Pechot, a sailor, wrote in his journal, “The reserve corps by its good behavior prevented the enemy pursuing the fugitives, the retreat began at seven o’clock, and at midday little groups of men who had lost their way in the swamp were still coming back into the camp” (quoted in Elliott et al 2011). A French Captain de Terson noted the troop’s “good discipline” and said they “so impressed the enemy that they did not dare pursue us” (quoted in Elliott et al 2009). The Levi Sheftall Cemetery, founded circa 1765 for the Sheftall family, and the Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery, established between 1762 and 1773 for any Jewish person, were built on portions the Sheftall brothers’ five-acre garden plots. The cemeteries remained relatively isolated until the 1850s when the area was developed with both residential buildings and businesses, including railroad activity and the large Savannah Cotton Mill. In 2010, archaeologists explored the surrounding area looking for evidence of this portion of the 1779 battlefield. East of the cemeteries, deep deposits from the later 1800s houses and businesses dominated, and without heavy machinery to remove these upper layers, the archaeologists could not get deep enough to explore the potential Revolutionary War battlefield. Worse, west, south, and north of the cemeteries, the historical soil layers had been stripped away during the construction of Interstate 16 and Garrison Elementary school and playground. Archaeologists consulted with artifact collectors who had metal detected the site during the playground construction. One collector said he saw cannonballs, gunflints, military buttons, a wrought iron axe head, and approximately 300 lead balls (bullets for muskets) removed from the playground, only some of which were in his collection. He made a sketch map of the findings, which showed two lines of lead balls running northeast/southwest and parallel to each other, and he suggested these remained from opposing Haitian and British forces. Despite the collector’s generosity and sharing, he is not a professional archaeologist and his information can only give hints as to battle details. Archaeologist Rita Elliott (2011) extrapolates the loss of information, “Construction of Garrison Elementary school on this extremely historical site without first implementing a professional archeological investigation is a travesty resulting in a monumental loss to history and the story of the Haitian’s role in the Battle of Savannah. Priceless information about that role could have been recovered had scientific archeological procedures and investigations been undertaken before school construction began… Had the exact locations of these artifacts been mapped with a laser transit, the entire artifact assemblage analyzed completely, and any associated features excavated archeologically, then the story of what actually happened during the final minutes of the battle would have unfolded in concise detail. This would have included the role the Haitian reserve troops and others played; a role currently no more than a footnote in most histories of the battle.”Further, since the publication of the 2011 report, another apartment complex was built on a property that potentially held deeply buried portions of the battlefield. These examples all demonstrate the necessity of an archaeological ordinance for Savannah. Visiting the site: Savannah’s square are public space and always open. Sources: Savannah Under Fire, 1779: Identifying Savannah’s Revolutionary War Battlefield Prepared for the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program Grant Agreement No. GA-2255-07-007. by Rita Folse Elliott and Daniel T. Elliott with contributions by Laura E. Seifert. Final Report June 2009. Coastal Heritage Society. Download the report here (caution, this is a very large file).Savannah Under Fire, 1779: Expanding the Boundaries. Prepared for the National Park Service, Grant Agreement No. 2255-09-004. by Rita Folse Elliott and Daniel T. Elliott with contributions by Laura E. Seifert. Coastal Heritage Society. November 2011. Download the report here (caution, this is a very large file).\n\n\n\n\n\n",[967],{"_74":968,"_134":981,"_136":982},[],"The monument memorializes Haitian soldiers, who participated in the 1779 Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah. Individual soldiers' faces were based on modern Savannahians. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/icriztgitq2xni8yjph1t3n6ehg2?variant=desktop",{"_105":864,"_102":24,"_134":981,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1051,"_161":1052,"_35":1053,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":1051,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":968,"_173":158},{"_105":1042,"_102":292,"_134":1043,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1044,"_161":1045,"_35":633,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":1044,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":1036,"_173":158},{"_105":1031,"_102":280,"_134":1032,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1033,"_161":1034,"_35":1035,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":1033,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":1036,"_173":158},{"_105":1020,"_102":269,"_134":1021,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1022,"_161":1023,"_35":1024,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