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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 the hotel’s footprint, on land owned by Coastal Heritage Society, which also sponsored the dig. The second excavation was one block south (corner of Purse and West Charlton streets). In order to preserve the last two original Railroad Ward houses, Coastal Heritage Society had to move the one-story white house one lot north and turn the house 180 degrees, from facing Jones Street to its current location facing West Charlton. Prior to relocation, 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","lat",32.07515732,"lng",-81.10080913,[140,141,142,143,144,145,146,147,148,149,150,151],"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.","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 the hotel’s footprint, on land owned by Coastal Heritage Society, which also sponsored the dig. The second excavation was one block south (corner of Purse and West Charlton streets). In order to preserve the last two original Railroad Ward houses, Coastal Heritage Society had to move the one-story white house one lot north and turn the house 180 degrees, from facing Jones Street to its current location facing West Charlton. Prior to relocation, 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. 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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",{"_175":191,"_177":192,"_179":193,"_181":194,"_183":195},290,"Railroad Ward","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vd76p5b5reph503ju0nepeo5hh59","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vd76p5b5reph503ju0nepeo5hh59?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vd76p5b5reph503ju0nepeo5hh59?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vd76p5b5reph503ju0nepeo5hh59?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vd76p5b5reph503ju0nepeo5hh59?variant=lqip",279,10," 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",{"_175":203,"_177":204,"_179":205,"_181":206,"_183":207},288,"Railroad Ward home","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qwdv6bbnairxsk5ab81d4pfuzizg","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qwdv6bbnairxsk5ab81d4pfuzizg?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qwdv6bbnairxsk5ab81d4pfuzizg?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qwdv6bbnairxsk5ab81d4pfuzizg?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qwdv6bbnairxsk5ab81d4pfuzizg?variant=lqip",285,9,"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",{"_175":214,"_177":215,"_179":216,"_181":217,"_183":218},294,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8onffeqmqy4dddeo5mgpwm5c5koi","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8onffeqmqy4dddeo5mgpwm5c5koi?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8onffeqmqy4dddeo5mgpwm5c5koi?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8onffeqmqy4dddeo5mgpwm5c5koi?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8onffeqmqy4dddeo5mgpwm5c5koi?variant=lqip",280,8,"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",{"_175":226,"_177":227,"_179":228,"_181":229,"_183":230},289,"Railroad Ward homes","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ek5cvzzvss8umk8r0fm4dbzrnq6","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ek5cvzzvss8umk8r0fm4dbzrnq6?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ek5cvzzvss8umk8r0fm4dbzrnq6?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ek5cvzzvss8umk8r0fm4dbzrnq6?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/7ek5cvzzvss8umk8r0fm4dbzrnq6?variant=lqip",276,7,"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",{"_175":237,"_177":238,"_179":239,"_181":240,"_183":241},"Railroad Ward houses","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lk2sdc2pskdkyj9cddnt961txser","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lk2sdc2pskdkyj9cddnt961txser?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lk2sdc2pskdkyj9cddnt961txser?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lk2sdc2pskdkyj9cddnt961txser?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/lk2sdc2pskdkyj9cddnt961txser?variant=lqip",284,6,"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",{"_175":252,"_177":253,"_179":254,"_181":255,"_183":256},293,270,675,"Railroad Ward archaeology","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qxpne7z85z893ygc8bhcmp3ikat5","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qxpne7z85z893ygc8bhcmp3ikat5?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qxpne7z85z893ygc8bhcmp3ikat5?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qxpne7z85z893ygc8bhcmp3ikat5?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qxpne7z85z893ygc8bhcmp3ikat5?variant=lqip",286,5,"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",{"_175":263,"_177":264,"_179":265,"_181":266,"_183":267},295,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/awskyxedwkav4sy0iowz8av8jmti","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/awskyxedwkav4sy0iowz8av8jmti?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/awskyxedwkav4sy0iowz8av8jmti?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/awskyxedwkav4sy0iowz8av8jmti?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/awskyxedwkav4sy0iowz8av8jmti?variant=lqip",282,4,"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",{"_175":274,"_177":275,"_179":276,"_181":277,"_183":278},291,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h651sulwslxrdxcij4gfgcd1cv4b","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h651sulwslxrdxcij4gfgcd1cv4b?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h651sulwslxrdxcij4gfgcd1cv4b?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h651sulwslxrdxcij4gfgcd1cv4b?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h651sulwslxrdxcij4gfgcd1cv4b?variant=lqip",278,3,"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",{"_175":286,"_177":287,"_179":288,"_181":289,"_183":290},287,"Railroad Ward hotels","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rj9g0qw370cqdkqt8wi805x6ol3q","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rj9g0qw370cqdkqt8wi805x6ol3q?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rj9g0qw370cqdkqt8wi805x6ol3q?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rj9g0qw370cqdkqt8wi805x6ol3q?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rj9g0qw370cqdkqt8wi805x6ol3q?variant=lqip",2,"Close-up of the 1888 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of the Railroad Ward and Central of Georgia rail shops. ","RR_Ward_Sanborn2.png",{"_175":296,"_177":297,"_179":298,"_181":299,"_183":300},297,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ozch4clx5plynjlmao4pc7lctpqv","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ozch4clx5plynjlmao4pc7lctpqv?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ozch4clx5plynjlmao4pc7lctpqv?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ozch4clx5plynjlmao4pc7lctpqv?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ozch4clx5plynjlmao4pc7lctpqv?variant=lqip","RR_Ward_Sanborn.png",{"_175":304,"_177":305,"_179":306,"_181":136,"_183":307},296,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bejlf1i2f1l33aoo6ajm382ztga2","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bejlf1i2f1l33aoo6ajm382ztga2?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bejlf1i2f1l33aoo6ajm382ztga2?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bejlf1i2f1l33aoo6ajm382ztga2?variant=lqip",88,"reverend-ralph-mark-gilbert-civil-rights-museum","Reverend Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum",{"_36":107,"_65":124,"_74":127},16,{"_36":349,"_65":350,"_74":351},"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 led black voter drives that resulted in the election of 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, helped to organize 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 winds 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:
Georgia Encyclopedia, Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum

",32.0720779,-81.0999968,[328,329],"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. 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 led black voter drives that resulted in the election of 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, helped to organize 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 winds 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: Georgia Encyclopedia, Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum",[326,327,309],{"_74":324,"_133":159,"_135":325},[],"Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j95hblhvxqm17l4ys4xupxx43g40?variant=desktop","ralph-mark-gilbert-civil-rights-museum","ralph-mark-gilbert-civil-rights-museum-2",{"_106":342,"_103":23,"_133":159,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":343,"_162":344,"_36":242,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":343,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":324,"_174":159},{"_106":330,"_103":291,"_133":331,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":333,"_162":334,"_36":152,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":333,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":324,"_174":159},274,"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",{"_175":337,"_177":338,"_179":339,"_181":340,"_183":341},225,563,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nmy65k8sgitea88np37euffo9af2","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nmy65k8sgitea88np37euffo9af2?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nmy65k8sgitea88np37euffo9af2?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nmy65k8sgitea88np37euffo9af2?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/nmy65k8sgitea88np37euffo9af2?variant=lqip",275,"civil_rights.jpg",{"_175":345,"_177":346,"_179":347,"_181":325,"_183":348},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j95hblhvxqm17l4ys4xupxx43g40","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j95hblhvxqm17l4ys4xupxx43g40?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j95hblhvxqm17l4ys4xupxx43g40?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/j95hblhvxqm17l4ys4xupxx43g40?variant=lqip",87,"savannah-pharmacy","Savannah Pharmacy",{"_36":308,"_65":309,"_74":310},15,{"_36":414,"_65":415,"_74":416},"916 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Savannah, GA 31415, USA","

Lee Chemical Company of Albany, Georgia, founded the Savannah Pharmacy around 1907. Dr. Walter E. Moody and Dr. Joseph Earl Fonvielle bought the Pharmacy in 1914. While the main store was at 719 West Broad Street (MLK Jr. Blvd today), they also operated branches on Fahm Street, Randolph Street, West Bay Avenue, and Augusta Avenue. Drs. Moody and Fonvielle mixed their own patented medicines including the all-purpose “Yamacraw Chill Tonic” and the cold medicine “Long Ease”.

When Dr. Moody died in 1942, Dr. Fonvielle took over the business, which would eventually be run by three generations of his family. Joseph Earl’s daughter, Frances, became the next pharmacist and company president from 1955 until her 1998 death. The Interstate 16 fly-over, built in the early 1960s, forced the demolition of West Broad Street’s 600 and 700 blocks, including Savannah Pharmacy’s main store. Frances Fonvielle built a new store at 916 West Broad, which opened in 1964. This two-story building, the Fonvielle Office Building, cost $75,000.

The pharmacy closed in 2007, the victim of national chains and discount stores, desegregation, and the general decline of West Broad street, trigged by the I-16 fly-over construction. At this time, the pharmacy was Savannah’s second oldest, continuously operating black business. The City of Savannah bought the building in 2009, anticipating renovating the building for office space. The City’s Municipal Archives saved documents and a few objects that remained in the building, and the building was placed on the National Register for Historic Places in 2013. However, the building was deemed structurally unsound and was demolished in 2014. Because the building has been demolished, click on links in the Sources section to see newspaper photographs.

Third generation Savannah Pharmacy owner William Fonvielle gives final thoughts on Savannah’s urban revitalization to an oral history interviewer:
“The city of Savannah needs to take a good look at what they have done to the black business community and think about putting some money down here. You can't revitalize because revitalization to me means that you're going to have a reasonable facsimile of what was. You can't do that. But why not get some new blood down here. You've got all these decaying buildings. You've got the expertise. You've got the people with the trades that know how to do things. Why not take a chance on them? You can only lose. Hell, we lost, we lost this whole street. So it's not like any big deal. So those would be my parting words that the city of Savannah needs to take a look at what they did in the '60s to the black business community and try to make some of this thing come. I'm not going to say like reparations or anything like that because I'm not looking for that, but if you want it revitalized and we're part of the revitalization, then give us something to work with down here. Don't keep saying there's money. There's money. Yeah, there's money, and I can't borrow it. That doesn't mean there's money. So I don't need these loans, ML King loans and all this stuff if I've got good credit because that means I can go to the bank. So most black business people don't have good credit. They need help, and it's up to the city of Savannah to help them because they owe us. They owe us, and when I say they owe us, I mean the south end of Martin Luther King, which they destroyed which will never come back. You will only be able to see it in pictures. Okay.”

You can listen to or read the whole interview here.

Sources:

City Talk: Sale of Public Buildings Changing Character of Historic District. by Bill Dawers, Savannah Morning News September 8, 2018.
Oral History Interview with William Fonvielle, August 2, 2002. Interview R-0174. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007). Available online here.
Savannah Pharmacy Records and Fonvielle Family Papers, Finding Aid, City of Savannah Municipal Archives.
Savannah Residents Remember Frogtown And Old West Broad Street, by Gabrielle Ware. Georgia Public Broadcasting, October 13, 2015. Available online here.
Savannah Pharmacy to Honor Past, Build on Future by Lesley Conn, Savannah Morning News, August 22, 2011. Available online here.

