Timeline of Savannah, Georgia

The following is a timeline of the history of Savannah, Georgia, United States.

18th century

Part of a series on the
History of the State of Georgia
Pre-Columbian European Exploration Colonial Georgia American Revolution Antebellum Period American Civil War Reconstruction Postbellum Economic Growth Agrarian Unrest and Disfranchisement Progressive Era Civil Rights Movement Sun Belt growth and the New Right African Americans
Georgia (U.S. state) portal
v t e

• 1733
  • Savannah founded in British Colony of Georgia by James Oglethorpe.
  • Ellis, Johnson, Percival, and St. James Squares laid out per Oglethorpe Plan.
• 1734
  • Reynolds Square laid out.
  • Solomon's Lodge (Masonic lodge) founded.
• 1735 – Congregation Mickve Israel formed.^[1][2]
• 1739 – October 5: Creek leader Tomochichi died. He is buried in Percival Square.^[3]
• 1740 – Bethesda Orphanage founded near town.
• 1742 – Oglethorpe Square laid out.
• 1750
  • Colonial Park Cemetery established.
  • Christ Church built.^[2]
  • Savannah Female Asylum founded.^[2]
• 1754
  • Savannah becomes capital of British Province of Georgia.^[4]
  • Pirates' House Inn in business.
• 1755
  • January 1: Georgia legislature convenes.^[2]
  • Independent Presbyterian Church founded.
• 1762 – Bonaventure Plantation established.
• c. 1764 – The Christian Camphor Cottage was built. It is believed to be the city's oldest extant structure.^[5]
• 1765
  • Levi Sheftall Family Cemetery established.
  • Greenwich Plantation established.
• 1771 – Habersham House completed.
• 1773 – Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery established (possibly 1769).
• 1775
  • January: Provincial Congress held.^[2]
  • June: Committee of Safety organized at the liberty pole.^[6]
• 1776 (or before) – The Eppinger House was built. It is believed to be the oldest extant brick structure in the city.^[7]
• 1778
  • December 29: Battle of Savannah; British in power.^[2]
  • Georgia state capital relocated from Savannah to Augusta.^[2]
• 1779
  • Town Hall built.^[2]
  • Siege of Savannah.^[2]
• 1782
  • British occupation ends.^[4]
  • Georgia state capital relocated to Savannah from Augusta.^[4]
• 1786
  • Georgia state capital relocated again from Savannah to Augusta.^[4]
  • Chatham Artillery established.^[2]
• 1788
  • Town becomes part of the U.S. state of Georgia.
  • African Baptist Church^[8] and Chatham Academy established.^[2]
• 1789 – Savannah chartered as a city.^[2]
• 1790
  • John Houstoun becomes mayor.
  • Franklin Square and Washington Square laid out
• 1791 – Warren Square laid out.
• 1796 – November 26: Fire.^[9]
• 1799 – City Exchange constructed, replacing one that burned in 1796. Columbia Square and Greene Square laid out.