":1022,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":1025,"_173":158},{"_105":235,"_102":257,"_134":1011,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1012,"_161":1013,"_35":1014,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":1012,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":1005,"_173":158},{"_105":994,"_102":243,"_134":1001,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1002,"_161":1003,"_35":1004,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":1002,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":1005,"_173":158},{"_105":990,"_102":231,"_134":991,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":992,"_161":993,"_35":994,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":992,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":995,"_173":158},161,"Mordecai Sheftall cemetery, established 1762-1773, is directly south of the Levi Sheftall cemetery. The French Caribbean troops were stationed here during the 1779 Battle of Savannah. ","JewCem2.jpg",{"_174":996,"_176":997,"_178":998,"_180":999,"_182":1000},177,"Mordecai Sheftall cemetery","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b70pwk828uate580c4n2c7sjlnnt","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b70pwk828uate580c4n2c7sjlnnt?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b70pwk828uate580c4n2c7sjlnnt?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b70pwk828uate580c4n2c7sjlnnt?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b70pwk828uate580c4n2c7sjlnnt?variant=lqip","The entrance to the Levi Sheftall cemetery. ","JewCem.jpg",{"_174":1006,"_176":1007,"_178":1008,"_180":1009,"_182":1010},183,"Levi Sheftall cemetery","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hmdw1yup0se96vyu3eff7xhemir2","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hmdw1yup0se96vyu3eff7xhemir2?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hmdw1yup0se96vyu3eff7xhemir2?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hmdw1yup0se96vyu3eff7xhemir2?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hmdw1yup0se96vyu3eff7xhemir2?variant=lqip","Levi Sheftall cemetery, established 1765, is directly north of the Mordecai Sheftall cemetery. The apartment building rising behind the cemetery walls was built after the 2010 archaeology, effectively eliminating the last of this part of the battlefield. ","JewCem3.jpg",{"_174":1015,"_176":1016,"_178":1017,"_180":1018,"_182":1019},180,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yit6oxhz74viv3hkkm3vvefey66m","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yit6oxhz74viv3hkkm3vvefey66m?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yit6oxhz74viv3hkkm3vvefey66m?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yit6oxhz74viv3hkkm3vvefey66m?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yit6oxhz74viv3hkkm3vvefey66m?variant=lqip",297,"An archaeologist digs dirt from a shovel test pit, while a volunteer shifts the soil through the screen, searching for artifacts. The researchers are searching for evidence of the Haitian volunteers between the two Jewish cemeteries. ","NPS2_342JewCem.jpg",{"_174":1026,"_176":1027,"_178":1028,"_180":1029,"_182":1030},306,"Savannah Under Fire archaeology","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dwekkb1wl7ytbus3mb1cx94a5mp6","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dwekkb1wl7ytbus3mb1cx94a5mp6?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dwekkb1wl7ytbus3mb1cx94a5mp6?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dwekkb1wl7ytbus3mb1cx94a5mp6?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dwekkb1wl7ytbus3mb1cx94a5mp6?variant=lqip",112,"Close-up of one monument panel","Haitian_Monu3.jpg",{"_174":1037,"_176":1038,"_178":1039,"_180":1040,"_182":1041},126,"Haitian Monument","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dft6i0bnie51dpky4ul1kb8un4tp","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dft6i0bnie51dpky4ul1kb8un4tp?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dft6i0bnie51dpky4ul1kb8un4tp?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dft6i0bnie51dpky4ul1kb8un4tp?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dft6i0bnie51dpky4ul1kb8un4tp?variant=lqip",111,"Close-up of the Haitian Monument.","Haitian_Monu2.jpg",{"_174":1046,"_176":1047,"_178":1048,"_180":1049,"_182":1050},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/aa8f1vuaizn9irkx0vqkrndl9sqb","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/aa8f1vuaizn9irkx0vqkrndl9sqb?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/aa8f1vuaizn9irkx0vqkrndl9sqb?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/aa8f1vuaizn9irkx0vqkrndl9sqb?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/aa8f1vuaizn9irkx0vqkrndl9sqb?variant=lqip","Haitian_Monu.jpg",{"_174":1054,"_176":1055,"_178":1056,"_180":982,"_182":1057},127,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/icriztgitq2xni8yjph1t3n6ehg2","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/icriztgitq2xni8yjph1t3n6ehg2?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/icriztgitq2xni8yjph1t3n6ehg2?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/icriztgitq2xni8yjph1t3n6ehg2?variant=lqip",58,"first-african-baptist-church-on-franklin-square","First African Baptist Church on Franklin Square",{"_35":966,"_65":967,"_74":968},{"_35":1148,"_65":1149,"_74":1150},"23 Montgomery St, Savannah, GA 31401","