",32.06728113,-81.10201891,[367,368,369,370],"Lee Chemical Company of Albany, Georgia, founded the Savannah Pharmacy around 1907. Dr. Walter E. Moody and Dr. Joseph Earl Fonvielle bought the Pharmacy in 1914. While the main store was at 719 West Broad Street (MLK Jr. Blvd today), they also operated branches on Fahm Street, Randolph Street, West Bay Avenue, and Augusta Avenue. Drs. Moody and Fonvielle mixed their own patented medicines including the all-purpose “Yamacraw Chill Tonic” and the cold medicine “Long Ease”.","Lee Chemical Company of Albany, Georgia, founded the Savannah Pharmacy around 1907. Dr. Walter E. Moody and Dr. Joseph Earl Fonvielle bought the Pharmacy in 1914. While the main store was at 719 West Broad Street (MLK Jr. Blvd today), they also operated branches on Fahm Street, Randolph Street, West Bay Avenue, and Augusta Avenue. Drs. Moody and Fonvielle mixed their own patented medicines including the all-purpose “Yamacraw Chill Tonic” and the cold medicine “Long Ease”. When Dr. Moody died in 1942, Dr. Fonvielle took over the business, which would eventually be run by three generations of his family. Joseph Earl’s daughter, Frances, became the next pharmacist and company president from 1955 until her 1998 death. The Interstate 16 fly-over, built in the early 1960s, forced the demolition of West Broad Street’s 600 and 700 blocks, including Savannah Pharmacy’s main store. Frances Fonvielle built a new store at 916 West Broad, which opened in 1964. This two-story building, the Fonvielle Office Building, cost $75,000. The pharmacy closed in 2007, the victim of national chains and discount stores, desegregation, and the general decline of West Broad street, trigged by the I-16 fly-over construction. At this time, the pharmacy was Savannah’s second oldest, continuously operating black business. The City of Savannah bought the building in 2009, anticipating renovating the building for office space. The City’s Municipal Archives saved documents and a few objects that remained in the building, and the building was placed on the National Register for Historic Places in 2013. However, the building was deemed structurally unsound and was demolished in 2014. Because the building has been demolished, click on links in the Sources section to see newspaper photographs. Third generation Savannah Pharmacy owner William Fonvielle gives final thoughts on Savannah’s urban revitalization to an oral history interviewer:“The city of Savannah needs to take a good look at what they have done to the black business community and think about putting some money down here. You can't revitalize because revitalization to me means that you're going to have a reasonable facsimile of what was. You can't do that. But why not get some new blood down here. You've got all these decaying buildings. You've got the expertise. You've got the people with the trades that know how to do things. Why not take a chance on them? You can only lose. Hell, we lost, we lost this whole street. So it's not like any big deal. So those would be my parting words that the city of Savannah needs to take a look at what they did in the '60s to the black business community and try to make some of this thing come. I'm not going to say like reparations or anything like that because I'm not looking for that, but if you want it revitalized and we're part of the revitalization, then give us something to work with down here. Don't keep saying there's money. There's money. Yeah, there's money, and I can't borrow it. That doesn't mean there's money. So I don't need these loans, ML King loans and all this stuff if I've got good credit because that means I can go to the bank. So most black business people don't have good credit. They need help, and it's up to the city of Savannah to help them because they owe us. They owe us, and when I say they owe us, I mean the south end of Martin Luther King, which they destroyed which will never come back. You will only be able to see it in pictures. Okay.”You can listen to or read the whole interview here. Sources:City Talk: Sale of Public Buildings Changing Character of Historic District. by Bill Dawers, Savannah Morning News September 8, 2018. Oral History Interview with William Fonvielle, August 2, 2002. Interview R-0174. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007). Available online here. Savannah Pharmacy Records and Fonvielle Family Papers, Finding Aid, City of Savannah Municipal Archives. Savannah Residents Remember Frogtown And Old West Broad Street, by Gabrielle Ware. Georgia Public Broadcasting, October 13, 2015. Available online here. Savannah Pharmacy to Honor Past, Build on Future by Lesley Conn, Savannah Morning News, August 22, 2011. Available online here.",[350],{"_74":351,"_133":365,"_135":366},[],"Empty lot where the Savannah Pharmacy once stood.","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/9e2xaek44a3rh00q33sw367165bm?variant=desktop",{"_106":407,"_103":23,"_133":365,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":408,"_162":409,"_36":268,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":408,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":351,"_174":159},{"_106":396,"_103":291,"_133":397,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":398,"_162":399,"_36":400,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":398,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":401,"_174":159},{"_106":382,"_103":291,"_133":383,"_155":384,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":385,"_162":386,"_36":387,"_165":-5,"_166":388,"_168":385,"_169":170,"_171":389,"_74":390,"_174":159},{"_106":371,"_103":280,"_133":372,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":373,"_162":374,"_36":375,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":373,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":376,"_174":159},312,"Savannah Pharmacy advertisement in the June 29, 1918, Savannah Tribune. ","Fonvielle_Savannah_Tribune_1918-06-29_Eight_copy.jpg",{"_175":377,"_177":378,"_179":379,"_181":380,"_183":381},361,"Savannah Tribune 1918 advertisement","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/u04c1fkwq49on9ypwrk7pxy41qh3","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/u04c1fkwq49on9ypwrk7pxy41qh3?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/u04c1fkwq49on9ypwrk7pxy41qh3?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/u04c1fkwq49on9ypwrk7pxy41qh3?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/u04c1fkwq49on9ypwrk7pxy41qh3?variant=lqip",311,"Savannah Tribune newspaper article on Drs. Moody and Fonvielle taking over the Savannah Pharmacy in the fall of 1915.",944,"Fonvielle_Savannah_Tribune_1915-09-11__One__copy.jpg",{"_175":391,"_177":392,"_179":393,"_181":394,"_183":395},360,189,472,"1915 Savannah Tribune article","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bygrkcd2r31y7jfyyyjo3i7exgie","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bygrkcd2r31y7jfyyyjo3i7exgie?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bygrkcd2r31y7jfyyyjo3i7exgie?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bygrkcd2r31y7jfyyyjo3i7exgie?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/bygrkcd2r31y7jfyyyjo3i7exgie?variant=lqip",310,"Savannah Pharmacy advertisement from the January 4, 1919, Savannah Tribune newspaper. ","Fonvielle_Savannah_Tribune_1919-01-04_Page_Seven_copy.jpg",{"_175":402,"_177":403,"_179":404,"_181":405,"_183":406},359,"Savannah Tribune advertisement","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5mi14mjb91l7cx4kb54akmsj039","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5mi14mjb91l7cx4kb54akmsj039?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5mi14mjb91l7cx4kb54akmsj039?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5mi14mjb91l7cx4kb54akmsj039?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/n5mi14mjb91l7cx4kb54akmsj039?variant=lqip",273,"Pharmacy.jpg",{"_175":410,"_177":411,"_179":412,"_181":366,"_183":413},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/9e2xaek44a3rh00q33sw367165bm","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/9e2xaek44a3rh00q33sw367165bm?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/9e2xaek44a3rh00q33sw367165bm?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/9e2xaek44a3rh00q33sw367165bm?variant=lqip",86,"laurel-grove-south","Laurel Grove South ",{"_36":349,"_65":350,"_74":351},14,{"_36":480,"_65":481,"_74":482},"2101 Kollock St, Savannah, GA 31415, USA","

Laurel Grove Cemetery is split in two sections: Laurel Grove North, where white people are traditionally buried, and Laurel Grove South, where African Americans are traditionally buried. This cemetery, as well as Bonaventure Cemetery, was created in the early 1850s because of extreme overcrowding in Colonial Park Cemetery. Prior to its designation as a burial ground, the land was Springfield Plantation. The cemetery’s name comes from the native laurel oak trees on site. Originally only four acres, today Laurel Grove South spreads over 90 acres.

Laurel Grove South replaced the Whitefield Square cemetery. Reverend Andrew Bryan of First Bryan Baptist Church and Reverend Henry Cunningham of Second African Baptist Church were disinterred from Whitefield Square and placed in Laurel Grove South, although there are conflicting accounts as to whether the bodies were actually moved.

Laurel Grove South has several special and unique features. Prior to the Civil War, more free African Americans were buried here than anywhere else in the South. There are many diverse and unique styles of headstones such as cement headstones, vernacular headstone molds, handmade headstones, and hand-stamped text on stone headstones. The colonial-style, brick box graves, uncommon after 1850, persist here and were used well into the 20th century.

Visiting the site:
The cemetery is open to the public daily from 8am-5pm. When visiting, please be aware this is an active cemetery, and funeral ceremonies may be taking place.

Sources:

City of Savannah website
The National Register of Historic Places nomination form, 1978
Laurel Grove South Cemetery, Georgia Historical Society Hidden History website

",32.0582942,-81.1180816,[433,434,435,436,437],"Laurel Grove South replaced the Whitefield Square cemetery. Reverend Andrew Bryan of First Bryan Baptist Church and Reverend Henry Cunningham of Second African Baptist Church were disinterred from Whitefield Square and placed in Laurel Grove South.","Laurel Grove Cemetery is split in two sections: Laurel Grove North, where white people are traditionally buried, and Laurel Grove South, where African Americans are traditionally buried. This cemetery, as well as Bonaventure Cemetery, was created in the early 1850s because of extreme overcrowding in Colonial Park Cemetery. Prior to its designation as a burial ground, the land was Springfield Plantation. The cemetery’s name comes from the native laurel oak trees on site. Originally only four acres, today Laurel Grove South spreads over 90 acres. Laurel Grove South replaced the Whitefield Square cemetery. Reverend Andrew Bryan of First Bryan Baptist Church and Reverend Henry Cunningham of Second African Baptist Church were disinterred from Whitefield Square and placed in Laurel Grove South, although there are conflicting accounts as to whether the bodies were actually moved. Laurel Grove South has several special and unique features. Prior to the Civil War, more free African Americans were buried here than anywhere else in the South. There are many diverse and unique styles of headstones such as cement headstones, vernacular headstone molds, handmade headstones, and hand-stamped text on stone headstones. The colonial-style, brick box graves, uncommon after 1850, persist here and were used well into the 20th century. Visiting the site:The cemetery is open to the public daily from 8am-5pm. When visiting, please be aware this is an active cemetery, and funeral ceremonies may be taking place. Sources:City of Savannah websiteThe National Register of Historic Places nomination form, 1978Laurel Grove South Cemetery, Georgia Historical Society Hidden History website",[415],{"_74":430,"_133":431,"_135":432},[],"Laurel Grove South Cemetery","Entrance to Laurel Grove South Cemetery","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gidtbp566o0xw6drisesybmgfymt?variant=desktop",{"_106":473,"_103":23,"_133":431,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":474,"_162":475,"_36":219,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":474,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":430,"_174":159},{"_106":249,"_103":291,"_133":159,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":466,"_162":467,"_36":196,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":466,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":430,"_174":159},{"_106":456,"_103":280,"_133":457,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":458,"_162":459,"_36":460,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":458,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":430,"_174":159},{"_106":447,"_103":269,"_133":448,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":449,"_162":450,"_36":279,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":449,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":430,"_174":159},{"_106":438,"_103":258,"_133":439,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":440,"_162":441,"_36":185,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":440,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":430,"_174":159},272,"Mix of different styles of gravestones","LGS3.jpg",{"_175":442,"_177":443,"_179":444,"_181":445,"_183":446},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q0m9ojycl5asd1xecr1ejmb49n2w","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q0m9ojycl5asd1xecr1ejmb49n2w?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q0m9ojycl5asd1xecr1ejmb49n2w?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q0m9ojycl5asd1xecr1ejmb49n2w?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/q0m9ojycl5asd1xecr1ejmb49n2w?variant=lqip",269,"Brick box, colonial-style grave mixed amongst modern gravestones.","LGS2.jpg",{"_175":451,"_177":452,"_179":453,"_181":454,"_183":455},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fvvjplozwgbkaj1x2dywpu7bwhd3","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fvvjplozwgbkaj1x2dywpu7bwhd3?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fvvjplozwgbkaj1x2dywpu7bwhd3?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fvvjplozwgbkaj1x2dywpu7bwhd3?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fvvjplozwgbkaj1x2dywpu7bwhd3?variant=lqip",268,"Map of surrounding area, Laurel Grove North Cemetery is directly north ","LGC_map.png",{"_175":461,"_177":462,"_179":463,"_181":464,"_183":465},277,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/e0mf2nn8sqopx1vi8sdxg0j0eom8","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/e0mf2nn8sqopx1vi8sdxg0j0eom8?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/e0mf2nn8sqopx1vi8sdxg0j0eom8?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/e0mf2nn8sqopx1vi8sdxg0j0eom8?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/e0mf2nn8sqopx1vi8sdxg0j0eom8?variant=lqip","LGS4.jpg",{"_175":468,"_177":469,"_179":470,"_181":471,"_183":472},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/cx3zv6kjvv3jsq4tl6z8oyhrru0v","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/cx3zv6kjvv3jsq4tl6z8oyhrru0v?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/cx3zv6kjvv3jsq4tl6z8oyhrru0v?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/cx3zv6kjvv3jsq4tl6z8oyhrru0v?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/cx3zv6kjvv3jsq4tl6z8oyhrru0v?variant=lqip",271,"LGS.jpg",{"_175":476,"_177":477,"_179":478,"_181":432,"_183":479},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gidtbp566o0xw6drisesybmgfymt","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gidtbp566o0xw6drisesybmgfymt?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gidtbp566o0xw6drisesybmgfymt?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gidtbp566o0xw6drisesybmgfymt?variant=lqip",85,"kiah-house-museum","Kiah House & Museum",{"_36":414,"_65":415,"_74":416},13,{"_36":588,"_65":589,"_74":590},"505 W 36th St, Savannah, GA 31415, USA","

Virginia West Jackson Kiah was born into a deeply religious family and had parents who were involved in the civil rights movement. Virginia’s mother, Lillie May Carroll Jackson, a Baltimore NAACP president and noted civil rights leader, understood the importance of education, and it showed in Virginia’s academic career. As a child, she skipped some grades and found a passion for art, specializing in portrait art. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in 1931 from the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and pursued her career in painting, later earning a Master’s degree from Columbia University in 1950.

Virginia married Calvin Lycurgus Kiah in the early 1930s. Calvin Kiah was born Oct 1, 1910, in Princess Anne, Maryland. He was a high school principle before serving in World War II. After the war, he earned his doctorate and in 1951 received a prestigious job as Savannah State College’s chairman of the education division. Virginia began teaching in Savannah’s public schools.

Virginia Kiah opened the Museum for the Masses in November 1959 with the help of her husband and her mother. During a time of heightened racial aggression in the Deep South, Virginia successfully opened a place where African American youth felt welcomed and comfortable. She wanted to show visitors, and most importantly children, that they were in a public space where they were no longer second-class citizens and not categorized by their race. The art, including oil paintings, graphics, and sculptures, was intertwined throughout the home, however, the museum was not limited to art. Virginia imagined her museum as a mini-Smithsonian and incorporated natural history and other subjects in addition to the diverse art collections. She displayed “remains of old Savannah buildings including items from the Pape School, St. John the Divine Cathedral Nuns’ School, local theatres, the Old DeSoto Hotel, and items from well-known private homes” (Chico 1977). How she decorated and curated her museum symbolized what she ultimately wanted to achieve, educating and empowering the youth. The museum’s prosperous run came to an end with Virginia’s death in December 2001.

