The Bull Street Squares - The Jewels of Savannah
Page 44 of Sojourn in Savannah. (Walking time: 1-2 hours)
On the map walkers are routed south on Bull Street, through each square, to Forsyth Park where the route returns north, if you want to retrace your steps. One of the most historic walks in America.
Supporting the busy life of the square, public buildings sprang up to link the religious, domestic and social life of the community. Hence, in addition to the highlights mentioned here, each square is bordered by a variety of interesting structures, including religious buildings, theatres, government buildings, restaurants, shops, inns and private homes.
Johnson Square: As the first of the jewels of Savannah --- the five little green parks that adorn Bull Street --- Johnson Square was the earliest of the 24 original squares. Laid out in 1733, it honors Oglethorpe’s friend and helper, Governor Robert Johnson of South Carolina, and remains as a crossroad in history: here the colonists came to find out the time of day from the sun dial (replaced in 1933 by the Society of Colonial Wars in Georgia); here they met to draw water, gossip and post public notices; here they gathered to receive President Monroe in 1819 and again in 1825 to laud French General Marquis de Lafayette, who laid the cornerstone for the imposing monument which marks the last resting place of General Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary War hero; here a public reception was held for Daniel Webster and his wife in 1848, and in 1860, upon the announcement of South Carolina’s secession from the Union, a large meeting was held in the square where the Secession flag was unfurled from the Greene monument. To this day, the square is used for political rallies and other public events.
Wright Square: Named for Sir James Wright, last of the Royal Governors of Georgia, Wright Square was laid out in 1733. In its southeast corner lies a massive granite boulder, from Georgia’s celebrated Stone Mountain, which commemorates the burial in 1739 of Tomo-Chi-Chi, the Mico, or Chief, of the Yamacraw Indians. The imposing monument in the center of the square was erected in 1883 as a tribute to William Washington Gordon, founder and president of the Central of Georgia Railroad and father of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
NOTE TO WALKERS: You may detour 3 blocks west on State Street for an additional side tour to the Telfair Academy.
Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences: Across Telfair Square, 121 Barnard Street. Designed by William Jay and completed in 1819 for Alexander Telfair, son of Governor Edward Telfair, this Regency mansion was bequeathed in 1875 to the Georgia Historical Society to be used as a museum. In the 1880’s it was remodeled and enlarged into the city’s major art museum, the oldest public museum in the South. Its rooms, which Jay creatively designed in varying sizes and shapes, display a fine permanent collection of paintings, such as American, French, and German Impressionists, exquisite furniture, Savannah-made silver, and the original mantelpieces, moldings, cornices, and innovations for which Jay was so famous.
Chippewa Square: Named to commemorate American valor in the Canadian Battle of Chippewa, War of 1812, Chippewa Square was laid out in 1813. The square is presided over by Savannah’s most distinguished statue, a magnificent bronze figure of James Edward Oglethorpe designed by Daniel Chester French, who also designed the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., with a base designed by Henry Bacon.
Madison Square: Laid out in 1837 and named for President James Madison, the square features a monument to Sgt. William Jasper, hero of the Siege of Savannah in 1779. The granite marker defines the southern lines of British defense, and Georgia’s first two highways are honored by the cannon south of the monument.
Monterrey Square: To memorialize the capture of Monterey, Mexico, in 1846 by General Zachary Taylor’s American Forces, Monterey Square was laid out in 1847. Its monument salutes Gen. Casimir Pulaski, a young Polish nobleman who fell as a hero during the American Revolution.
429 Bull Street: Cited as nationally significant for its architectural style in an Historic Foundation survey, the Mercer-Wilder home was begun about 1860 and completed in 1871. The house is outstanding for its cast-iron window pediments, an overhanging roof with beautifully ornamented brackets, eight cast iron balconies and sidewalk fence. It was designed by John S. Norris and has been used frequently as a movie set, most recently for "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."
Forsyth Park: Encompassing 20 acres, Forsyth Park was conceived by William B. Hodgson and named for Governor John Forsyth when it was laid out in 1851. Stretching southward from the Marine Corps marker, the main promenade is highlighted by the beautiful white fountain, which was erected in 1858 and restored in 1988 as a joint effort of the City and community residents.
Following on the right is the Fragrant Garden for the Blind, a highly creative project of Savannah garden clubs. The lofty monument to the Confederacy, erected in 1874-75, was designed of Canadian sandstone by Robert Reid of Montreal, and it stands in Forsyth Park Extension, the parade ground of the Savannah militia. Within the iron-railed enclosure surrounding the monument are busts of two Confederate heroes, General Lafayette McLaws and Brigadier General Francis S. Bartow. To the east is a World War I dummy fort; to the south is the Spanish-American War Memorial.
The popular Savannah Symphony Picnic in the Park, the Savannah Jazz Festival, the Savannah Shakespeare Festival, and other cultural programs flourish in this lovely setting. Around the park numerous attractively restored homes - most of them in various Victorian styles - are well worth a small detour.
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