First African Baptist Church and First Bryan Baptist are two branches of the same tree. First African also traces its roots to Reverend George Liele (some sources spell it Leile) and his Silver Bluff Baptist church formed in 1773. Rev. Jesse Peters revived this church after the American Revolution and helped Rev. Liele baptize the First Colored Baptist Church’s inaugural members.

The tree’s trunk separated during the 1832 schism, which caused Rev. Andrew Cox Marshall to relocate the congregation’s majority to a nearby wooden church on Franklin Square purchased for $1,500. The present church, completed in 1861, replaced this wood frame original. The congregation, enslaved and free individuals, built the current church in their limited free time. The building has deep symbolism and retains many original elements. Decorative ventilation holes throughout are shaped in a West African BaKongo cosmogram, representing birth, life, and rebirth. Light fixtures, originally gas and converted to electricity, and the baptismal pool were originally installed during the pastorate of Reverend Emmanuel King Love, who published a book on the church’s history and helped found Savannah State University (originally named Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth), Morehouse College, and Paine College. The main sanctuary pews were installed in the early 1900s, and the balcony pews are even older. Enslaved congregation members constructed and installed the balcony pews, nailing them to the floor. West African Arabic script from the 1800s decorates the outside of some pews.

Reverend Ralph Mark Gilbert, pastor from 1939 to 1956, was a civil rights advocate who focused on voting rights, getting the city to hire black policemen, and equal teacher pay. He authored passion plays produced in the city auditorium and reorganized the local, youth, and state NAACP chapters. Rev. Gilbert recommended W.W. Law as the local NAACP chapter president, organized the West Broad Street YMCA by purchasing the building from the USO for $50, and helped establish the Greenbriar Orphanage in Carver Village, which is today the Greenbriar Children’s Center.

Listen to an audio postcard from First African Baptist Church (link opens new tab) from Georgia Public Broadcasting's On Second Thought.

Visiting the site:
Sunday School: 9:00am
Sunday Worship: 10:00am
Sacrificial Solitary Prayer Every Wednesday 6:00am
Thursday Bible Study: Walking through the Word 12:00pm and Growing in the Word 6:00pm

Sources:

First Bryan 1788-2001: The Oldest Continuous Black Baptist Church in America. by Charles J. Elmore, 2002, Lewis Publishing Company, Statesboro, Georgia.
History of the First African Baptist Church, From its Organization, January 20th, 1788, to July 1st, 1888. Including the Centennial Celebration, Addresses, Sermons, Etc. by Love, E. K., 1888, Electronic edition available here.
First African Baptist Church website
Keith M. Read collection, MS 921. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries.

