Timeline of Savannah, Georgia

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

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

18th century

• 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.
• 1739 – October 5: Creek leader Tomochichi died. He is buried in Percival Square.
• 1740 – Bethesda Orphanage founded near town.
• 1742 – Oglethorpe Square laid out.
• 1750
  • Colonial Park Cemetery established.
  • Christ Church built.
  • Savannah Female Asylum founded.
• 1754
  • Savannah becomes capital of British Province of Georgia.
  • Pirates' House Inn in business.
• 1755
  • January 1: Georgia legislature convenes.
  • 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.
• 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.
  • June: Committee of Safety organized at the liberty pole.
• 1776 (or before) – The Eppinger House was built. It is believed to be the oldest extant brick structure in the city.
• 1778
  • December 29: Battle of Savannah; British in power.
  • Georgia state capital relocated from Savannah to Augusta.
• 1779
  • Town Hall built.
  • Siege of Savannah.
• 1782
  • British occupation ends.
  • Georgia state capital relocated to Savannah from Augusta.
• 1786
  • Georgia state capital relocated again from Savannah to Augusta.
  • Chatham Artillery established.
• 1788
  • Town becomes part of the U.S. state of Georgia.
  • African Baptist Church and Chatham Academy established.
• 1789 – Savannah chartered as a city.
• 1790
  • John Houstoun becomes mayor.
  • Franklin Square and Washington Square laid out
• 1791 – Warren Square laid out.
• 1796 – November 26: Fire.
• 1799 – City Exchange constructed, replacing one that burned in 1796. Columbia Square and Greene Square laid out.

19th century

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

  • 

    4 dollar banknote from the Bank of Commerce in Savannah, Georgia, 1864.

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

20th century

• 1901
  • City boundaries expanded.
  • Hill Hall at Savannah State College built.
• 1902
  • Benedictine College founded.
  • Savannah Union Station completed.
• 1904 – City Exchange demolished.
• 1906 – Savannah City Hall built.
• 1908 – Savannah, Augusta and Northern Railway in operation (approximate date).
• 1909 – December: Savannah axe murders
• 1910
  • James Oglethorpe Monument in Chippewa Square dedicated.
  • Population: 65,064.
• 1912 – Girl Guides of America founded.
• 1914 – East Henry Street Carnegie Library opens.
• 1919
  • Armstrong House completed.
  • April: Savannah Centennial Pageant performed.
• 1920 – Population: 83,252.
• 1921 – Lucas Theatre built
• 1925 – Savannah Economic Development Authority established.
• 1926 – Municipal Stadium built.
• 1929
  • WTOC radio begins broadcasting.
  • Savannah Municipal Airport begins operating.
  • Savannah Technical College established.
• 1933 – Greenwich Cemetery established.
• 1935
  • Armstrong Junior College founded.
  • Union Bag and Paper opens mill.
• 1938 – Atlantic Greyhound Bus Terminal built.
• 1939 – WSAV radio begins broadcasting.
• 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.
• 1953 – Talmadge Memorial Bridge built to Hutchinson Island.
• 1954
  • Council–manager form of government adopted.
  • WTOC-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
• 1955 – Historic Savannah Foundation organized.
• 1956
  • WSAV-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
  • Juliette Gordon Low house museum opens.
• 1960
  • Savannah Protest Movement commenced
  • Travis Field airport terminal built.
  • Population: 147,537.
• 1962 – Savannah station built.
• 1963 – Savannah Union Station demolished.
• 1967 – Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co. opens Savannah office.
• 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.
• 1977 – City Records Committee established.
• 1978 – Savannah College of Art and Design founded.
• 1979 – September: Hurricane David makes landfall.
• 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.
  • Lady & Sons restaurant in business.
• 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).