Virginia received many important awards and recognitions throughout her life. The National Conference of Artists (of which she was a founding member) gave her the Distinctive Merit Award, and she was listed in Who’s Who in America and Personalities of the South. Virginia appeared in the 1983 Blacks in Museums Directory published by the African American Museums Association and the Smithsonian Institution of Black Professionals and Museums. In 1986, SCAD gave her an honorary doctorate of the humanities, and she joined the SCAD Board of Trustees the next year, serving for 10 years. She donated many of her paintings to the SCAD museum. In 1993, SCAD renamed their museum building after her.

In the Spring of 2018, a small, preliminary archaeological dig was conducted here. These tests revealed that there is a high archaeological integrity and very deep resources at the Kiah House site. One interesting find was the number of children’s artifacts. These artifacts included machine-manufactured glass marbles, older ceramic marbles, and mismatching fragments of tiny porcelain tea plates. These are very common twentieth century children’s toys and (stereotypically) show both male and female genders. These artifacts were found in the upper layers, mostly dating to the Kiah occupation. This was initially surprising because the Kiahs did not have children, but the earliest occupants including the Parrishes, Kandels, and Ms. Gordon did have children. Dr. Deborah Johnson-Simon’s community ethnographies reveal that Mrs. Kiah loved children and was always encouraging them to play in her yard.

A second exciting find was a bottle base embossed with “CC&Co”. This insignia is from Carl Conrad & Co., and indicated that the bottle, manufactured between 1876 and 1883, contained Budweiser Beer. This bottle and other early artifacts predate the Kiah House’s 1913 construction by several decades. These artifacts suggest the possibility of an earlier, post-Civil War occupation. The Cuyler-Brownsville Neighborhood, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, provided an important refuge where African American families moved after the Civil War and could live relatively undisturbed, but close enough to town so many residents could work in Savannah. There are few documents relating to this time period, and archaeological information is critical to fill in this history.

The archaeological technical report contains a detailed history of the property and more information about the archaeological finds. Download the report from our website (caution, this is a large pdf file).

Visiting the site:
This private property is not open for historic tours or any visitation.

Sources:

Virginia Jackson Kiah. by B.B. Chico, In Notable Maryland Women W. G. Helmes, Editor. pp 201-204. Tidewater Publishers, Cambridge, MD, 1977.
Savannah Movement Fighting for Kiah House Museum. by Andria Segedy, Savannah Morning News 20 June (online), Savannah, Ga.
The Kiah House: Phase 1 Technical Report by Laura Seifert, Savannah Archaeological Alliance, 2018.

",32.05929372,-81.10559769,[499,500,501,502,503,504,505,506],"Virginia Kiah opened the Museum for the Masses in November 1959 with the help of her husband and her mother. During a time of heightened racial aggression in the Deep South, Virginia successfully opened a place where African American youth felt welcomed and comfortable. She wanted to show visitors, and most importantly children, that they were in a public space where they were no longer second-class citizens and not categorized by their race. ","Virginia West Jackson Kiah was born into a deeply religious family and had parents who were involved in the civil rights movement. Virginia’s mother, Lillie May Carroll Jackson, a Baltimore NAACP president and noted civil rights leader, understood the importance of education, and it showed in Virginia’s academic career. As a child, she skipped some grades and found a passion for art, specializing in portrait art. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in 1931 from the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and pursued her career in painting, later earning a Master’s degree from Columbia University in 1950.Virginia married Calvin Lycurgus Kiah in the early 1930s. Calvin Kiah was born Oct 1, 1910, in Princess Anne, Maryland. He was a high school principle before serving in World War II. After the war, he earned his doctorate and in 1951 received a prestigious job as Savannah State College’s chairman of the education division. Virginia began teaching in Savannah’s public schools. Virginia Kiah opened the Museum for the Masses in November 1959 with the help of her husband and her mother. During a time of heightened racial aggression in the Deep South, Virginia successfully opened a place where African American youth felt welcomed and comfortable. She wanted to show visitors, and most importantly children, that they were in a public space where they were no longer second-class citizens and not categorized by their race. The art, including oil paintings, graphics, and sculptures, was intertwined throughout the home, however, the museum was not limited to art. Virginia imagined her museum as a mini-Smithsonian and incorporated natural history and other subjects in addition to the diverse art collections. She displayed “remains of old Savannah buildings including items from the Pape School, St. John the Divine Cathedral Nuns’ School, local theatres, the Old DeSoto Hotel, and items from well-known private homes” (Chico 1977). How she decorated and curated her museum symbolized what she ultimately wanted to achieve, educating and empowering the youth. The museum’s prosperous run came to an end with Virginia’s death in December 2001. Virginia received many important awards and recognitions throughout her life. The National Conference of Artists (of which she was a founding member) gave her the Distinctive Merit Award, and she was listed in Who’s Who in America and Personalities of the South. Virginia appeared in the 1983 Blacks in Museums Directory published by the African American Museums Association and the Smithsonian Institution of Black Professionals and Museums. In 1986, SCAD gave her an honorary doctorate of the humanities, and she joined the SCAD Board of Trustees the next year, serving for 10 years. She donated many of her paintings to the SCAD museum. In 1993, SCAD renamed their museum building after her. In the Spring of 2018, a small, preliminary archaeological dig was conducted here. These tests revealed that there is a high archaeological integrity and very deep resources at the Kiah House site. One interesting find was the number of children’s artifacts. These artifacts included machine-manufactured glass marbles, older ceramic marbles, and mismatching fragments of tiny porcelain tea plates. These are very common twentieth century children’s toys and (stereotypically) show both male and female genders. These artifacts were found in the upper layers, mostly dating to the Kiah occupation. This was initially surprising because the Kiahs did not have children, but the earliest occupants including the Parrishes, Kandels, and Ms. Gordon did have children. Dr. Deborah Johnson-Simon’s community ethnographies reveal that Mrs. Kiah loved children and was always encouraging them to play in her yard. A second exciting find was a bottle base embossed with “CC&Co”. This insignia is from Carl Conrad & Co., and indicated that the bottle, manufactured between 1876 and 1883, contained Budweiser Beer. This bottle and other early artifacts predate the Kiah House’s 1913 construction by several decades. These artifacts suggest the possibility of an earlier, post-Civil War occupation. The Cuyler-Brownsville Neighborhood, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, provided an important refuge where African American families moved after the Civil War and could live relatively undisturbed, but close enough to town so many residents could work in Savannah. There are few documents relating to this time period, and archaeological information is critical to fill in this history. The archaeological technical report contains a detailed history of the property and more information about the archaeological finds. Download the report from our website (caution, this is a large pdf file). Visiting the site:This private property is not open for historic tours or any visitation. Sources:Virginia Jackson Kiah. by B. B. Chico, In Notable Maryland Women W. G. Helmes, Editor. pp 201-204. Tidewater Publishers, Cambridge, MD, 1977.Savannah Movement Fighting for Kiah House Museum. by Andria Segedy, Savannah Morning News 20 June (online), Savannah, Ga. The Kiah House: Phase 1 Technical Report by Laura Seifert, Savannah Archaeological Alliance, 2018.",[481],{"_74":496,"_133":497,"_135":498},[],"Kiah House","Kiah House today, with art work by Panhandle Slim","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2m5i3edb33it9jftejm5xn5wb0fn?variant=desktop",{"_106":581,"_103":23,"_133":497,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":582,"_162":583,"_36":438,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":582,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":496,"_174":159},{"_106":569,"_103":291,"_133":570,"_155":571,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":572,"_162":573,"_36":574,"_165":-5,"_166":189,"_168":572,"_169":170,"_171":575,"_74":496,"_174":159},{"_106":558,"_103":243,"_133":559,"_155":560,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":561,"_162":562,"_36":330,"_165":-5,"_166":185,"_168":561,"_169":170,"_171":563,"_74":511,"_174":159},{"_106":549,"_103":243,"_133":550,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":551,"_162":552,"_36":456,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":551,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":511,"_174":159},{"_106":537,"_103":232,"_133":538,"_155":539,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":540,"_162":541,"_36":342,"_165":-5,"_166":542,"_168":540,"_169":170,"_171":543,"_74":511,"_174":159},{"_106":522,"_103":232,"_133":529,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":530,"_162":531,"_36":447,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":530,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":511,"_174":159},{"_106":517,"_103":220,"_133":518,"_155":519,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":520,"_162":521,"_36":231,"_165":-5,"_166":522,"_168":520,"_169":170,"_171":523,"_74":511,"_174":159},{"_106":507,"_103":220,"_133":508,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":509,"_162":510,"_36":473,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":509,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":511,"_174":159},262,"Students and volunteers excavation a test unit (square excavation area), while community members visit the site and learn about findings. ","103.jpg",{"_175":512,"_177":513,"_179":514,"_181":515,"_183":516},"Kiah House archaeology","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k4dtvqvu7gehrylh3yisz3014l3i","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k4dtvqvu7gehrylh3yisz3014l3i?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k4dtvqvu7gehrylh3yisz3014l3i?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k4dtvqvu7gehrylh3yisz3014l3i?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/k4dtvqvu7gehrylh3yisz3014l3i?variant=lqip",267,"An old style, ceramic marble with students digging and screening for artifacts in the background. ",1298,"Kiah_artifact3.jpg",{"_175":524,"_177":525,"_179":526,"_181":527,"_183":528},260,649,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/v1ewapdkuiqfgcrdxo4vmigxak43","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/v1ewapdkuiqfgcrdxo4vmigxak43?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/v1ewapdkuiqfgcrdxo4vmigxak43?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/v1ewapdkuiqfgcrdxo4vmigxak43?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/v1ewapdkuiqfgcrdxo4vmigxak43?variant=lqip","Students record the site by photographing and drawing the soil layers onto graph paper. ","254.jpg",{"_175":532,"_177":533,"_179":534,"_181":535,"_183":536},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/iybx6iw8g5yonhj1z310iqzu1n73","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/iybx6iw8g5yonhj1z310iqzu1n73?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/iybx6iw8g5yonhj1z310iqzu1n73?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/iybx6iw8g5yonhj1z310iqzu1n73?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/iybx6iw8g5yonhj1z310iqzu1n73?variant=lqip",266,"Half of a child's miniature porcelain plate, found at the Kiah House. Excavation areas in the background.",1102,"Kiah_artifact2.jpg",{"_175":544,"_177":545,"_179":546,"_181":547,"_183":548},220,551,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fslg73xfoa16hwid37i35vettz24","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fslg73xfoa16hwid37i35vettz24?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fslg73xfoa16hwid37i35vettz24?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fslg73xfoa16hwid37i35vettz24?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/fslg73xfoa16hwid37i35vettz24?variant=lqip",259,"Armstrong campus and Savannah State University students work together to dig a test unit (excavation area) and screen for artifacts. ","203.jpg",{"_175":553,"_177":554,"_179":555,"_181":556,"_183":557},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/epl04i6wrbhxtzci7p1yqbzaxj4m","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/epl04i6wrbhxtzci7p1yqbzaxj4m?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/epl04i6wrbhxtzci7p1yqbzaxj4m?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/epl04i6wrbhxtzci7p1yqbzaxj4m?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/epl04i6wrbhxtzci7p1yqbzaxj4m?variant=lqip",265,"Bottle top with stopper found at the Kiah House, students screen for artifacts in the background.",1403,"Kiah_artifact.jpg",{"_175":564,"_177":565,"_179":566,"_181":567,"_183":568},701,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zvwqddgyrodjkqbicbvjiuep2ssf","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zvwqddgyrodjkqbicbvjiuep2ssf?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zvwqddgyrodjkqbicbvjiuep2ssf?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zvwqddgyrodjkqbicbvjiuep2ssf?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/zvwqddgyrodjkqbicbvjiuep2ssf?variant=lqip",255,"Undated photograph of the Kiah House, courtesy of the The Center for the Study of African and African Diaspora Museums and Communities",1449,"IMG_1811_edited.jpeg",{"_175":576,"_177":577,"_179":578,"_181":579,"_183":580},264,725,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2n62kci6nvh6ozlpqd1slc1uys5f","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2n62kci6nvh6ozlpqd1slc1uys5f?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2n62kci6nvh6ozlpqd1slc1uys5f?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2n62kci6nvh6ozlpqd1slc1uys5f?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2n62kci6nvh6ozlpqd1slc1uys5f?variant=lqip",263,"Kiah.jpg",{"_175":584,"_177":585,"_179":586,"_181":498,"_183":587},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2m5i3edb33it9jftejm5xn5wb0fn","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2m5i3edb33it9jftejm5xn5wb0fn?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2m5i3edb33it9jftejm5xn5wb0fn?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2m5i3edb33it9jftejm5xn5wb0fn?variant=lqip",84,"charity-hospital","Charity Hospital",{"_36":480,"_65":481,"_74":482},{"_36":697,"_65":698,"_74":699}," 644 W 36th St, Savannah, GA 31415","

Charity Hospital was originally called McKane Hospital for Women and Children, after its founders, Dr. Alice Woodby McKane and Dr. Cornelius McKane. Dr. Alice Woodby (1865-1948), born in Bridgewater, Pennsylvania, was an orphan before she was seven. She graduated with honors from the Institute for Colored Youth in June 1889. She continued to the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, graduated with high honors, got her medical degree, and was licensed in 1892. Then she moved to Augusta, Georgia, taught and practiced medicine at the Haines Institute, and opened a private practice, becoming the first female medical doctor in Georgia. She married Dr. Cornelius McKane on February 2, 1893 at Beth Eden Baptist Church. Dr. Cornelius was born in 1862 in British Guiana and graduated from the University of Vermont Medical College in 1891, moving to Savannah the next year.