\n\n\n\n",32.0813264,-81.0962896,[1077,1078,1079,1080,1081,1082],"First African Baptist Church traces its roots to Reverend George Liele and his Silver Bluff Baptist church formed in 1773. ","First African Baptist Church and First Bryan Baptist are two branches of the same tree. First African also traces its roots to Reverend George Liele (some sources spell it Leile) and his Silver Bluff Baptist church formed in 1773. Rev. Jesse Peters revived this church after the American Revolution and helped Rev. Liele baptize the First Colored Baptist Church’s inaugural members. The tree’s trunk separated during the 1832 schism, which caused Rev. Andrew Cox Marshall to relocate the congregation’s majority to a nearby wooden church on Franklin Square purchased for $1,500. The present church, completed in 1861, replaced this wood frame original. The congregation, enslaved and free individuals, built the current church in their limited free time. The building has deep symbolism and retains many original elements. Decorative ventilation holes throughout are shaped in a West African BaKongo cosmogram, representing birth, life, and rebirth. Light fixtures, originally gas and converted to electricity, and the baptismal pool were originally installed during the pastorate of Reverend Emmanuel King Love, who published a book on the church’s history and helped found Savannah State University (originally named Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth), Morehouse College, and Paine College. The main sanctuary pews were installed in the early 1900s, and the balcony pews are even older. Enslaved congregation members constructed and installed the balcony pews, nailing them to the floor. West African Arabic script from the 1800s decorates the outside of some pews. Reverend Ralph Mark Gilbert, pastor from 1939 to 1956, was a civil rights advocate who focused on voting rights, getting the city to hire black policemen, and equal teacher pay. He authored passion plays produced in the city auditorium and reorganized the local, youth, and state NAACP chapters. Rev. Gilbert recommended W. W. Law as the local NAACP chapter president, organized the West Broad Street YMCA by purchasing the building from the USO for $50, and helped establish the Greenbriar Orphanage in Carver Village, which is today the Greenbriar Children’s Center. Listen to an audio postcard from First African Baptist Church (link opens new tab) from Georgia Public Broadcasting's On Second Thought. Visiting the site: Sunday School: 9:00amSunday Worship: 10:00amSacrificial Solitary Prayer Every Wednesday 6:00amThursday Bible Study: Walking through the Word 12:00pm and Growing in the Word 6:00pmSources:First Bryan 1788-2001: The Oldest Continuous Black Baptist Church in America. by Charles J. Elmore, 2002, Lewis Publishing Company, Statesboro, Georgia. History of the First African Baptist Church, From its Organization, January 20th, 1788, to July 1st, 1888. Including the Centennial Celebration, Addresses, Sermons, Etc. by Love, E. K., 1888, Electronic edition available here. First African Baptist Church websiteKeith M. Read collection, MS 921. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries.\n\n\n\n",[1076,1059],{"_74":1073,"_134":1074,"_136":1075},[],"FIrst African Baptist, circa 1888","Sketch from E.K. Love's \"History of the First African Baptist Church\". Note the much taller, original steeple compared with the modern photograph. This taller steeple was lost in a hurricane and never rebuilt to its original height. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycximj5uakfh0n8eojmp005fr2ff?variant=desktop","first-african-baptist-church-1",{"_105":1138,"_102":24,"_134":1074,"_154":1139,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1140,"_161":1141,"_35":1142,"_164":-5,"_165":1099,"_167":1140,"_168":169,"_170":1143,"_74":1073,"_173":158},{"_105":1129,"_102":292,"_134":1130,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1131,"_161":1132,"_35":614,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":1131,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":1087,"_173":158},{"_105":1119,"_102":280,"_134":1120,"_154":1108,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1121,"_161":1122,"_35":1083,"_164":-5,"_165":1111,"_167":1121,"_168":169,"_170":1112,"_74":1123,"_173":158},{"_105":1106,"_102":269,"_134":1107,"_154":1108,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1109,"_161":1110,"_35":1042,"_164":-5,"_165":1111,"_167":1109,"_168":169,"_170":1112,"_74":1113,"_173":158},{"_105":1093,"_102":257,"_134":1094,"_154":396,"_156":1095,"_157":1096,"_159":1097,"_161":1098,"_35":1099,"_164":257,"_165":166,"_167":1097,"_168":401,"_170":402,"_74":1100,"_173":1096},{"_105":1083,"_102":243,"_134":1084,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1085,"_161":1086,"_35":647,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":1085,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":1087,"_173":158},109,"First African Baptist Church, today, with its shorter steeple.","1st_Afr2.jpg",{"_174":1088,"_176":1089,"_178":1090,"_180":1091,"_182":1092},"First African Baptist Church","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/frd0whfxc047zmkc26j28ccll3zs","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/frd0whfxc047zmkc26j28ccll3zs?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/frd0whfxc047zmkc26j28ccll3zs?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/frd0whfxc047zmkc26j28ccll3zs?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/frd0whfxc047zmkc26j28ccll3zs?variant=lqip",185,"First African Baptist Church, Savannah GA, History Tour","//www.youtube.com/embed/jS1K6Bhu3Hg","jS1K6Bhu3Hg","jS1K6Bhu3Hg.jpg",{"_174":1101,"_176":1102,"_178":1103,"_180":1104,"_182":1105},193,"FABC History","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/okn6j9zegnry4fpd1qfno1nrptcn","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/okn6j9zegnry4fpd1qfno1nrptcn?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/okn6j9zegnry4fpd1qfno1nrptcn?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/okn6j9zegnry4fpd1qfno1nrptcn?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/okn6j9zegnry4fpd1qfno1nrptcn?variant=lqip",97,"An 1833 law made it illegal for people of color to preach to more than seven people without a license. This license, dated June 22, 1857, gives James Mills permission to preach at First African Baptist Church for six months. The license could be revoked at \"any time, good and sufficient cause being shown therefor.\" (Source, Digital Library of Georgia)",1420,"James_Mills.png",{"_174":1114,"_176":1115,"_178":1116,"_180":1117,"_182":1118},284,710,"James Mills' license to preach","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j163lm7vtemh15kworwwbs7rc8sv","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j163lm7vtemh15kworwwbs7rc8sv?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j163lm7vtemh15kworwwbs7rc8sv?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j163lm7vtemh15kworwwbs7rc8sv?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j163lm7vtemh15kworwwbs7rc8sv?variant=lqip",95,"Sketch from E.K. Love's \"History of the First African Baptist Church\"","Rev_Andrew_Marshall.png",{"_174":1124,"_176":1125,"_178":1126,"_180":1127,"_182":1128},"Reverend Andrew Cox Marshall, founding pastor of First African Baptist Church","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zw4nbkntzlenxp9ihbqyw2oi8fo2","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zw4nbkntzlenxp9ihbqyw2oi8fo2?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zw4nbkntzlenxp9ihbqyw2oi8fo2?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zw4nbkntzlenxp9ihbqyw2oi8fo2?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zw4nbkntzlenxp9ihbqyw2oi8fo2?variant=lqip",110,"First African Baptist Church fronts Franklin Square.","1st_Afr.jpg",{"_174":1133,"_176":1134,"_178":1135,"_180":1136,"_182":1137},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/y62c4esvcdlzx3326arkhr8pecgz","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/y62c4esvcdlzx3326arkhr8pecgz?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/y62c4esvcdlzx3326arkhr8pecgz?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/y62c4esvcdlzx3326arkhr8pecgz?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/y62c4esvcdlzx3326arkhr8pecgz?variant=lqip",93,967,"1st_Afr_Baptist_EKLove.png",{"_174":1144,"_176":1145,"_178":1146,"_180":1075,"_182":1147},107,483,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycximj5uakfh0n8eojmp005fr2ff","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycximj5uakfh0n8eojmp005fr2ff?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycximj5uakfh0n8eojmp005fr2ff?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycximj5uakfh0n8eojmp005fr2ff?variant=lqip",57,"first-bryan-baptist-church-aka-third-african-baptist-church","First Bryan Baptist Church (aka Third African Baptist Church)",{"_35":1058,"_65":1059,"_74":1060},"575 W Bryan St, Savannah, GA 31401, USA","

