Chippewa Square - Oglethorpe Stands Guard
Photo: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
A stop on Savannah, a free self-guided tour.
The bronze figure in the middle of Chippewa Square is James Oglethorpe himself, the founder of Georgia. The statue was made by Daniel Chester French, the sculptor of the seated Abraham Lincoln in Washington, and unveiled in 1910. Notice which way he faces: south, toward Spanish Florida, Georgia's old rival, with his sword drawn. Georgia was planned partly as a buffer to protect the British colonies to the north.
This square was laid out later, in 1815, as the city spread south. It is named for the Battle of Chippawa, an American victory in the War of 1812.
You may recognize this square from the movies. The opening bench scene of Forrest Gump was filmed on its north side, though the bench was a prop and is no longer here. On Bull Street stands the Savannah Theatre, which opened in 1818 and is the oldest building on the square.
Getting here: Walk west along York or Oglethorpe Avenue to Bull Street, then turn left and go south to Chippewa Square.
Did you know?: The Forrest Gump bench was a fiberglass movie prop, and one of them is now displayed at the Savannah History Museum.
Photo op: Stand on the north side of the square, where the movie bench sat, and frame Oglethorpe with his sword pointing south.
More on Wikipedia: Chippewa Square · Daniel Chester French · Forrest Gump
Stops on this tour
- Johnson Square - Where the Plan Began
- River Street and Factors Walk - Built on Cotton
- City Market and Ellis Square - A Square Won Back
- First African Baptist Church - A Congregation's Own Bricks
- Wright Square - Tomochichi's Resting Place
- Owens-Thomas House - Regency Mansion and Slave Quarters
- Chippewa Square - Oglethorpe Stands Guard
- Madison Square - Battle Lines and a Christmas Gift
- Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - Twin Spires
- Taylor Square - A New Name for an Old Square
- Monterey Square - Pulaski and the Mercer House
- Forsyth Park Fountain - The Grand Finale