19th century

• 1800 – Population: 5,146.^[10]
• 1802 – Savannah Volunteer Guards established.^[2]
• 1804
  • Seamen's Hospital opens.
  • Bonaventure Plantation destroyed by fire.
  • Lebanon Plantation established.
• 1809 – Savannah Society Library founded.^[11]
• 1810 – Population: 5,315.^[12]
• 1812 – Hibernian Society organized.^[13]
• 1813 – Oliver Sturges House built.
• 1815 – Orleans Square and Chippewa Square laid out.
• 1817 – Savannah Steamboat Company in business.^[2]
• 1818
  • Telfair Academy built.
  • The Savannah Theatre established.^[2][14]
• 1819
  • May: Steamboat Savannah travels to Liverpool, England.^[15][2]
  • May: U.S. President Monroe visits town.^[3]
  • William Scarbrough House (residence) built.
  • Owens–Thomas House (residence built).
• 1820
  • January: Fire.^[12]
  • Isaiah Davenport House built.
• 1821 – The city's first hotel, City Hotel, is completed.^[16]
• 1824 – Savannah Fire Company formed.^[3]
• 1825 – March: Lafayette visits town.^[3]
• 1830
  • Nathanael Greene Monument in Johnson Square completed.
  • Population: 7,303.^[17]
• 1831 – Savannah–Ogeechee Canal constructed.
• 1833 – First Baptist Church built.
• 1834 – Oglethorpe Barracks built (approximate date).
• 1837
  • Pulaski Square, Lafayette Square, Madison Square and Troup Square laid out.
  • Central of Georgia Railroad begins operating.^[18]
• 1839 – Georgia Historical Society organized.^[2]
• 1840
  • Sorrel–Weed House built.
  • Population: 11,214.^[10]
• 1841 – Crawford Square laid out.
• 1842 – Convent of St. Vincent de Paul founded.^[2]
• 1844 – Savannah Institution for Savings instituted.^[3]
• 1846 – Bonaventure Cemetery established near town.
• 1847
  • Chatham Square and Monterey Square laid out.
  • Fort Pulaski built near town.
• 1848
  • Customhouse built.^[2]
  • Population: 13,573.^[19]
• 1850
  • Daily Morning News begins publication.
• 1851
  • Calhoun Square and Whitefield Square laid out.
  • The Marshall House opens.
• 1853
  • Forsyth Place (park) laid out.^[13][20]
  • Catholic Diocese of Savannah^[13] and Laurel Grove Cemetery established.
  • St. John's Church consecrated.
  • Green–Meldrim House built.
  • Georgia State Railroad Museum built.
• 1854
  • Yellow fever outbreak.^[21]
  • Central of Georgia Railway Company Shop Property built.
  • Augusta and Savannah Railroad in operation (approximate date).^{[citation needed]}
• 1855 – Young Men's Literary Association organized.^[11][22]
• 1858 – Old Harbor Light erected.
• 1859
  • First African Baptist Church rebuilt.
  • The Great Slave Auction at Ten Broeck Race Course, March 2 & 3.^[23]
  • John G. Lawton riverboat explodes, June 9^[24]
• 1860 – Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed built.
• 1861
  • March 21: Cornerstone Speech by Alexander H. Stephens.
  • Port blockaded by U.S. government.^[2]

  • 

    Green House (residence) built.
• 1864 – December 22: Savannah taken by Union forces.^[25]
• 1866 – City board of education incorporated.^[2]
• 1867 – Beach Institute established.^[13]
• 1868 – Mercer House (residence) built (approximate date).
• 1870 – McCarthy's Business College established.^[13]
• 1871 – Abend Zeitung newspaper begins publication.^[13]
• 1873 – First Bryan Baptist Church rebuilt.
• 1874 – Youth's Historical Society founded.^[13]
• 1875
  • Civil War Memorial in Forsyth Park dedicated.
  • Colored Tribune newspaper begins publication.^[26]
  • Savannah Rifle Association established.^[13]
• 1876
  • Cathedral of St. John the Baptist dedicated.^[2]
  • Another yellow fever outbreak^[27] (see J. W. Schull)
• 1878 – Congregation Mickve Israel synagogue built.^[2]
• 1879 – City boundaries expanded.^[2]
• 1880
  • Confederate memorial built in Forsyth Park.^[28]
  • Population: 30,709.^[10]
• 1882 – Ford Dramatic Association incorporated.^[13]
• 1883
  • City boundaries expanded.^[2]
  • William Washington Gordon Monument in Wright Square completed.
• 1886 – Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences opens.^[2]
• 1887
  • Savannah Cotton Exchange building built.
  • Tybee-Savannah railway built.^[21]
• 1888 – William Jasper Monument in Madison Square dedicated.
• 1890 – Population: 43,189.^[10][2]
• 1891 – Georgia Industrial College established.^[2]
• 1893 – August: Sea Islands hurricane.
• 1898 - Fire at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.^[2]
• 1899
  • Kate Baldwin Free Kindergarten established.
  • Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse built.
• 1900
  • Population: 54,244.^[10][2]
  • Great Dane Trailers founded as the Savannah Blowpipe Company