In September 1893, they opened the McKane Training School for Nurses. Alice was the founder and principal, training African American men and women. The first students graduated in 1895. The couple expanded their outreach, opening a free medical clinic where the patients only had to pay for medications.

The pair embarked on another new adventure in 1895, traveling to Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, where Cornelius’ grandfather was a Liberian king. Cornelius was fulfilling a promise to his grandmother to return. The couple started the first hospital in Monrovia. In an August 10, 1895, letter printed in the Savannah Tribune, Dr. Cornelius McKane wrote, “I shall not urge a single person to come here. Let every man be guided by his own conscience. Those who migrate to new countries must be pioneers. The task of a pioneer is not strewn with roses. To live in Africa means one must work and be willing to be self denial and self-sacrificing, but success when achieved here is lasting and permanent.” Unfortunately, Alice contracted a fever, and the couple and their young daughter returned to Savannah.

In November 1896, they established the McKane Hospital for Women and Children, and Alice opened a private practice at 114 West Broad St (today’s MLK Jr. Blvd). The hospital was one of the only places African Americans could received modern medical care in Savannah. The hospital’s early trustees included eminent businessmen such as William Royall, Sol C. Johnson, and Dr. Simon P. Lloyd, the first black city physician in Savannah.

The McKanes resigned from their hospital in 1900 and left Savannah in 1909 for Boston, seeking better educational opportunities for their three children. Unfortunately, Cornelius died three years later. Alice opened a medical practice and taught students at Plymouth Hospital, focusing on women’s health and publishing widely, including poetry.

The Savannah hospital, reorganized into Charity Hospital and Training School for Nurses under new Trustees, was the only Savannah hospital to allow African American physicians. The hospital also began to accept male patients. Patients paid if they could, but care was free if they could not. By 1914, the hospital had 40 beds, eight of which were in private rooms, an operating room, and space for lodging nurses. A new, two-story, brick Georgian Revival-style building was built in 1931 on West 36th Street after a 10 year fundraising campaign. The training school closed in 1937, and the hospital closed in 1964. The building was a private nursing home from 1967 to 1976. The building was unoccupied when a 1982 fire damaged the central roof and part of the second floor; fortunately, the building was later renovated into apartments.

Visiting the site:
This building is now apartments. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation.

Sources:

Savannah, Georgia: Black America Series. by Charles J. Elmore, Arcadia Publishing. Charleston, SC, 2000.
Savannah’s Black First Ladies, Volume 1. by Pamela Howard-Oglesby and Brenda L. Roberts, Outskirts Press, Inc. Denver, Co, 2010.
Our African Letter. Savannah Tribune, August 10, 1895, by Cornelius McKane.
Cuyler-Brownsville National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Charity Hospital National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form

",32.0603103,-81.1078114,[605,606,607,608,609,610,611,612,613],"Charity Hospital was originally called McKane Hospital for Women and Children, after its founders, Dr. Alice Woodby McKane and Dr. Cornelius McKane. Dr. Alice Woodby (1865-1948), born in Bridgewater, Pennsylvania, was an orphan before she was seven. She graduated with honors from the Institute for Colored Youth in June 1889.","Charity Hospital was originally called McKane Hospital for Women and Children, after its founders, Dr. Alice Woodby McKane and Dr. Cornelius McKane. Dr. Alice Woodby (1865-1948), born in Bridgewater, Pennsylvania, was an orphan before she was seven. She graduated with honors from the Institute for Colored Youth in June 1889. She continued to the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, graduated with high honors, got her medical degree, and was licensed in 1892. Then she moved to Augusta, Georgia, taught and practiced medicine at the Haines Institute, and opened a private practice, becoming the first female medical doctor in Georgia. She married Dr. Cornelius McKane on February 2, 1893 at Beth Eden Baptist Church. Dr. Cornelius was born in 1862 in British Guiana and graduated from the University of Vermont Medical College in 1891, moving to Savannah the next year. In September 1893, they opened the McKane Training School for Nurses. Alice was the founder and principal, training African American men and women. The first students graduated in 1895. The couple expanded their outreach, opening a free medical clinic where the patients only had to pay for medications. The pair embarked on another new adventure in 1895, traveling to Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, where Cornelius’ grandfather was a Liberian king. Cornelius was fulfilling a promise to his grandmother to return. The couple started the first hospital in Monrovia. In an August 10, 1895, letter printed in the Savannah Tribune, Dr. Cornelius McKane wrote, “I shall not urge a single person to come here. Let every man be guided by his own conscience. Those who migrate to new countries must be pioneers. The task of a pioneer is not strewn with roses. To live in Africa means one must work and be willing to be self denial and self-sacrificing, but success when achieved here is lasting and permanent.” Unfortunately, Alice contracted a fever, and the couple and their young daughter returned to Savannah. In November 1896, they established the McKane Hospital for Women and Children, and Alice opened a private practice at 114 West Broad St (today’s MLK Jr. Blvd). The hospital was one of the only places African Americans could received modern medical care in Savannah. The hospital’s early trustees included eminent businessmen such as William Royall, Sol C. Johnson, and Dr. Simon P. Lloyd, the first black city physician in Savannah. The McKanes resigned from their hospital in 1900 and left Savannah in 1909 for Boston, seeking better educational opportunities for their three children. Unfortunately, Cornelius died three years later. Alice opened a medical practice and taught students at Plymouth Hospital, focusing on women’s health and publishing widely, including poetry. The Savannah hospital, reorganized into Charity Hospital and Training School for Nurses under new Trustees, was the only Savannah hospital to allow African American physicians. The hospital also began to accept male patients. Patients paid if they could, but care was free if they could not. By 1914, the hospital had 40 beds, eight of which were in private rooms, an operating room, and space for lodging nurses. A new, two-story, brick Georgian Revival-style building was built in 1931 on West 36th Street after a 10 year fundraising campaign. The training school closed in 1937, and the hospital closed in 1964. The building was a private nursing home from 1967 to 1976. The building was unoccupied when a 1982 fire damaged the central roof and part of the second floor; fortunately, the building was later renovated into apartments. Visiting the site:This building is now apartments. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation. Sources:Savannah, Georgia: Black America Series. by Charles J. Elmore, Arcadia Publishing. Charleston, SC, 2000.Savannah’s Black First Ladies, Volume 1. by Pamela Howard-Oglesby and Brenda L. Roberts, Outskirts Press, Inc. Denver, Co, 2010.Our African Letter. Savannah Tribune, August 10, 1895, by Cornelius McKane. Cuyler-Brownsville National Register of Historic Places Nomination FormCharity Hospital National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form",[589],{"_74":590,"_133":603,"_135":604},[],"Charity Hospital, gutted after a devastating fire. Source: Cuyler-Brownsville National Register of Historic Places nomination form, 1998.","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycl5wfiktmxphntmwbf6lsos4y21?variant=desktop",{"_106":689,"_103":23,"_133":603,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":690,"_162":691,"_36":692,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":690,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":590,"_174":159},{"_106":679,"_103":291,"_133":680,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":681,"_162":682,"_36":683,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":681,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":590,"_174":159},{"_106":670,"_103":280,"_133":671,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":672,"_162":673,"_36":507,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":672,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":590,"_174":159},{"_106":661,"_103":269,"_133":644,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":662,"_162":663,"_36":549,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":662,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":664,"_174":159},{"_106":653,"_103":258,"_133":644,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":654,"_162":655,"_36":522,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":654,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":590,"_174":159},{"_106":643,"_103":243,"_133":644,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":645,"_162":646,"_36":647,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":645,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":590,"_174":159},{"_106":633,"_103":232,"_133":634,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":635,"_162":636,"_36":637,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":635,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":590,"_174":159},{"_106":624,"_103":220,"_133":625,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":626,"_162":627,"_36":569,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":626,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":590,"_174":159},{"_106":614,"_103":209,"_133":615,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":616,"_162":617,"_36":581,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":616,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":618,"_174":159},254,"Newspaper advertisement for the McKane Training School for Nurses, from the Savannah Tribune, March 23, 1895.","McKane_Savannah_Tribune_1895-03-23__3__copy.gif",{"_175":619,"_177":620,"_179":621,"_181":622,"_183":623},"McKane Training School for Nurses","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/450x7kvi13bvbq5pms5vu20u6ml8","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/450x7kvi13bvbq5pms5vu20u6ml8?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/450x7kvi13bvbq5pms5vu20u6ml8?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/450x7kvi13bvbq5pms5vu20u6ml8?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/450x7kvi13bvbq5pms5vu20u6ml8?variant=lqip",246,"Charity Hospital entrance today, after restoration into private apartments.","Charity_Hosp2.jpg",{"_175":628,"_177":629,"_179":630,"_181":631,"_183":632},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/a2he104tvkmh0scggqx25xvam3n0","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/a2he104tvkmh0scggqx25xvam3n0?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/a2he104tvkmh0scggqx25xvam3n0?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/a2he104tvkmh0scggqx25xvam3n0?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/a2he104tvkmh0scggqx25xvam3n0?variant=lqip",247,"Charity Hospital today, after restoration into private apartments.","Charity_Hosp.jpg",{"_175":638,"_177":639,"_179":640,"_181":641,"_183":642},256,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6nccu3omxanxullegl70al3vrpn8","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6nccu3omxanxullegl70al3vrpn8?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6nccu3omxanxullegl70al3vrpn8?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6nccu3omxanxullegl70al3vrpn8?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6nccu3omxanxullegl70al3vrpn8?variant=lqip",252,"Charity Hospital before restoration. Source: Charity Hospital National Register of Historic Places nomination form.","Charity_Hospital4.jpg",{"_175":648,"_177":649,"_179":650,"_181":651,"_183":652},261,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4vsfki0ghgz0wq5x3qeliqzn8c4h","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4vsfki0ghgz0wq5x3qeliqzn8c4h?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4vsfki0ghgz0wq5x3qeliqzn8c4h?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4vsfki0ghgz0wq5x3qeliqzn8c4h?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4vsfki0ghgz0wq5x3qeliqzn8c4h?variant=lqip",251,"Charity_Hospital6.jpg",{"_175":656,"_177":657,"_179":658,"_181":659,"_183":660},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gz3a4lmsi6hhue4a796oudde1rjd","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gz3a4lmsi6hhue4a796oudde1rjd?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gz3a4lmsi6hhue4a796oudde1rjd?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gz3a4lmsi6hhue4a796oudde1rjd?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/gz3a4lmsi6hhue4a796oudde1rjd?variant=lqip",250,"Charity_Hospital5.jpg",{"_175":665,"_177":666,"_179":667,"_181":668,"_183":669},"Charity Hospital interior","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/56lhmxntu0ye873bpvwoe0zrtrt4","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/56lhmxntu0ye873bpvwoe0zrtrt4?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/56lhmxntu0ye873bpvwoe0zrtrt4?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/56lhmxntu0ye873bpvwoe0zrtrt4?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/56lhmxntu0ye873bpvwoe0zrtrt4?variant=lqip",253,"Charity Hospital before restoration, backside of the building. Source: Charity Hospital National Register of Historic Places nomination form.","Charity_Hospital3.jpg",{"_175":674,"_177":675,"_179":676,"_181":677,"_183":678},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hbmhze7rxexlu1n7lys6vozn10g9","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hbmhze7rxexlu1n7lys6vozn10g9?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hbmhze7rxexlu1n7lys6vozn10g9?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hbmhze7rxexlu1n7lys6vozn10g9?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hbmhze7rxexlu1n7lys6vozn10g9?variant=lqip",249,"Charity Hospital before restoration. Source: Charity Hospital National Register of Historic Places nomination form, 1985.","Charity_Hospital2.jpg",{"_175":684,"_177":685,"_179":686,"_181":687,"_183":688},258,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hpwc889uzgftep8im2qavqtya7yi","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hpwc889uzgftep8im2qavqtya7yi?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hpwc889uzgftep8im2qavqtya7yi?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hpwc889uzgftep8im2qavqtya7yi?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/hpwc889uzgftep8im2qavqtya7yi?variant=lqip",248,"Charity_Hospital.jpg",{"_175":693,"_177":694,"_179":695,"_181":604,"_183":696},257,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycl5wfiktmxphntmwbf6lsos4y21","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycl5wfiktmxphntmwbf6lsos4y21?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycl5wfiktmxphntmwbf6lsos4y21?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ycl5wfiktmxphntmwbf6lsos4y21?variant=lqip",83,"cuyler-street-school","Cuyler Street School",{"_36":588,"_65":589,"_74":590},{"_36":744,"_65":745,"_74":746},"618 Anderson St, Savannah, GA 31415","

Built in 1913 for $46,685, the Cuyler Street School was a 22-room, modern, and spacious brick public elementary school. It was located next to the Haven Home School, which the Board of Education had recently purchased. While the building actually fronts Anderson Street, there were two other Anderson Street schools already, hence the Cuyler Street name. When the Florance Street school was built in 1930, it became the new elementary school, and the Cuyler Street school transitioned to the junior and senior high. Adult literacy classes were also held at Cuyler Street School. It was Savannah’s only African American high school in the late 1920s to 1950 when Alfred E. Beach High School opened.

