Savannah Historic District

Savannah's historic district covers about two square miles of the city's original core, running from the Savannah River south to Gwinnett Street and between East and West Broad Streets. It holds roughly 1,100 noteworthy buildings, among them houses, commercial buildings, churches, the Customhouse, city hall and Telfair Academy. What sets it apart is its plan. James Edward Oglethorpe laid the city out in 1733 as wards, each centered on an open square and flanked by reserved lots for public buildings and blocks of ten house lots. By 1735 there were six wards, and growth followed this scheme into the mid-19th century. All six of the original squares survive. The buildings span Georgian, Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Victorian and early 20th-century Beaux-Arts and Colonial Revival work. Notable features include masonry row houses, the Factors Walk riverfront warehouses with iron bridges, and the Broughton Street shopping area. The unusual urban design and the architectural variety are the main reasons for its recognition.