Andrew Bryan founded the First Colored Baptist Church on January 20, 1788 and became the church’s first minister. That first fellowship took place in a Brampton Plantation barn, about three miles southwest of Savannah. Rev. George Liele baptized the original members, Andrew and Hannah Bryan, Kate Hogg, and Hagar Simpson, before leaving for Jamaica to avoid re-enslavement after the Revolutionary War. The fledging church members continued to worship on Brampton Plantation while building a small wooden church in Oglethorpe Ward, Savannah. The congregation purchased the current property for $150 on September 4, 1793. The church was so successful, Rev. Bryan also founded Second African Baptist Church in 1802 and Ogeechee Baptist Church in 1803. Rev. Bryan died a free man on October 6, 1812.

Rev. Andrew Cox Marshall became the church’s second pastor in 1815. He was also a free man, having purchased his and his family’s freedom by building a successful business in drayage, which is short distance transport for the shipping industry. Under Rev. Marshall, the church changed names to the First African Baptist Church in 1822. Ten years later, a schism occurred in the church. Rev. Marshall allowed the controversial Rev. Alexander Campbell to preach and teach his theology of antinominianism, or the idea that grace and faith alone are enough for salvation. The congregation’s majority followed Rev. Marshall who purchased a nearby church on Franklin Square for $1,500 and retained the name First African Baptist Church. The rest of the congregation stayed with Deacon Johnson and a new pastor, Rev. Anderson, under the new name, Third African Baptist.

These early churches, along with many others, were places of critical spiritual and social strength. Examples can be seen in the church leaders' important work. Subsequent pastors included Rev. John Benjamin DeVeaux, whose wife Catherine and daughter Jane ran a clandestine school prior to the Civil War, and whose grandson John H. founded the Savannah Tribune newspaper in 1875. Rev. Ulysses Houston succeeded Rev. Garrison Frazier in 1861. It was under Houston that the church’s name changed to First Bryan Baptist Church, to honor founder Andrew Bryan. Houston was a Free Mason, organized black settlers on Skidaway Island after the Civil War, and brought black operatic star Madame Marie Selika to the Savannah Theater for a January 1889 concert, raising money for the church while also showcasing an internationally-recognized talent. Rev. George W. Griffin created the Workingman Loan and Building Association to support black entrepreneurship and was a strong supporter of McKane’s hospital, helping with fundraising.

Light is a critical design element in the current building, built in 1873 to replace the wood church. The white stucco walls and very large vertical windows illuminate the space. While a choir was added in 1945 and electric lights have replaced gas lights, very little else has been altered since 1888.

Noted Civil Rights leader W.W. Law was a member of First Bryan. He graduated from Beach High School in 1942 and earned a B.S. from Georgia State College in 1948. During this time, he was President of the NAACP Youth Council. Law was a United States Postal Service letter carrier for 40 years while continuing his civil rights work as President of the NAACP Savannah Chapter from 1950 to 1976. Law did critical historic preservation work and helped found the King-Tisdell Foundation, Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, and the Beach Institute.