20th century

• 1901
  • City boundaries expanded.^[2]
  • Hill Hall at Savannah State College built.
• 1902
  • Benedictine College founded.
  • Savannah Union Station completed.
• 1904 – City Exchange demolished.
• 1906 – Savannah City Hall built.^[2][29]
• 1908 – Savannah, Augusta and Northern Railway in operation (approximate date).^{[citation needed]}
• 1909 – December: Savannah axe murders
• 1910
  • James Oglethorpe Monument in Chippewa Square dedicated.
  • Population: 65,064.^[10][2]
• 1912 – Girl Guides of America founded.^[30]
• 1914 – East Henry Street Carnegie Library opens.
• 1919
  • Armstrong House completed.
  • April: Savannah Centennial Pageant performed.^[31]
• 1920 – Population: 83,252.^[10]
• 1921 – Lucas Theatre built
• 1925 – Savannah Economic Development Authority established.^[32]
• 1926 – Municipal Stadium built.
• 1929
  • WTOC radio begins broadcasting.^[33]
  • Savannah Municipal Airport begins operating.
  • Savannah Technical College established.
• 1933 – Greenwich Cemetery established.
• 1935
  • Armstrong Junior College founded.
  • Union Bag and Paper opens mill.^[34]
• 1938 – Atlantic Greyhound Bus Terminal built.
• 1939 – WSAV radio begins broadcasting.^[33]
• 1940 – Coastal Transitional Center opened.
• 1942 – U.S. Army Chatham Field (airfield) active.
• 1950 – Little Theatre of Savannah founded.
• 1951 – Palm Drive-In movie theatre opens.^[35]
• 1953 – Talmadge Memorial Bridge built to Hutchinson Island.
• 1954
  • Council–manager form of government adopted.
  • WTOC-TV (television) begins broadcasting.^[36]
• 1955 – Historic Savannah Foundation organized.^[37]
• 1956
  • WSAV-TV (television) begins broadcasting.^[36]
  • Juliette Gordon Low house museum opens.
• 1960
  • Savannah Protest Movement commenced
  • Travis Field airport terminal built.
  • Population: 147,537.^[10]
• 1962 – Savannah station built.
• 1963 – Savannah Union Station demolished.
• 1967 – Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co. opens Savannah office.^[34]
• 1968
  • The DeSoto Hotel opens.
  • Abercorn Plaza shopping centre opens for business.
• 1969 – Oglethorpe Mall opens up for business.
• 1970
  • John Rousakis becomes mayor.
  • Population: 118,349.
• 1974 – Savannah Civic Center opens.
• 1976 – Abercorn Cinema opens.^[35]
• 1977 – City Records Committee established.^[38]
• 1978 – Savannah College of Art and Design founded.
• 1979 – September: Hurricane David makes landfall.^[39]
• 1980
  • Hyatt Regency Savannah opens.
• 1981
  • Coastal State Prison built.
  • May 2: The shooting of Danny Hansford occurs at Mercer House, the basis of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
• 1986 – Chatham Area Transit established.
• 1988 – Savannah Music Festival founded.
• 1990
  • Savannah Mall (the city's second shopping mall) in business.
  • Talmadge Memorial Bridge rebuilt.
• 1991
  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial built in Emmet Park.^[28]
  • Lady & Sons restaurant in business.^[40]
• 1994
  • Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport terminal built.
  • Bestseller book about Savannah Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil published.
• 1998
  • Savannah Arts Academy established.
  • Floyd Adams becomes the first African American to become the Mayor of the City of Savannah.
• 1999
  • Georgia Tech Savannah established.
  • City website online (approximate date).^{[41][chronology citation needed]}

21st century

• 2000 – Lucas Theatre renovated.^[35]
• 2002
  • African-American Monument on River Street dedicated.
  • Islamic Center of Savannah established.^[42][43]
• 2004 – Otis Johnson becomes mayor.
• 2005
  • Abercorn Walk shopping center in business.
  • Savannah-Chatham Metro Police established.
• 2009 – The Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra is established.^[44]
• 2010 – Population: 136,286.
• 2012
  • Edna Jackson becomes mayor.^[45]
  • Savannah Law School established.
• 2016
  • Eddie Deloach becomes mayor, first Republican since 1996.^[46]
  • All of Savannah and Chatham county east of I95 was evacuated ahead of Hurricane Matthew.^[47]
• 2017 – All of Savannah and Chatham County east of I95 evacuated due to the impact of Hurricane Irma.^[48]
• 2018
  • Savannah Law School closed.^[49]
  • City and county police merger ends, separating the two agencies.^[50]
  • Roy Minter sworn in as new police chief of Savannah Police Department.^[51]
• 2022 – Population: 147,780 (+11,494 since 2010)^[52]

See also

• History of Savannah, Georgia
• List of mayors of Savannah, Georgia
• Timelines of other cities in Georgia: Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon

References

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Savannah, Georgia.

• "Savannah", New Georgia Encyclopedia, Georgia Humanities Council
• University of Texas, Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. Maps of Savannah, various dates
• Items related to Savannah, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)

32°05′00″N 81°05′00″W / 32.083333°N 81.083333°W / 32.083333; -81.083333

This page was last edited on 19 January 2024, at 14:37