21st century

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

See also

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

Bibliography

Published in 18th–19th century

• Jedidiah Morse (1797), "Savannah", American Gazetteer, Boston: S. Hall, and Thomas & Andrews
• John Melish (1818), "Savannah", Travels through the United States of America, in the years 1806 & 1807, and 1809, 1810, & 1811, Belfast: Reprinted by Jos. Smyth
• "Savannah", The North American Tourist, New York: A.T. Goodrich, 1839
• Joseph Bancroft, ed. (1848). Census of the City of Savannah...to Which is Added a Commercial Directory (2nd ed.). E. J. Purse, printer – via HathiTrust.
• "Great Cities of the United States: Savannah, Georgia", De Bow's Review, vol. 17, pp. 30 v, September 1854, hdl:2027/njp.32101065216861
• Thomas Baldwin; J. Thomas (1854). "Savannah". New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co.
• R.H. Long (1863), "Savannah", Hunt's Gazetteer of the Border and Southern States, Pittsburgh, Pa.: John P. Hunt
• F.D. Lee; J.L. Agnew (1869), Historical record of the city of Savannah, Savannah: J.H. Estill, OL 7125369M
• Charles H. Jones (1873), "Savannah", Appletons' Hand-book of American Travel: the Southern Tour, New York: D. Appleton & Co.
• B.H. Richardson (1875), Pleasure Guide for Northern Tourists and Invalids: Sketch of the Resorts on Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard Railroad, Savannah, OL 23367197M{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Atlantic and Gulf Railroad (1879), "Savannah", Guide to Southern Georgia and Florida (5th ed.), Savannah, Ga., OCLC 1805741{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Directory of the City of Savannah. A.E. Sholes. 1880 – via HathiTrust.
  • 1881
  • Sholes' Directory of the City of Savannah. 1882 – via Google Books.
  • 1884
  • 1896
• A guide to strangers visiting Savannah for business, health, or pleasure, Savannah, Ga.: J.H. Estill, 1881, OCLC 15086225, OL 6904259M
• Savannah: her trade, commerce and industries, 1883-4, Savannah: Jno. E. Land, 1884, OL 23368885M
• "Savannah" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (9th ed.). 1886.
• Adelaide Wilson (1889), Historic and Picturesque Savannah, Boston: Boston Photogravure Co., OCLC 003846336, OL 25126895M
• Charles C. Jones Jr. (1890), History of Savannah, Ga., Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason & Co.
• Savannah. Ocean Steamship Co. of Savannah. 1899.
• "Savannah", Rand, McNally & Co.'s Handy Guide to the Southeastern States, Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1899 – via Internet Archive
• "Savannah", Reunion, Georgia Division, U.C.V.: Official programme and guide book, Savannah, Ga., 1899, OCLC 5242393{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Published in 20th century

1900s–1950s

• Savannah. 1904.
• F.H. Richardson (1905). "Savannah, Ga.". Richardson's Southern Guide. Chicago: Monarch Book Company – via Internet Archive.
• "Savannah, Georgia, a Leader of the New South", National Magazine, Boston: Chapple Publishing Co., 1905
• A.H. MacDonell (1907), Code of the City of Savannah of 1907
• "Savannah", United States (4th ed.), Leipzig: K. Baedeker, 1909, OCLC 02338437
• "Savannah" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). 1910. pp. 240–241.
• Maude Heyward; Elizabeth V. McLaws (1910), Illustrated guide to Savannah, Savannah, OL 23412048M{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• William Harden (1913), History of Savannah and South Georgia, Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company
• Federal Writers' Project (1937), Savannah, American Guide Series, Savannah{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

1950s–1990s

• Alexander A. Lawrence, A Present for Mr. Lincoln: The Story of Savannah from Secession to Sherman (Macon, Ga.: Ardivan Press, 1961).
• Ory Mazar Nergal, ed. (1980), "Savannah", Encyclopedia of American Cities, New York: E.P. Dutton, OL 4120668M
• Preston Russell and Barbara Hines, Savannah: A History of Her People since 1733 (Savannah, Ga.: Frederic C. Beil, 1992).
• "Monuments and Fountains of Savannah", Historical Documents & Research, City of Savannah, Research Library & Municipal Archives, 1993
• Trudy Ring and Robert M. Salkin, ed. (1995). "Savannah". Americas. International Dictionary of Historic Places. Routledge. p. 650+. ISBN 978-1-134-25930-4.
• Whittington B. Johnson, Black Savannah, 1788-1864 (Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1996).
• Derek Smith, Civil War Savannah (Savannah, Ga.: Frederic C. Beil, 1997).
• Patrick Allen, ed., Literary Savannah (Athens, Ga.: Hill Street Press, 1998).
• "The South: Georgia: Savannah", USA, Let's Go, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999, OL 24937240M

Published in 21st century

• Mills B. Lane, Savannah Revisited: History and Architecture, 5th ed. (Savannah, Ga.: Beehive Press, 2001).
• Charles J. Elmore (2002). Savannah, Georgia. Black America. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia.
• Walter J. Fraser Jr., Savannah in the Old South (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2003).
• Research Library & Municipal Archives (2006), "Century of History: Savannah City Hall Centennial, 1906-2006 (timeline)", Historical Documents & Research, City of Savannah
• Jacqueline Jones, Saving Savannah: The City and the Civil War (New York: Knopf, 2008).
• Kwesi DeGraft-Hanson (2010). "Unearthing the Weeping Time: Savannah's Ten Broeck Race Course and 1859 Slave Sale". Southern Spaces. doi:10.18737/M76K6J.

External links

• "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)