The school is significant for several reasons, and it represents several steps forward in educating African American children. This was the first public school building specifically built as a school for African American children. In 1914, it was the only public school with African American teachers. Penny Clark Johnson explains how Cuyler Street School was a turning point for Savannah's Board of Education, “Although it took over forty years, building a substantial and suitable school for African American students in a predominantly African American neighborhood in 1914 seems to have finally indicated a shift in the policy of the Board actualized through architecture…The assortment of repurposed buildings used for black schools paled in comparison by size, function and material to the fine edifices and well-planned buildings the Board built for white students beginning in 1890.\" However, discrimination was ever present. The Savannah-Chatham Public School System 1948 average salaries were $3,102 for white men, $2,169 for white women, $2,044 for African American men, and $1,964 for African American women.

The school closed in 1975. Today the school has been preserved and adapted as the City of Savannah’s Economic Opportunity Authority (E.O.A.) community services building.

Visiting the site:
The building is open Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm. Savannah’s Economic Opportunity Authority (E.O.A.) currently occupies this building. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation, however, there is a small exhibit on the school in the building’s lobby that is open to the public.

Sources:

Second Class Students: The First Public School Buildings for African Americans in Savannah 1872-1914. 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. by Penny Clark Johnson, 2016
National Register for Historic Places nomination for Cuyler-Brownsville
Savannah’s Historical Public Schools: Images of America Series. by Larry W. Smith Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC, 2004.

",32.0645311,-81.105179,[713,714,715],"The school is significant for several reasons, and it represents several steps forward in educating African American children. This was the first public school building specifically built as a school for African American children. In 1914, it was the only public school with African American teachers. ","Built in 1913 for $46,685, the Cuyler Street School was a 22-room, modern, and spacious brick public elementary school. It was located next to the Haven Home School, which the Board of Education had recently purchased. While the building actually fronts Anderson Street, there were two other Anderson Street schools already, hence the Cuyler Street name. When the Florance Street school was built in 1930, it became the new elementary school, and the Cuyler Street school transitioned to the junior and senior high. Adult literacy classes were also held at Cuyler Street School. It was Savannah’s only African American high school in the late 1920s to 1950 when Alfred E. Beach High School opened. The school is significant for several reasons, and it represents several steps forward in educating African American children. This was the first public school building specifically built as a school for African American children. In 1914, it was the only public school with African American teachers. Penny Clark Johnson explains how Cuyler Street School was a turning point for Savannah's Board of Education, “Although it took over forty years, building a substantial and suitable school for African American students in a predominantly African American neighborhood in 1914 seems to have finally indicated a shift in the policy of the Board actualized through architecture…The assortment of repurposed buildings used for black schools paled in comparison by size, function and material to the fine edifices and well-planned buildings the Board built for white students beginning in 1890.\" However, discrimination was ever present. The Savannah-Chatham Public School System 1948 average salaries were $3,102 for white men, $2,169 for white women, $2,044 for African American men, and $1,964 for African American women. The school closed in 1975. Today the school has been preserved and adapted as the City of Savannah’s Economic Opportunity Authority (E. O.A.) community services building. Visiting the site: The building is open Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm. Savannah’s Economic Opportunity Authority (E. O.A.) currently occupies this building. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation, however, there is a small exhibit on the school in the building’s lobby that is open to the public. Sources:Second Class Students: The First Public School Buildings for African Americans in Savannah 1872-1914. 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. by Penny Clark Johnson, 2016National Register for Historic Places nomination for Cuyler-BrownsvilleSavannah’s Historical Public Schools: Images of America Series. by Larry W. Smith Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC, 2004.",[698],{"_74":699,"_133":159,"_135":712},[],"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b3vw5jx2u48lcn7ymjgq8wgj4kf0?variant=desktop",{"_106":736,"_103":23,"_133":159,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":737,"_162":738,"_36":739,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":737,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":699,"_174":159},{"_106":726,"_103":291,"_133":727,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":728,"_162":729,"_36":730,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":728,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":699,"_174":159},{"_106":716,"_103":280,"_133":717,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":718,"_162":719,"_36":720,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":718,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":699,"_174":159},229,"Cuyler Street School main entrance","Cuyler_school.jpg",{"_175":721,"_177":722,"_179":723,"_181":724,"_183":725},237,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h7xmhy84unqsyzimnqnldkpe85ll","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h7xmhy84unqsyzimnqnldkpe85ll?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h7xmhy84unqsyzimnqnldkpe85ll?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h7xmhy84unqsyzimnqnldkpe85ll?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/h7xmhy84unqsyzimnqnldkpe85ll?variant=lqip",228,"Image source: The National Register of Historic Places nomination form, Cuyler-Brownville Historic District, 1998.","Cuyler_School.jpg",{"_175":731,"_177":732,"_179":733,"_181":734,"_183":735},236,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qs14xvto6i56o4gcowc331s3sr3d","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qs14xvto6i56o4gcowc331s3sr3d?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qs14xvto6i56o4gcowc331s3sr3d?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qs14xvto6i56o4gcowc331s3sr3d?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/qs14xvto6i56o4gcowc331s3sr3d?variant=lqip",230,"Cuyler_school2.jpg",{"_175":740,"_177":741,"_179":742,"_181":712,"_183":743},238,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b3vw5jx2u48lcn7ymjgq8wgj4kf0","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b3vw5jx2u48lcn7ymjgq8wgj4kf0?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b3vw5jx2u48lcn7ymjgq8wgj4kf0?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/b3vw5jx2u48lcn7ymjgq8wgj4kf0?variant=lqip",82,"carnegie-library","Carnegie Library",{"_36":697,"_65":698,"_74":699},{"_36":807,"_65":808,"_74":809},"537 East Henry Street, Savannah, GA 31401","

A.L. Tucker, Julian Smith, J.W. Armstrong, E.E. Desverney, J.T. Burton, Henry Pearson, Dr. F. S. Belcher, H.H. McBeth, G.W. Jacobs, L.S. Reed, R.W. Gadsden and C.A.R. McDowell founded the Colored Library Association of Savannah (CLAS) in 1906, three years after Savannah’s first public library was established. CLAS, whose aim was to provide a library for African Americans during segregation, quickly outgrew its rented space at Hartridge and Price streets and applied to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (via his secretary James Bertram) for funds to build a library. CLAS raised $3,000 to buy the land, and Carnegie contributed $12,000 for the building. Construction began in early 1914, and the building was dedicated in August of that year, opening to the public in 1915.

Local architect Julian deBruyn Kops designed the building, the first freestanding library in Savannah, following Bertram’s standards for libraries. Kops created an open floor plan and a centrally-located, substantial main desk for the librarian to surveil the whole area. Standing out as the only example of Prairie style architecture in Savannah, the exterior is made of brick and sandstone for permanence. The main entrance is at the top of an imposing staircase with its 10 foot pillars, symbolizing one’s journey to wisdom.

While this library was relatively small compared to others, it was a critical part of the community. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote about the library, “I would walk into that place and in the Carnegie Library I would see the pictures of Booker T. (Washington) and pictures of Frederick Douglass and I would read… Did I dream that I would be on the Supreme Court? No. But I dreamt that there was a world out there that was worth pursuing.”

This remained the only library available to African Americans until desegregation, at which point, this library merged with Savannah’s other public library. In reality, truly ending desegregation took years; eventually the Bull Street library was available to all. The years and neglect took their toll on the small Carnegie Library, leading to a roof collapse in July 1997. The library closed, and state grants provided funds for roof stabilization. In 2001, the library began a campaign to raise funds, rehabilitate, and reopen the Carnegie Library. In August of 2004, the restored branch was reopened to the public, winning several state and national historic preservation awards.

Visiting the site:
The Carnegie Library is open to the public Monday 10am-7pm and Tuesday through Friday 10am-6pm. It is closed Saturday and Sunday.

Sources:

Carnegie Library, 537 East Henry Street, Savannah, Chatham County, GA. Written Historical and Descriptive Data, Historic American Buildings Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2015, by Lowe, Jennifer, et al, From Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (HABS No. GA-302). Available here.
Carnegie Library Centennial History 1914-2014, available on the library’s website.

",32.0612721,-81.0913226,[761,762,763,764],"A.L. Tucker, Julian Smith, J.W. Armstrong, E.E. Desverney, J.T. Burton, Henry Pearson, Dr. F. S. Belcher, H.H. McBeth, G.W. Jacobs, L.S. Reed, R.W. Gadsden and C.A.R. McDowell founded the Colored Library Association of Savannah (CLAS) in 1906, three years after Savannah’s first public library was established. ","A. L. Tucker, Julian Smith, J. W. Armstrong, E. E. Desverney, J. T. Burton, Henry Pearson, Dr. F. S. Belcher, H. H. McBeth, G. W. Jacobs, L. S. Reed, R. W. Gadsden and C. A.R. McDowell founded the Colored Library Association of Savannah (CLAS) in 1906, three years after Savannah’s first public library was established. CLAS, whose aim was to provide a library for African Americans during segregation, quickly outgrew its rented space at Hartridge and Price streets and applied to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (via his secretary James Bertram) for funds to build a library. CLAS raised $3,000 to buy the land, and Carnegie contributed $12,000 for the building. Construction began in early 1914, and the building was dedicated in August of that year, opening to the public in 1915. Local architect Julian deBruyn Kops designed the building, the first freestanding library in Savannah, following Bertram’s standards for libraries. Kops created an open floor plan and a centrally-located, substantial main desk for the librarian to surveil the whole area. Standing out as the only example of Prairie style architecture in Savannah, the exterior is made of brick and sandstone for permanence. The main entrance is at the top of an imposing staircase with its 10 foot pillars, symbolizing one’s journey to wisdom. While this library was relatively small compared to others, it was a critical part of the community. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote about the library, “I would walk into that place and in the Carnegie Library I would see the pictures of Booker T. (Washington) and pictures of Frederick Douglass and I would read… Did I dream that I would be on the Supreme Court? No. But I dreamt that there was a world out there that was worth pursuing.” This remained the only library available to African Americans until desegregation, at which point, this library merged with Savannah’s other public library. In reality, truly ending desegregation took years; eventually the Bull Street library was available to all. The years and neglect took their toll on the small Carnegie Library, leading to a roof collapse in July 1997. The library closed, and state grants provided funds for roof stabilization. In 2001, the library began a campaign to raise funds, rehabilitate, and reopen the Carnegie Library. In August of 2004, the restored branch was reopened to the public, winning several state and national historic preservation awards. Visiting the site: The Carnegie Library is open to the public Monday 10am-7pm and Tuesday through Friday 10am-6pm. It is closed Saturday and Sunday. Sources:Carnegie Library, 537 East Henry Street, Savannah, Chatham County, GA. Written Historical and Descriptive Data, Historic American Buildings Survey, National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior, 2015, by Lowe, Jennifer, et al, From Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (HABS No. GA-302). Available here. Carnegie Library Centennial History 1914-2014, available on the library’s website.",[745],{"_74":746,"_133":759,"_135":760},[],"The Carnegie Library joined the Live Oak Public Library system after desegregation. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w4ljccxmfgiqdvr2ztypcbpchwxg?variant=desktop",{"_106":797,"_103":23,"_133":759,"_155":798,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":799,"_162":800,"_36":801,"_165":-5,"_166":614,"_168":799,"_169":170,"_171":802,"_74":746,"_174":159},{"_106":784,"_103":291,"_133":785,"_155":786,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":787,"_162":788,"_36":789,"_165":-5,"_166":624,"_168":787,"_169":170,"_171":790,"_74":791,"_174":159},{"_106":335,"_103":280,"_133":775,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":776,"_162":777,"_36":778,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":776,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":746,"_174":159},{"_106":765,"_103":269,"_133":766,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":767,"_162":768,"_36":769,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":767,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":746,"_174":159},226,"The main entrance is on the second floor up these stairs. ","Carnegie2.jpg",{"_175":770,"_177":771,"_179":772,"_181":773,"_183":774},234,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vffp2ivwg4nyyszajbeqbyazclja","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vffp2ivwg4nyyszajbeqbyazclja?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vffp2ivwg4nyyszajbeqbyazclja?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vffp2ivwg4nyyszajbeqbyazclja?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vffp2ivwg4nyyszajbeqbyazclja?variant=lqip","Carnegie Library's beautiful interior details. The main desk is to the left in the foreground. ","Carnegie3.jpg",{"_175":779,"_177":780,"_179":781,"_181":782,"_183":783},233,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6kp52kh7pifah8mx03el53fbzrse","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6kp52kh7pifah8mx03el53fbzrse?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6kp52kh7pifah8mx03el53fbzrse?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6kp52kh7pifah8mx03el53fbzrse?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6kp52kh7pifah8mx03el53fbzrse?variant=lqip",224,"Newspaper update on the developing Carnegie Library from the March 2, 1912 Savannah Tribune.",1232,"library_Savannah_Tribune_1912-03-02__4__copy.jpg",{"_175":792,"_177":793,"_179":794,"_181":795,"_183":796},232,616,"Carnegie Library funding","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l7btngvguvw4om7c64p0mw06orne","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l7btngvguvw4om7c64p0mw06orne?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l7btngvguvw4om7c64p0mw06orne?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l7btngvguvw4om7c64p0mw06orne?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l7btngvguvw4om7c64p0mw06orne?variant=lqip",227,1268,"Carnegie.jpg",{"_175":803,"_177":804,"_179":805,"_181":760,"_183":806},235,634,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w4ljccxmfgiqdvr2ztypcbpchwxg","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w4ljccxmfgiqdvr2ztypcbpchwxg?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w4ljccxmfgiqdvr2ztypcbpchwxg?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/w4ljccxmfgiqdvr2ztypcbpchwxg?variant=lqip",81,"king-tisdell-cottage-african-american-historic-house-museum","King-Tisdell Cottage: African American Historic House Museum",{"_36":744,"_65":745,"_74":746},{"_36":871,"_65":872,"_74":873},"514 E. Huntingdon St, Savannah","

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 a 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. Usually, 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 the relocation still prevents further investigation of the King-Tisdell family and their neighbors via archaeology.

