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Johnson Square
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| Johnson Square is the oldest known square in Savannah. It was named for Robert Johnson, the royal governor of South Carolina, who aided the colony of Georgia when it was being settled. The square is located between Bull Street and Congress Street and was meant to be used as a place for grand and private houses - a plan devised by Oglethorpe. Instead, because of the business cluster, it was used as a place for business activities. Around 1755, it was used for cooking and as a place for the well. Christ Episcopal Church was (and still is) the church on the square used for weekly religious services. The last major change in the square's use was when it was changed to a banking square in 1912.
The Nathaniel Greene Monument was placed in the center of the square as its centerpiece. It honors Nathaniel Greene, second in command to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The cornerstone of the Greene Monument was sculpted by architect William Strickland in 1825. The placing of the cornerstone was by Marquis de Lafayette in 1829. The monument is made of white marble and stands 50 feet tall. The monument is a good example of an obelisk (a four-sided dome), like the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. There was some talk of whether to bury Nathaniel Greene there or just put up a monument. In 1902, the Society of Cincinnati voted on it. It was decided that Greene's body would be placed under the monument. The monument, Johnson Square ,and all of its historic features are great things that will be remembered by all who see them. |
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| Researched by Brooks, Mark S., and Andrew | ||||||||||||