Savannah History by Its Squares Quiz

Answer: South Carolina

Calhoun not only served as a member of the House of Representatives, he also was Vice-President under Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Along with Henry Clay, Calhoun was demonstrative in convincing the U.S. House to declare war on the British in 1812. In 1957 Calhoun was voted as one of the most honorable Senators of all time by the existing U.S. Senate.

Calhoun Square was laid out in 1851 and faces the Wesley Monumental Methodist Church.

Answer: Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier

Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, otherwise known as the Marquis de Lafayette, was a French leader who found his way to Philadelphia in 1777 to serve as a brigadier general in George
Washington's army. The cities of Lafayette, Indiana and Lafayette, Louisiana are named after the Marquis de Lafayette. He is also recognized as creating the modern French flag.

Lafayette Square was laid out in 1837. The Cathedral of St John-the-Baptist is located on this square.

Answer: Rhode Island

Nathaniel Greene was born in Warwick, Rhode Island on May 27, 1742. Greene was in the Rhode Island legislature for ten years. He was raised a Quaker, but was disowned due to his belief in the war. Many historians consider Greene to be superior to George Washington as a tactician and strategist of warfare and discipline.

This square, which faces the First African Baptist Church, was laid out in 1799.

Answer: Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson was the British colonial governor of South Carolina from 1717-1719 and then again from 1729-1735. The square is the final resting place of Nathaniel Greene and his son.

Answer: Georgia was the 4th state admitted to the United States.

Georgia was admitted to the United States on January 2, 1788. Georgia has boasted the following notables: Ty Cobb, Ray Charles, Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Burt Reynolds, just to name a few.
James Oglethorpe was born in Surrey, England in 1696 and was a member of the parliament. In 1732, Oglethorpe set sail for Charleston, South Carolina and he settled near present-day Savannah. After negotiating land deals with the native Indians, he established defensive strongholds that would help protect the area during the war.

Oglethorpe Square was laid out in 1742. The Owens-Thomas House overlooks this square. The Owens-Thomas House is considered to be one of the finest examples of (English) Regency architectural style in the United States.

Answer: Yamacraw

Tomochichi was born approximately 1644 and died in October of 1739. When Oglethorpe was settling the Savannah area, the Yamacraw Indians were ready to defend their land with violence. Tomochichi's peaceful negotiations with the settlers prevented bloodshed. This marked one of the first and only times that peace existed between the settlers and the Native Americans. Due to his relationship with Oglethorpe, Tomochichi and several members of his tribe were sent to England for a meeting with the Queen.

Wright Square was laid out in 1733 and is located on Bull Street, between State and York Streets. It was originally named Percival Square, but was renamed in 1763 to its present day name.

Answer: Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill occurred on June 17th, 1775. Bunker Hill was considered to be a tactical stronghold for both sides due to its location overlooking Boston. General Thomas Gage advanced his troops directly into the awaiting American forces and forced the withdrawal of the Americans. Both sides fought a tough battle and were subjected to heavy casualties.

In a bit of interesting trivia, General Gage was actually a colonial governor of the state of Massachusetts. His actions towards the colonists, known as the Intolerable Acts, were a factor in the start of the Revolutionary War. Warren Square is located on Habersham Street and faces the Spencer House.

The square was laid out in 1791.

Answer: Bethesda Home for Boys

The Bethesda Home for Boys was established in 1740, 26 full years before America became an independent country. The home was founded to provide a home to troubled and orphaned boys. The name Bethesda was picked because the name literally means "house of mercy". Today, the home still exists and adheres to the original premise of raising the resident boys to be independent and productive members of society.
Whitefield Square was laid out in 1851. Many couples marry in this square in front of the large cupola that rests in the center of the square.

Answer: Troup Square

George Michael Troup was the governor of Georgia from 1823 to 1827. It was Governor Troup who welcomed the Marquis de Lafayette to Georgia in 1825. The armillary sphere is a skeletal celestial sphere with the sun in the center, and the steel bands used to represent planetary orbits. The spheres were first developed by the Greeks as teaching tools for astronomy students. The original spheres had the Earth as the center shpere, as most thought the Earth was the center of the solar system.

Troup Square is located on Habersham Street, between Harris and Charlton Streets. It was laid out in 1851.

Answer: Chippewa Square

The statue of Oglethorpe shows the man in full battle attire, his left arm perched sternly on his hip, his right hand holding a sabre pointing into the ground. The statue has great detail and was designed by Henry Bacon. The pedestal features four lions, each crested with a seal: one for the city of Savannah, one for the state of Georgia, one denoting the colony of Georgia and the final one containing the Oglethorpe family coat of arms.

Many scenes in the movie "Forrest Gump" were fimed in Chippewa Square.