Visiting the Site:
Tuesday-Saturday: 12pm-5pm, Sun-Mon: 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,[827,828,829,830],"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 a 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. Usually, 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 the relocation still prevents further investigation of the King-Tisdell family and their neighbors via archaeology. Visiting the Site: Tuesday-Saturday: 12pm-5pm, Sun-Mon: 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).",[825,826,808],{"_74":822,"_133":823,"_135":824},[],"King-Tisdell Cottage","The King-Tisdell House is the only African American historic house museum in Savannah. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/plek0xus7yy76kusib5fgwyxdinw?variant=desktop","king-tisdell-cottage","king-tisdell-cottage-2",{"_106":542,"_103":23,"_133":823,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":865,"_162":866,"_36":726,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":865,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":822,"_174":159},{"_106":856,"_103":291,"_133":857,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":858,"_162":859,"_36":736,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":858,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":822,"_174":159},{"_106":840,"_103":280,"_133":841,"_155":842,"_157":843,"_158":844,"_160":845,"_162":846,"_36":847,"_165":258,"_166":167,"_168":845,"_169":848,"_171":849,"_74":850,"_174":844},{"_106":831,"_103":269,"_133":832,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":833,"_162":834,"_36":716,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":833,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":822,"_174":159},221,"This side view of the King-Tisdell Cottage really highlights the house's intricate Victorian woodwork. ","KT_House_lg.jpg",{"_175":835,"_177":836,"_179":837,"_181":838,"_183":839},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2tpe6pbnww3i59rwj5knkwe331nh","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2tpe6pbnww3i59rwj5knkwe331nh?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2tpe6pbnww3i59rwj5knkwe331nh?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2tpe6pbnww3i59rwj5knkwe331nh?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2tpe6pbnww3i59rwj5knkwe331nh?variant=lqip",223,"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",{"_175":851,"_177":852,"_179":853,"_181":854,"_183":855},231,"youtube",400,"Savannah's First Black History Museum","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yzc8e7yoolam5itvk7ol2rmxzjz1","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yzc8e7yoolam5itvk7ol2rmxzjz1?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yzc8e7yoolam5itvk7ol2rmxzjz1?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yzc8e7yoolam5itvk7ol2rmxzjz1?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/yzc8e7yoolam5itvk7ol2rmxzjz1?variant=lqip",222,"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",{"_175":860,"_177":861,"_179":862,"_181":863,"_183":864},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/trk2ir6fwkyv5urg6upwgad6rqzb","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/trk2ir6fwkyv5urg6upwgad6rqzb?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/trk2ir6fwkyv5urg6upwgad6rqzb?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/trk2ir6fwkyv5urg6upwgad6rqzb?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/trk2ir6fwkyv5urg6upwgad6rqzb?variant=lqip","KT_House_lg_2.jpg",{"_175":867,"_177":868,"_179":869,"_181":824,"_183":870},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/plek0xus7yy76kusib5fgwyxdinw","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/plek0xus7yy76kusib5fgwyxdinw?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/plek0xus7yy76kusib5fgwyxdinw?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/plek0xus7yy76kusib5fgwyxdinw?variant=lqip",80,"prince-hall-masonic-lodge","Prince Hall Masonic Lodge",{"_36":807,"_65":808,"_74":809},{"_36":924,"_65":925,"_74":926},"602 East Broad Street, Savannah","

Prince Hall was a free, black artisan living in Boston on the eve of the American Revolution. He and 14 other free African men were initiated into Freemasonry by a group of Irish Freemasons stationed at the British camp Bunker Hill. Hall founded the Provisional African Lodge No. 1 with Hall as Grand Master. Without an official charter, the Lodge was provisional until September 29, 1784 when the Lodge received a charter from the Grand Lodge of England and became African Lodge No. 459, later named after its founder.

Reverend James M. Simms founded the Eureka Lodge No. 1 and Hilton Lodge No. 2 in 1866, chartered by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Masons. To avoid a $100 fine for teaching slaves, Simms had moved to Boston, where he became a mason, returning to his native Savannah after the Civil War. He was elected Grand Master in 1870. Ulysses Houston, John DeVeaux, Alexander Harris, Charles De Lamotta, and Louis B. Toomer were all charter members.

Today, their mission remains to train civically engaged, community leaders. Prominent Prince Hall Masons include Robert W. Gadsen, a school principal who fought for better education during Jim Crow, even touring with the Atlanta University Quartet to raise money for schools. Gadsen served at the Paulsen and East Broad Street schools from 1904-1947. He also helped found the West Broad Street YMCA, originally with the goal to help African American soldiers returning from World War II. Sol C. Johnson, the Savannah Tribune newspaper owner and editor from 1909 to 1954, was a mason and has a high school named after him. Curtis V. Cooper opened a medical clinic, which is now his namesake, in 1974. The original clinic, which was designed to help Savannah’s under-served, has expanded into several locations and serves of 19,000 patients per year. Cooper also served on Memorial Medical Center’s Board. Willie V. Coleman joined the Lodge in 1937. While his career was spent at Savannah Electric Company, his unofficial job is the Lodge’s historian. He shared with students writing in the Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History, who wrote, \"A short and informal, but extremely enjoyable conversation with Mr. Coleman revealed two things about the Prince Hall members in Savannah: first and most importantly, there is only so much they can talk about; second, the Lodge is a brotherhood looking out for the best interest of the community. Their members are civically engaged in their free time and most spend their working hours improving the city through civic positions. Moreover, the lodge on East Broad Street serves as a meeting place for multiple church youth groups and other organizations. The Knights Pythagoras program serves the community by taking in youth between the ages of five and eighteen and training them in the Masonic knowledge, in other words creating civically engaged individuals and educating young African American men.\"

Visiting the site:
This is a private building. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation.

Sources:

Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia website
Historical Markers and African American Heritage in Savannah by Candace McNeal, et al., Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History 3, no. 2 (April 2013).
Curtis V. Cooper Primary Healthcare website
Savannah, Georgia: Black American Series. by Charles J. Elmore. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC., 2000
Constructing the Black Masculine: Identity and Ideality in African American Men’s Literature and Culture, 1775-1995. by Maurice O. Wallace. Duke University Press, Durham, NC, 2002
Self-taught: African American Education in Slavery and Freedom. by Heather Andrea Williams. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2005.

",32.066961,-81.087959,[887,888,889,890],"Reverend James M. Simms founded the Eureka Lodge No. 1 and Hilton Lodge No. 2 in 1866, chartered by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Masons. To avoid a $100 fine for teaching slaves, Simms had moved to Boston, where he became a mason, returning to his native Savannah after the Civil War. He was elected Grand Master in 1870.","Prince Hall was a free, black artisan living in Boston on the eve of the American Revolution. He and 14 other free African men were initiated into Freemasonry by a group of Irish Freemasons stationed at the British camp Bunker Hill. Hall founded the Provisional African Lodge No. 1 with Hall as Grand Master. Without an official charter, the Lodge was provisional until September 29, 1784 when the Lodge received a charter from the Grand Lodge of England and became African Lodge No. 459, later named after its founder. Reverend James M. Simms founded the Eureka Lodge No. 1 and Hilton Lodge No. 2 in 1866, chartered by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Masons. To avoid a $100 fine for teaching slaves, Simms had moved to Boston, where he became a mason, returning to his native Savannah after the Civil War. He was elected Grand Master in 1870. Ulysses Houston, John DeVeaux, Alexander Harris, Charles De Lamotta, and Louis B. Toomer were all charter members. Today, their mission remains to train civically engaged, community leaders. Prominent Prince Hall Masons include Robert W. Gadsen, a school principal who fought for better education during Jim Crow, even touring with the Atlanta University Quartet to raise money for schools. Gadsen served at the Paulsen and East Broad Street schools from 1904-1947. He also helped found the West Broad Street YMCA, originally with the goal to help African American soldiers returning from World War II. Sol C. Johnson, the Savannah Tribune newspaper owner and editor from 1909 to 1954, was a mason and has a high school named after him. Curtis V. Cooper opened a medical clinic, which is now his namesake, in 1974. The original clinic, which was designed to help Savannah’s under-served, has expanded into several locations and serves of 19,000 patients per year. Cooper also served on Memorial Medical Center’s Board. Willie V. Coleman joined the Lodge in 1937. While his career was spent at Savannah Electric Company, his unofficial job is the Lodge’s historian. He shared with students writing in the Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History, who wrote, \"A short and informal, but extremely enjoyable conversation with Mr. Coleman revealed two things about the Prince Hall members in Savannah: first and most importantly, there is only so much they can talk about; second, the Lodge is a brotherhood looking out for the best interest of the community. Their members are civically engaged in their free time and most spend their working hours improving the city through civic positions. Moreover, the lodge on East Broad Street serves as a meeting place for multiple church youth groups and other organizations. The Knights Pythagoras program serves the community by taking in youth between the ages of five and eighteen and training them in the Masonic knowledge, in other words creating civically engaged individuals and educating young African American men.\"Visiting the site:This is a private building. It is not open for historic tours or general visitation. Sources: Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia websiteHistorical Markers and African American Heritage in Savannah by Candace McNeal, et al., Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History 3, no. 2 (April 2013).Curtis V. Cooper Primary Healthcare websiteSavannah, Georgia: Black American Series. by Charles J. Elmore. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC., 2000Constructing the Black Masculine: Identity and Ideality in African American Men’s Literature and Culture, 1775-1995. by Maurice O. Wallace. Duke University Press, Durham, NC, 2002Self-taught: African American Education in Slavery and Freedom. by Heather Andrea Williams. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2005.",[872],{"_74":873,"_133":159,"_135":886},[],"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/mdn08j59th8k2dpo98tdblm7zjgj?variant=desktop",{"_106":917,"_103":23,"_133":159,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":918,"_162":919,"_36":797,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":918,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":873,"_174":159},{"_106":908,"_103":291,"_133":909,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":910,"_162":911,"_36":335,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":910,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":873,"_174":159},{"_106":899,"_103":280,"_133":900,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":901,"_162":902,"_36":765,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":901,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":873,"_174":159},{"_106":891,"_103":269,"_133":159,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":892,"_162":893,"_36":784,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":892,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":873,"_174":159},216,"Masons4.jpg",{"_175":894,"_177":895,"_179":896,"_181":897,"_183":898},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/joywjzx4fyv2ywsdgf0gswn6jn1f","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/joywjzx4fyv2ywsdgf0gswn6jn1f?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/joywjzx4fyv2ywsdgf0gswn6jn1f?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/joywjzx4fyv2ywsdgf0gswn6jn1f?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/joywjzx4fyv2ywsdgf0gswn6jn1f?variant=lqip",218,"Plaque on the building's facade","Masons2.jpg",{"_175":903,"_177":904,"_179":905,"_181":906,"_183":907},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dhinudfirctwcwm32xt6a05grvzv","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dhinudfirctwcwm32xt6a05grvzv?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dhinudfirctwcwm32xt6a05grvzv?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dhinudfirctwcwm32xt6a05grvzv?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/dhinudfirctwcwm32xt6a05grvzv?variant=lqip",217,"Plaque on the building's facade.","Masons3.jpg",{"_175":912,"_177":913,"_179":914,"_181":915,"_183":916},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8rm1hnbgid8rexqx381wouisvy8a","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8rm1hnbgid8rexqx381wouisvy8a?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8rm1hnbgid8rexqx381wouisvy8a?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8rm1hnbgid8rexqx381wouisvy8a?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/8rm1hnbgid8rexqx381wouisvy8a?variant=lqip",219,"Masons.jpg",{"_175":920,"_177":921,"_179":922,"_181":886,"_183":923},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/mdn08j59th8k2dpo98tdblm7zjgj","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/mdn08j59th8k2dpo98tdblm7zjgj?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/mdn08j59th8k2dpo98tdblm7zjgj?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/mdn08j59th8k2dpo98tdblm7zjgj?variant=lqip",79,"mother-matilda-beasley-park-home","Mother Matilda Beasley Park & Home",{"_36":871,"_65":872,"_74":873},{"_36":963,"_65":964,"_74":965},"500 E Broad St, Savannah, GA 31401","