Visiting the church:
Sunday Regular Worship Service: 10:45am
Tuesday Bible Study: 12pm
Tuesday Evening Bible Study: 6:30pm

Sources:

First Bryan 1788-2001: The Oldest Continuous Black Baptist Church in America. By Charles J. Elmore, 2002, Lewis Publishing Company, Statesboro, Georgia.
Savannah Georgia: Black American Series. by Charles J. Elmore, 2000, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC.
First Bryan National Register Nomination
The First Colored Baptist Church in North America Constituted at Savannah, Georgia 20 January AD 1788 with Biographical Sketches of the Pastors. by James M. Simms, 1888 JB Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. Read an electronic version here.

\n\n\n\n",32.0820719,-81.0990408,[1166,1167,1168,1169,1170,1171],"Andrew Bryan founded the First Colored Baptist Church on January 20, 1788 and became the church’s first minister. ","Andrew Bryan founded the First Colored Baptist Church on January 20, 1788 and became the church’s first minister. That first fellowship took place in a Brampton Plantation barn, about three miles southwest of Savannah. Rev. George Liele baptized the original members, Andrew and Hannah Bryan, Kate Hogg, and Hagar Simpson, before leaving for Jamaica to avoid re-enslavement after the Revolutionary War. The fledging church members continued to worship on Brampton Plantation while building a small wooden church in Oglethorpe Ward, Savannah. The congregation purchased the current property for $150 on September 4, 1793. The church was so successful, Rev. Bryan also founded Second African Baptist Church in 1802 and Ogeechee Baptist Church in 1803. Rev. Bryan died a free man on October 6, 1812.Rev. Andrew Cox Marshall became the church’s second pastor in 1815. He was also a free man, having purchased his and his family’s freedom by building a successful business in drayage, which is short distance transport for the shipping industry. Under Rev. Marshall, the church changed names to the First African Baptist Church in 1822. Ten years later, a schism occurred in the church. Rev. Marshall allowed the controversial Rev. Alexander Campbell to preach and teach his theology of antinominianism, or the idea that grace and faith alone are enough for salvation. The congregation’s majority followed Rev. Marshall who purchased a nearby church on Franklin Square for $1,500 and retained the name First African Baptist Church. The rest of the congregation stayed with Deacon Johnson and a new pastor, Rev. Anderson, under the new name, Third African Baptist. These early churches, along with many others, were places of critical spiritual and social strength. Examples can be seen in the church leaders' important work. Subsequent pastors included Rev. John Benjamin DeVeaux, whose wife Catherine and daughter Jane ran a clandestine school prior to the Civil War, and whose grandson John H. founded the Savannah Tribune newspaper in 1875. Rev. Ulysses Houston succeeded Rev. Garrison Frazier in 1861. It was under Houston that the church’s name changed to First Bryan Baptist Church, to honor founder Andrew Bryan. Houston was a Free Mason, organized black settlers on Skidaway Island after the Civil War, and brought black operatic star Madame Marie Selika to the Savannah Theater for a January 1889 concert, raising money for the church while also showcasing an internationally-recognized talent. Rev. George W. Griffin created the Workingman Loan and Building Association to support black entrepreneurship and was a strong supporter of McKane’s hospital, helping with fundraising. Light is a critical design element in the current building, built in 1873 to replace the wood church. The white stucco walls and very large vertical windows illuminate the space. While a choir was added in 1945 and electric lights have replaced gas lights, very little else has been altered since 1888. Noted Civil Rights leader W. W. Law was a member of First Bryan. He graduated from Beach High School in 1942 and earned a B. S. from Georgia State College in 1948. During this time, he was President of the NAACP Youth Council. Law was a United States Postal Service letter carrier for 40 years while continuing his civil rights work as President of the NAACP Savannah Chapter from 1950 to 1976. Law did critical historic preservation work and helped found the King-Tisdell Foundation, Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, and the Beach Institute. Visiting the church: Sunday Regular Worship Service: 10:45amTuesday Bible Study: 12pmTuesday Evening Bible Study: 6:30pmSources: First Bryan 1788-2001: The Oldest Continuous Black Baptist Church in America. By Charles J. Elmore, 2002, Lewis Publishing Company, Statesboro, Georgia. Savannah Georgia: Black American Series. by Charles J. Elmore, 2000, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC. First Bryan National Register NominationThe First Colored Baptist Church in North America Constituted at Savannah, Georgia 20 January AD 1788 with Biographical Sketches of the Pastors. by James M. Simms, 1888 JB Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. Read an electronic version here. \n\n\n\n",[1165,1149],{"_74":1162,"_134":1163,"_136":1164},[],"First Bryan Baptist Church sketch","Post-Civil War image of First Bryan Baptist Church from James Simms' book. Source: Georgia