Wright Square (Savannah, Georgia)

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Wright Square
Monument - panoramio (48).jpg
William Washington Gordon Monument in the square
Former name(s) Percival Square
Namesake James Wright
Maintained by City of Savannah
Location Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Coordinates 32°04′40″N 81°05′32″W / 32.0779°N 81.0923°W / 32.0779; -81.0923Coordinates: 32°04′40″N 81°05′32″W / 32.0779°N 81.0923°W / 32.0779; -81.0923
North Bull Street
East East President Street
South Bull Street
West West President Street
Construction
Completion 1733; 289 years ago (1733)

Wright Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the second row of the city's five rows of squares, on Bull Street and President Street, and was laid out in 1733 as one of the first four squares. It is south of Johnson Square, west of Oglethorpe Square, north of Chippewa Square and east of Telfair Square. The oldest building on the square is the Lutheran Church of the Ascension, at 120 Bull Street, which dates to 1878.[1]

The second square established in Savannah, it was originally name Percival Square, for Lord Percival, generally regarded as the man who gave the colony of Georgia its name (a tribute to Great Britain's King George II). It was renamed in 1763 to honor James Wright, the third and final royal governor of Georgia. Throughout its history it has also been known as Court House Square and Post Office Square; the present Tomochichi Federal Building and United States Court House is adjacent to the west.[2]

The square is the burial site of Tomochichi, a leader of the Creek nation of Native Americans. Tomochichi was a trusted friend of James Oglethorpe and assisted him in the founding of his colony. When Tomochichi died in 1739, Oglethorpe ordered him buried with military honors in the center of Percival Square. In accordance with his people's customs the grave was marked by a pyramid of stones gathered from the surrounding area. In 1883, citizens wishing to honor William Washington Gordon replaced Tomochichi's monument with an elaborate and highly allegorical monument to Gordon, called the William Washington Gordon Monument.[3] William Gordon is thus the only native Savannahian honored with a monument in one of the city's squares.[2] Gordon's own widow objected strongly to this perceived insult to Tomochichi. She and other members of the Colonial Dames of the State of Georgia planned to erect a new monument to Tomochichi, made of granite from Stone Mountain. The Stone Mountain Monument Company offered the material at no cost. Mrs. Gordon felt that she was being condescended to and insisted on paying. The Monument Company sent her a bill—some sources say for 50 cents, others for one dollar—payable on Judgment Day. Mrs. Gordon paid the bill and attached a note explaining that on Judgment Day she would be occupied with her own affairs.[4] The new monument was erected in 1899. It stands in the southeast corner of the square and eulogizes Tomochichi as a great friend of James Oglethorpe and the people of Georgia.[5][3]

6 East State Street, in the northeastern tything lot of the square, doubled as Dixie's Flowers, the flower shop Mandy works at in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Bradley Lock and Key, at 24 East State Street, also in the northeastern tything lot, is the oldest operating business in Savannah.[6]

Dedication[]

Markers and structures[]

  • Another view of the Gordon Monument

Constituent buildings[]

Each building below is in one of the eight blocks around the square composed of four residential "tything" blocks and four civic ("trust") blocks, now known as the Oglethorpe Plan. They are listed with construction years where known.

Western civic/trust block
Southwestern residential/tything block
  • 135–139 Bull Street (1875)
  • Lindsay & Morgan Building, 5–11 West York Street (1921)
  • Thomas Henderson Building, 15–21 West York Street (1890)
Northeastern residential/tything block
Northeastern civic/trust block
  • Lutheran Church of the Ascension, 120 Bull Street (1878)[1] – oldest building on the square
Southeastern civic/trust block
  • Old Chatham County Court House, 124 Bull Street (1889)[1]
Southeastern residential/tything block
  • 136 Bull Street (1890)[1]

Gallery[]

  • 6 East State Street

  • Tomochichi Federal Building and United States Court House, 125 Bull Street

  • Old Chatham County Court House, 124 Bull Street

  • Lutheran Church of the Ascension, 120 Bull Street

  • 135–139 Bull Street

  • 136 Bull Street

  • Lindsay & Morgan Building, 5–11 West York Street

  • Thomas Henderson Building, 15–21 West York Street

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Historic Building Map: Savannah Historic District – Historic Preservation Department of the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (November 17, 2011), p. 22
  2. ^ a b Chan Sieg (1984). The squares: an introduction to Savannah. Virginia Beach: Donning.
  3. ^ a b City of Savannah's monuments page This page links directly to numerous short entries, many accompanied by photographs, discussing a variety of monuments, memorials, etc., in the squares and elsewhere. Accessed June 16, 2007.
  4. ^ An Introduction to Historic Savannah by John Duncan, February 23, 2004, accessed June 14, 2007.
  5. ^ Tour Guide Manual for licensed tour guides in the City of Savannah, accessed June 16, 2007.
  6. ^ "New generation at Bradley's locksmiths" – Savannah Morning News, September 7, 2019
  7. ^ A Key to Savannah – Freemans Rag
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