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, and a grocery store 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 for the purpose of starting 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, and the City of Savannah declared February 24, 2002, Mother Matilda Beasley Day. Her house at 1511 Price St. 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 - 2 PM and Saturday from 10 AM - 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. Parking is available along East Broad Street.",32.0685954,-81.087119,[945,946],"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, and a grocery store 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 for the purpose of starting 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, and the City of Savannah declared February 24, 2002, Mother Matilda Beasley Day. Her house at 1511 Price St. 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 - 2 PM and Saturday from 10 AM - 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.",[943,944,925],{"_74":940,"_133":941,"_135":942},[],"Mother Matilda Beasley Park","Mother Beasley's home was moved from nearby Price Street to preserve it. The house is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays for a few hours. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ir00h2hevqm0475mx23fc31hggnw?variant=desktop","mother-matilda-beasley-park","mother-matilda-beasley-park-2",{"_106":956,"_103":23,"_133":941,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":957,"_162":958,"_36":840,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":957,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":940,"_174":159},{"_106":947,"_103":291,"_133":948,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":949,"_162":950,"_36":856,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":949,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":940,"_174":159},214,"One of two playgrounds at the park with athletic fields in the background.","Matilda.jpg",{"_175":951,"_177":952,"_179":953,"_181":954,"_183":955},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/eupao6vr2r2c2d5gvwnw7hr14xa5","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/eupao6vr2r2c2d5gvwnw7hr14xa5?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/eupao6vr2r2c2d5gvwnw7hr14xa5?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/eupao6vr2r2c2d5gvwnw7hr14xa5?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/eupao6vr2r2c2d5gvwnw7hr14xa5?variant=lqip",215,"Matilda2.jpg",{"_175":959,"_177":960,"_179":961,"_181":942,"_183":962},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ir00h2hevqm0475mx23fc31hggnw","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ir00h2hevqm0475mx23fc31hggnw?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ir00h2hevqm0475mx23fc31hggnw?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ir00h2hevqm0475mx23fc31hggnw?variant=lqip",78,"whitefield-square-burial-ground","Whitefield Square Burial Ground",{"_36":924,"_65":925,"_74":926},{"_36":1021,"_65":1022,"_74":1023},"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 square 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,[982,983,984,985],"Prior to 1853, the area had been designated 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 square 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",[980,981,964],{"_74":968,"_133":978,"_135":979},[],"Overall view of Whitefield Square, facing south. No traces of the cemetery have been found, either on the surface or archaeologically. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ofrnyydfbtsxqdjzoyrrj1e9yd4f?variant=desktop","whitefield-square","whitefield-square-2",{"_106":1014,"_103":23,"_133":978,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1015,"_162":1016,"_36":917,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1015,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":968,"_174":159},{"_106":1005,"_103":291,"_133":1006,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1007,"_162":1008,"_36":831,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1007,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":968,"_174":159},{"_106":213,"_103":280,"_133":996,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":997,"_162":998,"_36":999,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":997,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":990,"_174":159},{"_106":303,"_103":269,"_133":986,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":987,"_162":988,"_36":989,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":987,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":990,"_174":159},"Archaeologists dig shovel test pits in Whitefield Square to see if archaeological resources are present. All excavated soil passes through the small screen to catch artifacts. ","NPS2_WS_035.jpg",{"_175":991,"_177":992,"_179":993,"_181":994,"_183":995},305,"Whitefield Square archaeology","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3ul3552732fiz8uixybpo0jldkia","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3ul3552732fiz8uixybpo0jldkia?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3ul3552732fiz8uixybpo0jldkia?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3ul3552732fiz8uixybpo0jldkia?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3ul3552732fiz8uixybpo0jldkia?variant=lqip","Archaeologist Dan Elliott chats with volunteers during the ground penetrating radar survey.","NPS2_WS_019.jpg",{"_175":1000,"_177":1001,"_179":1002,"_181":1003,"_183":1004},303,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ns3muh5dj2qbip9n871k3k4efw1x","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ns3muh5dj2qbip9n871k3k4efw1x?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ns3muh5dj2qbip9n871k3k4efw1x?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ns3muh5dj2qbip9n871k3k4efw1x?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ns3muh5dj2qbip9n871k3k4efw1x?variant=lqip",213,"The Whitefield Square gazebo is a popular spot for weddings.","Whitefield2.jpg",{"_175":1009,"_177":1010,"_179":1011,"_181":1012,"_183":1013},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1vtzu9qy5wgmcsa959bkrte489c7","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1vtzu9qy5wgmcsa959bkrte489c7?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1vtzu9qy5wgmcsa959bkrte489c7?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1vtzu9qy5wgmcsa959bkrte489c7?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1vtzu9qy5wgmcsa959bkrte489c7?variant=lqip",211,"Whitefield.jpg",{"_175":1017,"_177":1018,"_179":1019,"_181":979,"_183":1020},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ofrnyydfbtsxqdjzoyrrj1e9yd4f","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ofrnyydfbtsxqdjzoyrrj1e9yd4f?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ofrnyydfbtsxqdjzoyrrj1e9yd4f?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ofrnyydfbtsxqdjzoyrrj1e9yd4f?variant=lqip",77,"the-beach-institute-african-american-cultural-center","The Beach Institute African-American Cultural Center",{"_36":963,"_65":964,"_74":965},{"_36":1059,"_65":1060,"_74":1061},"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 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, Sun-Mon: 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,[1041,1042],"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. ","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 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, Sun-Mon: 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",[1039,1040,1022],{"_74":1036,"_133":1037,"_135":1038},[],"The Beach Institute","The Beach Institute at the corner of Price and Harris streets. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/au3b0ap75z5wnag6n6v2dx992yay?variant=desktop","beach-institute","beach-institute-2",{"_106":1052,"_103":23,"_133":1037,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1053,"_162":1054,"_36":908,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1053,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1036,"_174":159},{"_106":1043,"_103":23,"_133":1044,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1045,"_162":1046,"_36":899,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1045,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1036,"_174":159},210,"The garden adjacent to the Beach Institute. The teachers' home (now gone) was to the left of this photograph.","Beach2.jpg",{"_175":1047,"_177":1048,"_179":1049,"_181":1050,"_183":1051},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/xktsvzug0a7glz1q2ok0efjnep28","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/xktsvzug0a7glz1q2ok0efjnep28?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/xktsvzug0a7glz1q2ok0efjnep28?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/xktsvzug0a7glz1q2ok0efjnep28?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/xktsvzug0a7glz1q2ok0efjnep28?variant=lqip",209,"Beach.jpg",{"_175":1055,"_177":1056,"_179":1057,"_181":1038,"_183":1058},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/au3b0ap75z5wnag6n6v2dx992yay","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/au3b0ap75z5wnag6n6v2dx992yay?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/au3b0ap75z5wnag6n6v2dx992yay?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/au3b0ap75z5wnag6n6v2dx992yay?variant=lqip",76,"davenport-house-museum-circa-1820","Davenport House Museum, circa 1820",{"_36":1021,"_65":1022,"_74":1023},{"_36":1144,"_65":1145,"_74":1146},"Davenport House, SAvannah","

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 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 ending 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 is 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 or write, and therefore, enslaved people 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 have worked in another relatives’ household or were “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 Cemetery. He was 48 years old.

Baynard relatives and then tenants occupied the Davenport house until 1955, when the house is 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 trash is people dumping refuse away from houses. Additionally, a privy (outdoor toilet) was found containing artifacts from approximately 1800 to 1830. Faunal remains (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, dating closer to 1830 than 1800. More expensive and poorer cuts of meat were mixed up, 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 Institute. Lamar 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,[1079,1080,1081,1082,1083,1084],"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, his 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 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 ending 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 is 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 or write, and therefore, enslaved people 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 have worked in another relatives’ household or were “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 Cemetery. He was 48 years old. Baynard relatives and then tenants occupied the Davenport house until 1955, when the house is 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 trash is people dumping refuse away from houses. Additionally, a privy (outdoor toilet) was found containing artifacts from approximately 1800 to 1830. Faunal remains (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, dating closer to 1830 than 1800. More expensive and poorer cuts of meat were mixed up, 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 Institute. Lamar 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.",[1077,1078,1060],{"_74":1074,"_133":1075,"_135":1076},[],"Davenport House Museum","Davenport House Museum today","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/075zjd93o365jznczj5h23fjbjud?variant=desktop","davenport-house-museum","davenport-house-museum-2",{"_106":1137,"_103":23,"_133":1075,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1138,"_162":1139,"_36":1043,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1138,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1074,"_174":159},{"_106":1127,"_103":291,"_133":1128,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1129,"_162":1130,"_36":1131,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1129,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1108,"_174":159},{"_106":1114,"_103":280,"_133":1115,"_155":1116,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1117,"_162":1118,"_36":1119,"_165":-5,"_166":908,"_168":1117,"_169":170,"_171":1120,"_74":1121,"_174":159},{"_106":1104,"_103":269,"_133":1105,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1106,"_162":1107,"_36":1052,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1106,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1108,"_174":159},{"_106":1095,"_103":258,"_133":1096,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1097,"_162":1098,"_36":1014,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1097,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1089,"_174":159},{"_106":1085,"_103":232,"_133":1086,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1087,"_162":1088,"_36":947,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1087,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1089,"_174":159},206,"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",{"_175":1090,"_177":1091,"_179":1092,"_181":1093,"_183":1094},"Davenport House archaeology","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3td0i9g70ajyhzrk21yr8tc4gx60","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3td0i9g70ajyhzrk21yr8tc4gx60?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3td0i9g70ajyhzrk21yr8tc4gx60?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3td0i9g70ajyhzrk21yr8tc4gx60?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3td0i9g70ajyhzrk21yr8tc4gx60?variant=lqip",203,"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",{"_175":1099,"_177":1100,"_179":1101,"_181":1102,"_183":1103},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/auv69nqwz1c0cy94cgb4mmyis5t2","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/auv69nqwz1c0cy94cgb4mmyis5t2?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/auv69nqwz1c0cy94cgb4mmyis5t2?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/auv69nqwz1c0cy94cgb4mmyis5t2?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/auv69nqwz1c0cy94cgb4mmyis5t2?variant=lqip",201,"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",{"_175":1109,"_177":1110,"_179":1111,"_181":1112,"_183":1113},"Davenport House in 1934","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/5rztezy8qgyxpskitoijwqu5ex3m","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/5rztezy8qgyxpskitoijwqu5ex3m?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/5rztezy8qgyxpskitoijwqu5ex3m?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/5rztezy8qgyxpskitoijwqu5ex3m?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/5rztezy8qgyxpskitoijwqu5ex3m?variant=lqip",200,"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",{"_175":1122,"_177":1123,"_179":1124,"_181":1125,"_183":1126},208,542,"Davenport House interior, 1934","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3a9weplyp0jn5uh072owdxa2dzag","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3a9weplyp0jn5uh072owdxa2dzag?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3a9weplyp0jn5uh072owdxa2dzag?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3a9weplyp0jn5uh072owdxa2dzag?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/3a9weplyp0jn5uh072owdxa2dzag?variant=lqip",199,"Historic American Buildings Survey staff took this picture in 1934. The whole record is available in the Library of Congress.","DH_front.jpg",{"_175":1132,"_177":1133,"_179":1134,"_181":1135,"_183":1136},207,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d4f8979qk57v0pfrpnu1p6yxsqyk","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d4f8979qk57v0pfrpnu1p6yxsqyk?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d4f8979qk57v0pfrpnu1p6yxsqyk?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d4f8979qk57v0pfrpnu1p6yxsqyk?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d4f8979qk57v0pfrpnu1p6yxsqyk?variant=lqip",202,"Davenport_house.jpg",{"_175":1140,"_177":1141,"_179":1142,"_181":1076,"_183":1143},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/075zjd93o365jznczj5h23fjbjud","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/075zjd93o365jznczj5h23fjbjud?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/075zjd93o365jznczj5h23fjbjud?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/075zjd93o365jznczj5h23fjbjud?variant=lqip",75,"second-african-baptist-church-founded-1802","Second African Baptist Church, founded 1802",{"_36":1059,"_65":1060,"_74":1061},{"_36":1242,"_65":1243,"_74":1244},"123 Houston St., Savannah","