Encyclopedia.","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z0gmet2wjei5vdap5y5qz4tchlly?variant=desktop","first-bryan-baptist-church-1",{"_105":1224,"_102":24,"_134":1163,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1225,"_161":1226,"_35":699,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":1225,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":1162,"_173":158},{"_105":1214,"_102":292,"_134":1215,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1216,"_161":1217,"_35":593,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":1216,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":1218,"_173":158},{"_105":1202,"_102":280,"_134":1120,"_154":1203,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1204,"_161":1205,"_35":1129,"_164":-5,"_165":1206,"_167":1204,"_168":169,"_170":1207,"_74":1208,"_173":158},{"_105":166,"_102":269,"_134":1192,"_154":155,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1193,"_161":1194,"_35":1195,"_164":-5,"_165":166,"_167":1193,"_168":169,"_170":171,"_74":1196,"_173":158},{"_105":1142,"_102":257,"_134":1182,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1183,"_161":1184,"_35":1185,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":1183,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":1186,"_173":158},{"_105":1172,"_102":243,"_134":1173,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1174,"_161":1175,"_35":624,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":1174,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":1176,"_173":158},108,"Close-up of the Reverend Liele memorial in front of the church.","1st_Bryan2.jpg",{"_174":1177,"_176":1178,"_178":1179,"_180":1180,"_182":1181},"Rev. Liele Memorial","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7gtendrw6c2flxz3g2ny4nf5s7qq","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7gtendrw6c2flxz3g2ny4nf5s7qq?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7gtendrw6c2flxz3g2ny4nf5s7qq?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7gtendrw6c2flxz3g2ny4nf5s7qq?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7gtendrw6c2flxz3g2ny4nf5s7qq?variant=lqip","The Rev. Liele (spellings vary) memorial stands in front of the church he helped start, First Bryan Baptist.","1st_Bryan3.jpg",{"_174":1187,"_176":1188,"_178":1189,"_180":1190,"_182":1191},121,"Reverend George Liele memorial","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ubto6yllk0iaezswl8ihnye7yel","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ubto6yllk0iaezswl8ihnye7yel?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ubto6yllk0iaezswl8ihnye7yel?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ubto6yllk0iaezswl8ihnye7yel?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ubto6yllk0iaezswl8ihnye7yel?variant=lqip","Interior of the First Bryan Baptist Church. Source: National Register of Historic Places nomination form, National Park Service.","1st_Bryan_NPS_nom2.jpg",{"_174":1197,"_176":1198,"_178":1199,"_180":1200,"_182":1201},309,"First Bryan Baptist Church interior","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3zqu8hja5agr9m45sq0ppdrcmdk1","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3zqu8hja5agr9m45sq0ppdrcmdk1?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3zqu8hja5agr9m45sq0ppdrcmdk1?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3zqu8hja5agr9m45sq0ppdrcmdk1?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3zqu8hja5agr9m45sq0ppdrcmdk1?variant=lqip",96,1368,"Rev_Andrew_Bryan.png",{"_174":1209,"_176":1210,"_178":1211,"_180":1212,"_182":1213},274,684,"Reverend Andrew Bryan, the church's first pastor","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dtoql79bojwhrypz0ryt1x1qt14p","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dtoql79bojwhrypz0ryt1x1qt14p?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dtoql79bojwhrypz0ryt1x1qt14p?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dtoql79bojwhrypz0ryt1x1qt14p?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dtoql79bojwhrypz0ryt1x1qt14p?variant=lqip",106,"First Bryan Baptist Church's front facade","1st_Bryan.jpg",{"_174":1219,"_176":1220,"_178":1221,"_180":1222,"_182":1223},"First Bryan Baptist Church","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ps82ily81u6lhg0ncuqg224w5giv","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ps82ily81u6lhg0ncuqg224w5giv?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ps82ily81u6lhg0ncuqg224w5giv?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ps82ily81u6lhg0ncuqg224w5giv?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ps82ily81u6lhg0ncuqg224w5giv?variant=lqip",91,"first_bryan_encyclo.jpg",{"_174":1227,"_176":1228,"_178":1229,"_180":1164,"_182":1230},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z0gmet2wjei5vdap5y5qz4tchlly","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z0gmet2wjei5vdap5y5qz4tchlly?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z0gmet2wjei5vdap5y5qz4tchlly?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/z0gmet2wjei5vdap5y5qz4tchlly?variant=lqip","buried-history-savannah-s-african-american-legacy","The Kiah House","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/erwnco7moy7cxjrpt5rxg94i8ucj?variant=desktop",{"_105":1244,"_35":24,"_74":1245},{"_105":1242,"_35":292,"_74":1243},{"_105":1240,"_35":280,"_74":1241},{"_105":1238,"_35":269,"_74":1239},20,"WALKING",19,"TRANSIT",18,"DRIVING",17,"BICYCLING",{"_105":313,"_102":292,"_134":158,"_154":333,"_156":-5,"_157":158,"_159":1247,"_161":1248,"_35":1249,"_164":-5,"_165":336,"_167":1247,"_168":169,"_170":337,"_74":1232,"_173":158},"Kiah_First.jpg",{"_174":1250,"_176":1251,"_178":1252,"_180":1233,"_182":1253},184,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/erwnco7moy7cxjrpt5rxg94i8ucj","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/erwnco7moy7cxjrpt5rxg94i8ucj?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/erwnco7moy7cxjrpt5rxg94i8ucj?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/erwnco7moy7cxjrpt5rxg94i8ucj?variant=lqip",{"_102":24,"_105":257,"_35":257,"_74":1255,"_65":1256,"_1257":1258,"_121":26,"_1259":24},"Introduction","introduction","body","

