Chippewa Square

About This Square

Established in 1815, Chippewa is one of Savannah’s most famous squares.  It was named in honor of soliders killed in the Battle of Chippawa in the War of 1812 battle, although it is unknown why they decided to spell it differently (Chippewa vs. Chippawa).

At the center of the square is a  statue erected in 1910 to James Oglethorpe, the man who founded Savannah in 1733. And yes, there is an Oglethorpe Square and no, nobody can give a good explanation as to why the statue isn’t over there.  The monument was designed sculptor Daniel Chester French and the pedestal by architect Henry Bacon, both of whom also worked together to create the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

The colony of Georgia was created by the British, in part, to separate the Carolinas to the north, a center of wealth, and the wilds of then Spanish-controlled Florida to the south. It is said that Ogletheorpe’s statue is facing south so he can watch over the hostile Floridians, which may not be a bad idea even today.

There used to be busts devoted to a couple of Confederate military officers in this square but they were moved to Forsyth Park to make way for the Oglethorpe statue.

On the east side of the square is the Savannah Theater. Built in 1818, it is the oldest, continually operating theater in the United States. It was remodeled several times with its last major design overhaul to its current art deco look in happening in 1948 after a fire.

On the west side of the square is the First Baptist Church, which is the oldest church building in Savannah, opening its doors in 1831.

But these are not the primary reasons why Chippewa is so famous. Instead, it’s because of a bench that was installed on the north side of the square for only a few days – it’s where they filmed the scene for “Forrest Gump.” The bench was a movie prop and one of several used in the filming is now located in the Savannah History Museum.