Savannah, Georgia, USA
1854 - Savannah

Savannah, a flourishing city and port of entry of Georgia, capital of Chatham county, and the largest and most commercial town of the state, is situated on the right bank of Savannah river, 18 miles from its month, 90 miles W. S. W. from Charleston, and 188 miles E. S. E. from Milledgeville. The site of the city is a sandy plain, elevated about 40 feet above low-water mark. It is regularly laid out with wide, sandy, and unpaved streets. At every other corner there is a public square, usually circular or oval in shape, planted with the Pride of India tree. The number of these squares is 24. Broad and Bay streets have grassy promenades in the middle, with carriage ways on each side. Many of the private dwellings are handsomely built of brick. Among the public buildings may be noticed the City Exchange, theatre, court house, jail, state arsenal, artillery armory, Lyceum, Oglethorpe Hall, St. Andrew's Hall, market house, Chat ham Academy, and the new custom house. The latter, which is 110 feet long by 52 wide, is built of granite, and is estimated to have cost $173,400. The Independent Presbyterian church is a fine granite building, which cost nearly $120,000. St. John's (Episcopal) church is also a handsome edifice. The city has 14 Protestant and 1 or 2 Catholic churches, 1 Hebrew synagogue, 5 banks, 1 savings' institution, a fire company, an historical society, several reading rooms, and a public library of near 6000 volumes. The private schools are numerous, and liberal provision is made for the education of the poor. Among the numerous charitable institutions may be mentioned the Orphan Asylum, the Savannah Hospital, the Georgia Infirmary, the Union Society, the Widows' Society, the Savannah Free School, Hibernian Society, and Seamen's Friend Society. Five daily newspapers are published here. A monument has been erected in Johnson's square to the memory of General Greene, and another (a very im posing edifice) is now in course of erection to the memory of Pulaski, who gallantly fell in an attack on the city when held by the British, in October, 1779. The city is lighted with gas, and there are water-works in course of construction...

Savannah enjoys a better reputation for salubrity than it formerly did ; a result which may be ascribed partly to the improved method employed in cultivating the rice lands in this vicinity. The city was founded by General Oglethorpe, in 1732 or '33. It was occupied by the British in December, 1778, and re stored to the Americans in July, 1783. In 1820 a large part of the city was destroyed by fire, and in rebuilding the burnt district, great improvement has been made in the material and in the style of construction. Population in 1840, 11,214; in 1850, 16,060, and in 1853, 23,458, of which 13,714 were free, and 9744, colored.


A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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