Buried History: Savannah’s African American Legacy shares stories of black Savannahians, highlighting their contributions to Savannah’s history, economy, and culture. Buried History will take you to archaeological sites and reveal history that is often forgotten and ignored. Explore publicly available historical sites such as Mother Matilda Beasley's house. Read hidden stories of well known landmarks such as violence in Wright Square during the 1868 presidential election, the Whitefield Square cemetery, and the slave market next to the Customs House. The app also tells stories of persistence and success, such as the Kiah Museum and First Bryan Baptist Church. The tour is available in two digital versions: this walking tour of downtown and a driving tour that takes you beyond downtown. \n

\nTips for operating the web app:\n

In order to make the app work properly, your phone’s GPS will need to be on and you will need to give the app permission to use your GPS. Access those permissions via the top left menu (the icon has three lines). This menu also has \"tour home,\" which takes you to this tour's main page, and \"Introduction,\" which is this page you are reading.
If the directions still are not working, ensure the location services or GPS is enabled for your web browser. For iPhones, this should be found under Settings> Privacy> Location Services> Safari Websites> While using the app.
From the main page, navigate the app either with the Map (middle button at the bottom) or Stops (bottom right). The Info button (bottom left) is the home screen.
From the \"Stops\" button, you can click on any Stop, or start from the beginning. The \"Map\" button allows you do to the same, but choosing the stops from the map.
Once you click on a stop, the \"Info\" button will show you pictures and text about that particular location. Click on any picture to get the full view and caption. Swipe through (or click the pictures' right or left sides) to see more pictures.
At each stop, the \"Map\" button will show you the location of the stop, Click the \"walking\" button to choose transportation mode (walking, bicycling, driving, or transit). Click directions to get turn-by-turn directions from your location to the stop.
Also at each stop, Click previous or next to advance to the next Stop without going back to the main page.
Click the headphone icon and the app will read the text to you. Click the double line “pause” button to stop the audio.
If you have technical problems with the app, email ecds@emory.edu. The author is responsible for all content, email savarchaeoalliance@gmail.com with content questions or concerns.
You can do any portion of the tour, in any order, but the original order is mostly chronological.\n\nThe digital tours work best on smartphones or tablets with cellular data while walking or driving around, however it will also work on tablets and desktops for home and classroom use.

\nDowntown Savannah is very walkable, but please use caution, especially at night. This walking tour is 3.5 miles long and approximately one hour and fifteen minutes of walking time. The first 14 stops are only 2.2 miles and approximately 50 minutes of walking. The last two stops are another 1.3 miles and 30 minutes of walking, but bring you closer to the starting point. You can do any portion of the tour, in any order, but the original order is mostly chronological. The digital tours work best on smartphones or tablets with cellular data while walking or driving around, however, it will also work on tablets and desktops for home and classroom use.

This project is supported by Georgia Humanities, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development through funding from the Georgia Assembly. \n\n\n

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