Oglethorpe Avenue is a prominent street in
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
, United States. Located, in its downtown section, between
York Street
York Street, also known as the Jakemans Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Boston, England, and was the former home of Boston United. Originally called Shodfriars Lane, football was first played on the site since the la ...
to the north and
Hull Street to the south, it runs for about from the Atlantic Coastal Highway (
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that spans in the Southeastern United States. It runs close to the East Coast of the United States, At ...
) in the west to Randolph Street in the east. It was originally known as South Broad Street, then Market Street. After being named South Broad Street again for a period, it became known as Oglethorpe Avenue in 1897. It was formerly Oglethorpe Avenue singular, but its addresses are now split between "West Oglethorpe Avenue" and "East Oglethorpe Avenue", the transition occurring at
Bull Street
Bull Street is a major street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Named for Colonel William Bull (governor), William Bull (1683–1755), it runs from Bay Street (Savannah, Georgia), Bay Street in the north to Derenne Avenue (part of Georgia S ...
in the center of the downtown area. The street is named for the founder of the Savannah colony,
James Edward Oglethorpe
Lieutenant-General James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British Army officer, Tory politician and colonial administrator best known for founding the Province of Georgia in British North America. As a social reform ...
.
The street is entirely within
Savannah Historic District Savannah Historic District may refer to:
*Savannah Historic District (Savannah, Georgia), a National Historic Landmark district in Georgia
* Central of Georgia Railroad: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities, Savannah, Georgia, a historic district ...
, a
National Historic Landmark District
A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...
.
[James Dillon (1977) , National Park Service and ] It contains what is believed to be the two oldest extant buildings in the city:
Eppinger House and the
Christian Camphor Cottage.
Oglethorpe Avenue runs between eight squares. From west to east:
;To the south of
*
Telfair Square
*
Wright Square
Wright Square is one of the Squares of Savannah, Georgia, 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the second row of the city's five rows of squares, on Bull Street and President Street, and was laid out in 1733 as one of ...
*
Oglethorpe Square
*
Columbia Square
CBS Columbia Square (also called Columbia Studio) was the home of CBS's Los Angeles radio and television operations from 1938 until 2007. Located at 6121 Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States, th ...
*
Greene Square
;To the north of
*
Orleans Square
*
Chippewa Square
Chippewa Square is one of the Squares of Savannah, Georgia, 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the middle row of the city's five rows of squares, on Bull Street and McDonough Street, and was laid out in 1815. It is s ...
*
Crawford Square
Crawford Square is a New Urbanist apartment and townhome community located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Location
The development is part of the larger Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh and is directly adjacent to Downtown Pittsburgh. ...
The street also forms the northern boundary of
Colonial Park Cemetery
Colonial Park Cemetery (locally and informally known as Colonial Cemetery; historically known as the Old Cemetery[Abercorn Street
Abercorn Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Drayton Street to the west and Lincoln Street to the east, it runs for about from East Bay Street (Savannah, Georgia), Bay Street in the north to Georgi ...](_blank)
to
Habersham Street
Habersham Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Lincoln Street (Savannah, Georgia), Lincoln Street to the west and Price Street (Savannah, Georgia), Price Street to the east, it runs for about from ...
.
A memorial in the median of Oglethorpe Avenue at Bull Street lists the twenty people known to be interred in a Jewish cemetery, today known as
Bull Street Cemetery, which formerly stood there. It includes
Abraham Minis, one of Savannah's early immigrants from Europe.
The street was once nicknamed "Under the Trees" due to its avenue of
Pride of India trees.
Notable buildings and structures
Below is a selection of notable buildings and structures on Oglethorpe Avenue, all in Savannah's Historic District. From west to east:
;West Oglethorpe Avenue
*Downtowner Motor Inn, 201 West Oglethorpe Avenue (1964)
*Samuel Bryant House, 123 West Oglethorpe Avenue (1820; moved from across the street in the 1980s)
*Thomas Gardner–Jacob Henry Duplex, 115–117 West Oglethorpe Avenue (1820)
*101 West Oglethorpe Avenue (1923)
*Samuel White Property, 14–18 West Oglethorpe Avenue (1899)
*12 West Oglethorpe Avenue (1898)
*Anderson–Leslee House, 4 West Oglethorpe Avenue (1836)
The
Wetter House
The Wetter House was a residence in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Originally built in 1822, it was expanded and remodeled in 1857 for Augustus Wetter, a Savannah architect and businessman. Its demolition in 1950 was an impetus for the formati ...
formerly stood at 425 West Oglethorpe. It was demolished in 1950.
;East Oglethorpe Avenue
*
Wayne–Gordon House, 10 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1820; on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
)
*George Anderson House, 14 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1853)
*William Williams House, 18 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1826)
*John Hunter Duplex, 101–105 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1822)
*Thomas Clark–Matthew Lufburrow Duplex, 107–109 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1822)
*Eppinger House, 110 East Oglethorpe Avenue (circa 1776; possibly the oldest intact brick structure in the city)
*Anna Buntz House, 111 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1883)
*Marmaduke Hamilton Property, 112–114 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1872)
*John Haupt House, 113 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1819)
*John and Marmaduke Hamilton Property, 116 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1869)
*Savannah Fire Department, 121 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1937)
*
Christian Camphor Cottage, 122 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1760–1767; possibly the oldest surviving building in the city)
*John Rowland Property (west), 124–126 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1895)
*John Rowland Property (east), 132 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1872)
*Henry Dickerson Row, 204–216 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1874)
*William Rahn House (Dr. Charlton House), 220–222 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1853)
*William Duncan House, 224 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1883)
*Oscar Dibble House, 228 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1855) – also the home of
Conrad Aiken
Conrad Potter Aiken (August 5, 1889 – August 17, 1973) was an American writer and poet, honored with a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award, and was United States Poet Laureate from 1950 to 1952. His published works include poetry, short st ...
*
Mary Marshall Row
Mary Marshall Row is a historic row house in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It stands at 230–244 East Oglethorpe Avenue, overlooking Colonial Park Cemetery from the north. They are contributing properties of the Savannah Historic District, ...
, 230–244 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1856)
*John Ruwe Duplex, 310–312 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1875)
*Thomas Rodman Property, 314 East Oglethorpe Avenue (by 1809)
*William Spencer House, 322 East Oglethorpe Avenue (by 1809)
*City Police Barracks, 323 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1870)
*506–508 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1890)
*510–512 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1890)
*514 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1891)
*John McAuliffe (Estate of) Property, 552 East Oglethorpe Avenue (1892)
References
{{Streets of Savannah
Roads in Savannah, Georgia
Streets in Georgia (U.S. state)