# Timeline of Savannah, Georgia

The following is a timeline of the history of Savannah, Georgia, United States.

## 18th century

* 1733
** Savannah founded in British Colony of Georgia by James Oglethorpe.
** Ellis, Johnson, Percival, and St. James Squares laid out per Oglethorpe Plan.
* 1734
** Reynolds Square laid out.
** Solomon's Lodge (Masonic lodge) founded.
* 1735 – Congregation Mickve Israel formed.
* 1739 – October 5: Creek leader Tomochichi died. He is buried in Percival Square.
* 1740 – Bethesda Orphanage founded near town.
* 1742 – Oglethorpe Square laid out.
* 1750
** Colonial Park Cemetery established.
** Christ Church built.
** Savannah Female Asylum founded.
* 1754
** Savannah becomes capital of British Province of Georgia.
** Pirates' House Inn in business.
* 1755
** January 1: Georgia legislature convenes.
** Independent Presbyterian Church founded.
* 1762 – Bonaventure Plantation established.
* c. 1764 – The Christian Camphor Cottage was built. It is believed to be the city's oldest extant structure.
* 1765
** Levi Sheftall Family Cemetery established.
** Greenwich Plantation established.
* 1771 – Habersham House completed.
* 1773 – Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery established (possibly 1769).
* 1775
** January: Provincial Congress held.
** June: Committee of Safety organized at the liberty pole.
* 1776 (or before) – The Eppinger House was built. It is believed to be the oldest extant brick structure in the city.
* 1778
** December 29: Battle of Savannah; British in power.
** Georgia state capital relocated from Savannah to Augusta.
* 1779
** Town Hall built.
** Siege of Savannah.
* 1782
** British occupation ends.
** Georgia state capital relocated to Savannah from Augusta.
* 1786
** Georgia state capital relocated again from Savannah to Augusta.
** Chatham Artillery established.
* 1788
** Town becomes part of the U.S. state of Georgia.
** African Baptist Church and Chatham Academy established.
* 1789 – Savannah chartered as a city.
* 1790
** John Houstoun becomes mayor.
** Franklin Square and Washington Square laid out
* 1791 – Warren Square laid out.
* 1796 – November 26: Fire.
* 1799 – City Exchange constructed, replacing one that burned in 1796. Columbia Square and Greene Square laid out.

## 19th century

* 1800 – Population: 5,146.
* 1802 – Savannah Volunteer Guards established.
* 1804
** Seamen's Hospital opens.
** Bonaventure Plantation destroyed by fire.
** Lebanon Plantation established.
* 1809 – Savannah Society Library founded.
* 1810 – Population: 5,315.
* 1812 – Hibernian Society organized.
* 1813 – Oliver Sturges House built.
* 1815 – Orleans Square and Chippewa Square laid out.
* 1817 – Savannah Steamboat Company in business.
* 1818
** Telfair Academy built.
** The Savannah Theatre established.
* 1819
** May: Steamboat Savannah travels to Liverpool, England.
** May: U.S. President Monroe visits town.
** William Scarbrough House (residence) built.
** Owens–Thomas House (residence built).
* 1820
** January: Great Savannah Fire of 1820.
** Isaiah Davenport House built.
* 1821 – The city's first hotel, City Hotel, is completed.
* 1824 – Savannah Fire Company formed.
* 1825 – March: Lafayette visits town.
* 1830
** Nathanael Greene Monument in Johnson Square completed.
** Population: 7,303.
* 1831 – Savannah–Ogeechee Canal constructed.
* 1833 – First Baptist Church built.
* 1834 – Oglethorpe Barracks built (approximate date).
* 1837
** Pulaski Square, Lafayette Square, Madison Square and Troup Square laid out.
** Central of Georgia Railroad begins operating.
* 1839 – Georgia Historical Society organized.
* 1840
** Sorrel–Weed House built.
** Population: 11,214.
* 1841 – Crawford Square laid out.
* 1842 – Convent of St. Vincent de Paul founded.
* 1844 – Savannah Institution for Savings instituted.
* 1846 – Bonaventure Cemetery established near town.
* 1847
** Chatham Square and Monterey Square laid out.
** Fort Pulaski built near town.
* 1848
** Customhouse built.
** Population: 13,573.
* 1850
** Daily Morning News begins publication.
* 1851
** Calhoun Square and Whitefield Square laid out.
** The Marshall House opens.
* 1853
** Forsyth Place (park) laid out.
** Catholic Diocese of Savannah and Laurel Grove Cemetery established.
** St. John's Church consecrated.
** Green–Meldrim House built.
** Georgia State Railroad Museum built.
* 1854
** Yellow fever outbreak.
** Central of Georgia Railway Company Shop Property built.
** Augusta and Savannah Railroad in operation (approximate date).
* 1855 – Young Men's Literary Association organized.
* 1858 – Old Harbor Light erected.
* 1859
** First African Baptist Church rebuilt.
** The Great Slave Auction at Ten Broeck Race Course, March 2 & 3.
** John G. Lawton riverboat explodes, June 9
* 1860 – Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed built.
* 1861
** March 21: Cornerstone Speech by Alexander H. Stephens.
** Port blockaded by U.S. government.
** 4 dollar banknote from the Bank of Commerce in Savannah, Georgia, 1864.Green House (residence) built.
* 1864 – December 22: Savannah taken by Union forces.
* 1866 – City board of education incorporated.
* 1867 – Beach Institute established.
* 1868 – Mercer House (residence) built (approximate date).
* 1870 – McCarthy's Business College established.
* 1871 – Abend Zeitung newspaper begins publication.
* 1873 – First Bryan Baptist Church rebuilt.
* 1874 – Youth's Historical Society founded.
* 1875
** Civil War Memorial in Forsyth Park dedicated.
** Colored Tribune newspaper begins publication.
** Savannah Rifle Association established.
* 1876
** Cathedral of St. John the Baptist dedicated.
** Another yellow fever outbreak (see J. W. Schull)
* 1878 – Congregation Mickve Israel synagogue built.
* 1879 – City boundaries expanded.
* 1880
** Confederate memorial built in Forsyth Park.
** Population: 30,709.
* 1882 – Ford Dramatic Association incorporated.
* 1883
** City boundaries expanded.
** William Washington Gordon Monument in Wright Square completed.
* 1886 – Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences opens.
* 1887
** Savannah Cotton Exchange building built.
** Tybee-Savannah railway built.
* 1888 – William Jasper Monument in Madison Square dedicated.
* 1890 – Population: 43,189.
* 1891 – Georgia Industrial College established.
* 1893 – August: Sea Islands hurricane.
* 1898 - Fire at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
* 1899
** Kate Baldwin Free Kindergarten established.
** Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse built.
* 1900
** Population: 54,244.
** Great Dane Trailers founded as the Savannah Blowpipe Company

