Whitefield Square (Savannah, Georgia)

Public square in Savannah, Georgia

Whitefield Square

Whitefield Square and its gazebo

Namesake| Rev. George Whitefield
Maintained by| City of Savannah
Location| Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Coordinates| 32°04′12″N 81°05′25″W﻿ / ﻿32.0701°N 81.0904°W﻿ / 32.0701; -81.0904
North| Habersham Street
East| East Wayne Street
South| Habersham Street
West| East Wayne Street
Construction
Completion| 1851 (173 years ago) (1851)

Whitefield Square (/ˈhwɪtfiːld/) is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the southernmost row of the city's five rows of squares, on Habersham Street and East Wayne Street, and was the final square laid out,[1] in 1851.[2] It is south of Troup Square and east of Taylor Square in the southeastern corner of Savannah's grid of squares. The oldest building on the square is at 412–414 East Taylor Street, which dates to 1855.[3]

## Description[edit]

A notable building facing the western side of the square is the First Congregational Church. Other prominent, though 20th-century, buildings are the Rose-of-Sharon Apartments (which occupies the entire northwestern tything block) and, across Habersham Street, the Red Cross Building. The square has a gazebo in its center.[2]

## History[edit]

Andrew Bryan, the founder of the First African Baptist Church, was buried in the square, as was Henry Cunningham, the minister of the Second African Baptist Church.[2]

The square, and its immediate vicinity, was once a burial ground for both negro slaves and free persons of all colors. The original 1805 burial ground included the northern end of today's square, a half block to the north and one block to the west, It was extended in 1812 to the northwest and in 1818 to the south, this time incorporating the southern end of today's square.[4]

## Name[edit]

It is named in honor for Rev. George Whitefield (whose last name is pronounced Whitfield),[2] founder of Bethesda Home for Boys (now known as Bethesda Academy) in the 18th century, and still in existence on the south side of the city.[5]

## Dedication[edit]

Namesake  | Image  | Note

|
|

Rev. George Whitefield |  | The square is named for Rev. George Whitefield, founder of Bethesda Home for Boys.

## Constituent buildings[edit]

See also: Buildings in Savannah Historic District

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.

Northwestern civic/trust block

* First Congregational Church, 421 Habersham Street (1895)[6]

Southwestern civic/trust block

* 431 Habersham Street (1886)[3]
* Mary Dwyer Property, 427–431 Habersham Street (1886)[3]
* Beth Eden Baptist Church, 302 East Gordon Street (1893)[7]

Southwestern residential/tything block

* John Entelman Property (1), 433 Habersham Street (1896)[3]
* 435 Habersham Street (1896)[3]
* John Entelman Property (2), 437 Habersham Street (1897)[3]
* 439 Habersham Street (1897)[3]
* Henry Herman House, 313 East Gordon Street (1861)[3]
* 307–309 East Gordon Street (1869)[3]
* 436–442 Lincoln Street (1867)[3]

Northeastern residential/tything block

* John McCluskey House, 408 East Taylor Street (1891)[3]
* Andrew Nelson House, 410 East Taylor Street (1860)[3]
* George Ash Duplex, 412–414 East Taylor Street (1855)[3] – oldest building on the square
* 415A–D Price Street (1876)[3]

Northeastern civic/tything block

* 415–419 East Taylor Street (1888)[3]
* 424–426 Habersham Street (1896)[3]

Southeastern civic/tything block

* 430–432 Habersham Street (1886)[3]
* Abraham Samuels Row House, 414–420 Habersham Street (1888)[3]
* 407–413 East Gordon Street (1890)[8]

Southeastern residential/tything block

* Sarah Sexton Property (1), 401 East Gordon Street (1901)[3]
* Sarah Sexton Property (2), 403 East Gordon Street (1890)[8]
* Emma Hunter House, 405 East Gordon Street (1895)[8]
* 407–411 East Gordon Street (1890)[8]
* 415–419 East Gordon Street (1886)[8]
* Sarah Sexton Property (3), 440 Habersham Street (1902)[3]

## Gallery[edit]

* John McCluskey House, 408 East Taylor Street

* Andrew Nelson House, 410 East Taylor Street

* George Ash Duplex, 412–414 East Taylor Street

* 415 East Taylor Street

* 417 East Taylor Street

* 419 East Taylor Street

* Beth Eden Baptist Church, 302 East Gordon Street

* Henry Herman House, 313 East Gordon Street

* Sarah Sexton Property (1), 401 East Gordon Street

* Sarah Sexton Property (2), 403 East Gordon Street

* Emma Hunter House, 405 East Gordon Street

* 407 East Gordon Street

* 409 East Gordon Street

* 415–419 East Gordon Street

* First Congregational Church, 421 Habersham Street

* 424 Habersham Street

* 426 Habersham Street

* Mary Dwyer Property, 427–431 Habersham Street

* 430–432 Habersham Street

* Abraham Samuels Row House, 414–420 Habersham Street

* John Entelman Property (1), 433 Habersham Street

* 435 Habersham Street

* John Entelman Property (2), 437 Habersham Street

* 433–437 Habersham Street, 1979

* Sarah Sexton Property (3), 440 Habersham Street

## References[edit]

1. ^ Whitefield Square – City of Savannah website
2. ^ a b c d Whitefield Square – Savannah.com
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Historic Building Map: Savannah Historic District – Historic Preservation Department of the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (November 17, 2011), p. 71
4. ^ Savannah’s “Negro Burial Grounds” and “Strangers Burial Ground” \- Savannah Municipal Archives, March 2021, p. 3
5. ^ Bethesda Home for Boys
6. ^ History – First UCC Savannah
7. ^ Our History – Beth Eden Baptist Church
8. ^ 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. 72

* v
* t
* e

Squares of Savannah, Georgia

Horizontally from north to south
Row 1

* Franklin Square
* Ellis Square*
* Johnson Square*
* Reynolds Square
* Warren Square
* Washington Square

Row 2

* Liberty Square
* Telfair Square*
* Wright Square*
* Oglethorpe Square
* Columbia Square
* Greene Square

Row 3

* Elbert Square
* Orleans Square
* Chippewa Square
* Crawford Square

Row 4

* Pulaski Square
* Madison Square
* Lafayette Square
* Troup Square

Row 5

* Chatham Square
* Monterey Square
* Taylor Square
* Whitefield Square

Key: * original four squares | now demolished
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template