Andrew Bryan helped found Second Colored Baptist church in 1802 because his church, then called First Colored Baptist, was rapidly outgrowing its space. Rev. Henry Cunningham, the first pastor of Second Colored Church from 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. In early 1865, 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 genuinely cared, often 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). 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 island and work hard. Coffin’s record of the meeting 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 ends 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,[1164,1165,1166,1167,1168,1169,1170],"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 “40 acres and mule” policy was announced. ","Andrew Bryan helped found Second Colored Baptist church in 1802 because his church, then called First Colored Baptist, was rapidly outgrowing its space. Rev. Henry Cunningham, the first pastor of Second Colored Church from 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. In early 1865, 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 genuinely cared, often 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). 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 island and work hard. Coffin’s record of the meeting 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 ends 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",[1162,1163,1145],{"_74":1159,"_133":1160,"_135":1161},[],"Second African Baptist Church","Second African Baptist Church faces Greene Square.","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4sbclppq8lw7cu9z3cs6e3k9i9f7?variant=desktop","second-african-baptist-church","second-african-baptist-church-2",{"_106":1235,"_103":23,"_133":1160,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1236,"_162":1237,"_36":1114,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":1236,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":1159,"_174":159},{"_106":1222,"_103":291,"_133":1223,"_155":1224,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1225,"_162":1226,"_36":1227,"_165":-5,"_166":537,"_168":1225,"_169":170,"_171":1228,"_74":1229,"_174":159},{"_106":1213,"_103":280,"_133":1214,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1215,"_162":1216,"_36":1104,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1215,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1159,"_174":159},{"_106":1204,"_103":258,"_133":1205,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1206,"_162":1207,"_36":1095,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":1206,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":1159,"_174":159},{"_106":1192,"_103":243,"_133":1193,"_155":1194,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1195,"_162":1196,"_36":1085,"_165":-5,"_166":1197,"_168":1195,"_169":170,"_171":1198,"_74":1159,"_174":159},{"_106":1184,"_103":232,"_133":159,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1185,"_162":1186,"_36":1137,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":1185,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":1159,"_174":159},{"_106":1171,"_103":232,"_133":1172,"_155":1173,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1174,"_162":1175,"_36":1176,"_165":-5,"_166":231,"_168":1174,"_169":170,"_171":1177,"_74":1178,"_174":159},196,"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",{"_175":1179,"_177":1180,"_179":1181,"_181":1182,"_183":1183},204,691,"Second African Baptist Church's new organ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ouqqj4baf3uqggxgx36vsmcf3404","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ouqqj4baf3uqggxgx36vsmcf3404?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ouqqj4baf3uqggxgx36vsmcf3404?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ouqqj4baf3uqggxgx36vsmcf3404?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ouqqj4baf3uqggxgx36vsmcf3404?variant=lqip",194,"2nd_Afr2.jpg",{"_175":1187,"_177":1188,"_179":1189,"_181":1190,"_183":1191},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vf4rdmp8cld7lsx3kgu8t0l7tvtt","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vf4rdmp8cld7lsx3kgu8t0l7tvtt?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vf4rdmp8cld7lsx3kgu8t0l7tvtt?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vf4rdmp8cld7lsx3kgu8t0l7tvtt?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vf4rdmp8cld7lsx3kgu8t0l7tvtt?variant=lqip",198,"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",{"_175":1199,"_177":1200,"_179":1201,"_181":1202,"_183":1203},179,448,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rlpakl857qmg0ptryqx4e980x2h1","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rlpakl857qmg0ptryqx4e980x2h1?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rlpakl857qmg0ptryqx4e980x2h1?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rlpakl857qmg0ptryqx4e980x2h1?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/rlpakl857qmg0ptryqx4e980x2h1?variant=lqip",195,"Close-up of stained glass window, front facade.","2nd_Afr3.jpg",{"_175":1208,"_177":1209,"_179":1210,"_181":1211,"_183":1212},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/p7xbroji18bf2cjl7bhie991j17w","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/p7xbroji18bf2cjl7bhie991j17w?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/p7xbroji18bf2cjl7bhie991j17w?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/p7xbroji18bf2cjl7bhie991j17w?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/p7xbroji18bf2cjl7bhie991j17w?variant=lqip",193,"Side view of the church","2nd_Afr4.jpg",{"_175":1217,"_177":1218,"_179":1219,"_181":1220,"_183":1221},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2knxycqz7o4xyaihc8d7a1aeo0ez","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2knxycqz7o4xyaihc8d7a1aeo0ez?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2knxycqz7o4xyaihc8d7a1aeo0ez?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2knxycqz7o4xyaihc8d7a1aeo0ez?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/2knxycqz7o4xyaihc8d7a1aeo0ez?variant=lqip",197,"Image from Savannah Republican newspaper, January 11, 1866.",1332,"2nd_Afr_Savannah_Republican_1866-01-11_7.png",{"_175":1230,"_177":1231,"_179":1232,"_181":1233,"_183":1234},205,666,"Second African Baptist Church ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1afgzuqueo9gdybpmh0bi65mz9zt","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1afgzuqueo9gdybpmh0bi65mz9zt?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1afgzuqueo9gdybpmh0bi65mz9zt?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1afgzuqueo9gdybpmh0bi65mz9zt?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/1afgzuqueo9gdybpmh0bi65mz9zt?variant=lqip",192,"2nd_AFr.jpg",{"_175":1238,"_177":1239,"_179":1240,"_181":1161,"_183":1241},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4sbclppq8lw7cu9z3cs6e3k9i9f7","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4sbclppq8lw7cu9z3cs6e3k9i9f7?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4sbclppq8lw7cu9z3cs6e3k9i9f7?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/4sbclppq8lw7cu9z3cs6e3k9i9f7?variant=lqip",74,"bryan-slave-market","Bryan Slave Market",{"_36":1144,"_65":1145,"_74":1146},{"_36":1279,"_65":1280,"_74":1281},"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 for Freedpeople considering farming Georgia’s Sea Islands under General Sherman’s Special Field Order #15. 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”.

After prayers and hymns, Union Army Lt. Ketchum answered the Freedmen’s questions, such as what kind of land title they would 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\" (Coffin 1866). While some declared they would become settlers, their questions proved wise and prescient. By the end of the year, Lincoln was assassinated, and President Johnson had 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: From the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century 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

","City Market is very busy with many pedestrians. Please use extra care, many of the streets are one-way. ",32.08078792,-81.09429944,[1261,1262],"In early 1865, the former slave 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 for Freedpeople considering farming Georgia’s Sea Islands under General Sherman’s Special Field Order #15. 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”.After prayers and hymns, Union Army Lt. Ketchum answered the Freedmen’s questions, such as what kind of land title they would 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\" (Coffin 1866). While some declared they would become settlers, their questions proved wise and prescient. By the end of the year, Lincoln was assassinated, and President Johnson had 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: From the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century 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 ",[1243],{"_74":1258,"_133":1259,"_135":1260},[],"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/d7lqow9zyxw2393vikud0o85y0nx?variant=desktop",{"_106":1272,"_103":23,"_133":1259,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1273,"_162":1274,"_36":1184,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1273,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1258,"_174":159},{"_106":1263,"_103":23,"_133":1264,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1265,"_162":1266,"_36":1204,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":1265,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":1258,"_174":159},187,"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",{"_175":1267,"_177":1268,"_179":1269,"_181":1270,"_183":1271},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/skr2n5e9cl8engnf657gd2t1fo09","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/skr2n5e9cl8engnf657gd2t1fo09?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/skr2n5e9cl8engnf657gd2t1fo09?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/skr2n5e9cl8engnf657gd2t1fo09?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/skr2n5e9cl8engnf657gd2t1fo09?variant=lqip",186,"Bryan_slave.jpg",{"_175":1275,"_177":1276,"_179":1277,"_181":1260,"_183":1278},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d7lqow9zyxw2393vikud0o85y0nx","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d7lqow9zyxw2393vikud0o85y0nx?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d7lqow9zyxw2393vikud0o85y0nx?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/d7lqow9zyxw2393vikud0o85y0nx?variant=lqip",73,"first-african-baptist-church","First African Baptist Church ",{"_36":1242,"_65":1243,"_74":1244},"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 First Colored Baptist Church’s inaugural members.

The First African/First Bryan tree 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 the wood frame original. The congregation, enslaved and free individuals, built the current church in their very limited free time. The building has deep symbolism and retains many original elements. For example, Decorative ventilation holes are shaped in a 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 these pews, nailing them to the floor. West African Arabic script from the 1800s decorates the outside of some.

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 in 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 Lewis Publishing Company, Statesboro, Georgia. 2002.
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 E. K. (Emanuel King) Love, 1888. Electronic Edition available here.

","

Rules for driving around Savannah's squares: 1- People in the square have the right of way. Yield while entering the squares. 2- Pedestrians have the right of way.

",32.0813264,-81.0962896,[1297,1298,1299,1300,1301,1302],"First African 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.","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 First Colored Baptist Church’s inaugural members. The First African/First Bryan tree 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 the wood frame original. The congregation, enslaved and free individuals, built the current church in their very limited free time. The building has deep symbolism and retains many original elements. For example, Decorative ventilation holes are shaped in a 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 these pews, nailing them to the floor. West African Arabic script from the 1800s decorates the outside of some. 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 in 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 Lewis Publishing Company, Statesboro, Georgia. 2002.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 E. K. (Emanuel King) Love, 1888. Electronic Edition available here.",[1280],{"_74":1294,"_133":1295,"_135":1296},[],"First African Baptist Church","First African Baptist Church faces Franklin Square, which hosts the Haitian Monument, dedicated to Haitian troops who fought in the 1779 Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah. ","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l4pev5wynjaip0s22g0cqxgl2596?variant=desktop",{"_106":1357,"_103":23,"_133":1295,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1358,"_162":1359,"_36":1272,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":1358,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":1294,"_174":159},{"_106":1346,"_103":291,"_133":1347,"_155":1348,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1349,"_162":1350,"_36":388,"_165":-5,"_166":1213,"_168":1349,"_169":170,"_171":1351,"_74":1294,"_174":159},{"_106":1335,"_103":280,"_133":1336,"_155":1324,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1337,"_162":1338,"_36":1339,"_165":-5,"_166":242,"_168":1337,"_169":170,"_171":1328,"_74":1340,"_174":159},{"_106":1322,"_103":269,"_133":1323,"_155":1324,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1325,"_162":1326,"_36":1327,"_165":-5,"_166":242,"_168":1325,"_169":170,"_171":1328,"_74":1329,"_174":159},{"_106":1310,"_103":258,"_133":1311,"_155":842,"_157":1312,"_158":1313,"_160":1314,"_162":1315,"_36":1235,"_165":258,"_166":167,"_168":1314,"_169":848,"_171":849,"_74":1316,"_174":1313},{"_106":1197,"_103":243,"_133":159,"_155":156,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1303,"_162":1304,"_36":1263,"_165":-5,"_166":167,"_168":1303,"_169":170,"_171":172,"_74":1294,"_174":159},"1st_Afr2.jpg",{"_175":1305,"_177":1306,"_179":1307,"_181":1308,"_183":1309},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l84y366drcclkuaykdkqcqz0eck2","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l84y366drcclkuaykdkqcqz0eck2?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l84y366drcclkuaykdkqcqz0eck2?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l84y366drcclkuaykdkqcqz0eck2?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l84y366drcclkuaykdkqcqz0eck2?variant=lqip",184,"First African Baptist Church, Savannah GA, History Tour","//www.youtube.com/embed/jS1K6Bhu3Hg","jS1K6Bhu3Hg","jS1K6Bhu3Hg.jpg",{"_175":1317,"_177":1318,"_179":1319,"_181":1320,"_183":1321},"FABC History","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vimy0yzh8ly2b917il1r75btek8c","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vimy0yzh8ly2b917il1r75btek8c?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vimy0yzh8ly2b917il1r75btek8c?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vimy0yzh8ly2b917il1r75btek8c?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/vimy0yzh8ly2b917il1r75btek8c?variant=lqip",183,"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",{"_175":1330,"_177":1331,"_179":1332,"_181":1333,"_183":1334},191,710,"James Mills license to preach","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ncrmnw0wsiel7hu949qkq2jnl450","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ncrmnw0wsiel7hu949qkq2jnl450?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ncrmnw0wsiel7hu949qkq2jnl450?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ncrmnw0wsiel7hu949qkq2jnl450?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ncrmnw0wsiel7hu949qkq2jnl450?variant=lqip",182,"Reverend Andrew Cox Marshall, founding pastor of First African Baptist Church. Sketch from E.K. Love's \"History of the First African Baptist Church\".","Rev_Andrew_Marshall.png",{"_175":1341,"_177":1342,"_179":1343,"_181":1344,"_183":1345},190,"Rev. Andrew Cox Marshall","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ka0vp721ju9tse0ribtmtxck727i","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ka0vp721ju9tse0ribtmtxck727i?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ka0vp721ju9tse0ribtmtxck727i?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ka0vp721ju9tse0ribtmtxck727i?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/ka0vp721ju9tse0ribtmtxck727i?variant=lqip",181,"Image of First African Baptist Church from E.K. Love's church history book. Note how the church steeple is much higher than the modern steeple. The original was destroyed in a hurricane and rebuilt shorter.",967,"1st_Afr_Baptist_EKLove.png",{"_175":1352,"_177":1353,"_179":1354,"_181":1355,"_183":1356},483,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jjs2iq0e5taj9god8q741jwvxb5k","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jjs2iq0e5taj9god8q741jwvxb5k?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jjs2iq0e5taj9god8q741jwvxb5k?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jjs2iq0e5taj9god8q741jwvxb5k?variant=desktop","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/jjs2iq0e5taj9god8q741jwvxb5k?variant=lqip",178,"1st_Afr.jpg",{"_175":1360,"_177":1361,"_179":1362,"_181":1296,"_183":1363},"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l4pev5wynjaip0s22g0cqxgl2596","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l4pev5wynjaip0s22g0cqxgl2596?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l4pev5wynjaip0s22g0cqxgl2596?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/l4pev5wynjaip0s22g0cqxgl2596?variant=lqip","Kiah_First.jpg","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6s2e449zur3tjeg026sz325zfgg0?variant=desktop",{"_106":484,"_36":23,"_74":1373},{"_106":418,"_36":291,"_74":1372},{"_106":353,"_36":280,"_74":1371},{"_106":312,"_36":269,"_74":1370},"WALKING","TRANSIT","DRIVING","BICYCLING",{"_106":312,"_103":291,"_133":159,"_155":332,"_157":-5,"_158":159,"_160":1364,"_162":1375,"_36":1376,"_165":-5,"_166":335,"_168":1364,"_169":170,"_171":336,"_74":1364,"_174":159},{"_175":1377,"_177":1378,"_179":1379,"_181":1365,"_183":1380},185,"https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6s2e449zur3tjeg026sz325zfgg0","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6s2e449zur3tjeg026sz325zfgg0?variant=mobile","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6s2e449zur3tjeg026sz325zfgg0?variant=tablet","https://api.opentour.site/georgia-humanities/v4/public/media/6s2e449zur3tjeg026sz325zfgg0?variant=lqip",{"_103":23,"_106":243,"_36":243,"_74":1382,"_65":1383,"_1384":1385,"_120":25,"_1386":23},"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: a walking tour of downtown and this 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. For the driving version, please remember Georgia laws prohibit touching phones and similar devices while driving, so plan accordingly. Touring in groups works well so a “co-pilot” can provide directions and read the text. This tour is 7.5 miles and takes about 45 minutes of driving time.

\nThis 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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