## 20th century

* 1901
** City boundaries expanded.
** Hill Hall at Savannah State College built.
* 1902
** Benedictine College founded.
** Savannah Union Station completed.
* 1904 – City Exchange demolished.
* 1906 – Savannah City Hall built.
* 1908 – Savannah, Augusta and Northern Railway in operation (approximate date).
* 1909 – December: Savannah axe murders
* 1910
** James Oglethorpe Monument in Chippewa Square dedicated.
** Population: 65,064.
* 1912 – Girl Guides of America founded.
* 1914 – East Henry Street Carnegie Library opens.
* 1919
** Armstrong House completed.
** April: Savannah Centennial Pageant performed.
* 1920 – Population: 83,252.
* 1921 – Lucas Theatre built
* 1925 – Savannah Economic Development Authority established.
* 1926 – Municipal Stadium built.
* 1929
** WTOC radio begins broadcasting.
** Savannah Municipal Airport begins operating.
** Savannah Technical College established.
* 1933 – Greenwich Cemetery established.
* 1935
** Armstrong Junior College founded.
** Union Bag and Paper opens mill.
* 1938 – Atlantic Greyhound Bus Terminal built.
* 1939 – WSAV radio begins broadcasting.
* 1940 – Coastal Transitional Center opened.
* 1942 – U.S. Army Chatham Field (airfield) active.
* 1950 – Little Theatre of Savannah founded.
* 1951 – Palm Drive-In movie theatre opens.
* 1953 – Talmadge Memorial Bridge built to Hutchinson Island.
* 1954
** Council–manager form of government adopted.
** WTOC-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
* 1955 – Historic Savannah Foundation organized.
* 1956
** WSAV-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
** Juliette Gordon Low house museum opens.
* 1960
** Savannah Protest Movement commenced
** Travis Field airport terminal built.
** Population: 147,537.
* 1962 – Savannah station built.
* 1963 – Savannah Union Station demolished.
* 1967 – Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co. opens Savannah office.
* 1968
** The DeSoto Hotel opens.
** Abercorn Plaza shopping centre opens for business.
* 1969 – Oglethorpe Mall opens up for business.
* 1970
** John Rousakis becomes mayor.
** Population: 118,349.
* 1974 – Savannah Civic Center opens.
* 1976 – Abercorn Cinema opens.
* 1977 – City Records Committee established.
* 1978 – Savannah College of Art and Design founded.
* 1979 – September: Hurricane David makes landfall.
* 1980
** Hyatt Regency Savannah opens.
* 1981
** Coastal State Prison built.
** May 2: The shooting of Danny Hansford occurs at Mercer House, the basis of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
* 1986 – Chatham Area Transit established.
* 1988 – Savannah Music Festival founded.
* 1990
** Savannah Mall (the city's second shopping mall) in business.
** Talmadge Memorial Bridge rebuilt.
* 1991
** Vietnam Veterans Memorial built in Emmet Park.
** Lady & Sons restaurant in business.
* 1994
** Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport terminal built.
** Bestseller book about Savannah Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil published.
* 1998
** Savannah Arts Academy established.
** Floyd Adams becomes the first African American to become the Mayor of the City of Savannah.
* 1999
** Georgia Tech Savannah established.
** City website online (approximate date).

## 21st century

* 2000 – Lucas Theatre renovated.
* 2002
** African-American Monument on River Street dedicated.
** Islamic Center of Savannah established.
* 2004 – Otis Johnson becomes mayor.
* 2005
** Abercorn Walk shopping center in business.
** Savannah-Chatham Metro Police established.
* 2009 – The Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra is established.
* 2010 – Population: 136,286.
* 2012
** Edna Jackson becomes mayor.
** Savannah Law School established.
* 2016
** Eddie Deloach becomes mayor, first Republican since 1996.
** All of Savannah and Chatham county east of I95 was evacuated ahead of Hurricane Matthew.
* 2017 – All of Savannah and Chatham County east of I95 evacuated due to the impact of Hurricane Irma.
* 2018
** Savannah Law School closed.
** City and county police merger ends, separating the two agencies.
** Roy Minter sworn in as new police chief of Savannah Police Department.
* 2022 – Population: 147,780 (+11,494 since 2010)