Pulaski Square

About This Square

Named after Revolutionary War hero General Casimir Pulaski, this square was created in 1837. And no, the monument to Pulaski is not here but in Monterey Square.

Pulaski was a Polish immigrant who fought in the war, it said at the urging of Benjamin Franklin.  He was buried at the base of his monument in Monterey Square, but in 1996, the remains were removed from the monument to determine if they really were those of Pulaski. Genetic testing confirmed they were, but it also brought up some interesting anomalies. Years of analysis resulted in a 2019 report funded by the Smithsonian Institute revealed that Pulaski was not genetically a male. It is likely that he was either genetically female and masqueraded as a man or more likely was intersex (born with both genders sexual organs) and lived life as a male.

Like much of the rest of Savannah, this square and the homes that surround it had fallen into disrepair by the 1960s. At its lowest point, they said they doubted they could get more than $2,000 for any of the houses around here – that they were worth more for the Georgia brick they were built from than the land they stood on. The Historic Savannah Foundation targeted this square with a redevelopment plan and turned it into the beautiful neighborhood you see today.

Many of the buildings are original and were constructed as rental units for the city’s growing worker base.  This is why a lot of them have similar styles and looks – houses that were built for single family use often had more unique architectural details to set them apart from one another.

A lot of this families in this neighborhood were Jewish and the building on the east side of the square, at 328 Barnard, was built by the Jewish Educational Alliance.  It operated as student housing for SCAD for many years but in 2022 was turned into rental units designated for local workers, fitting considering the neighborhood’s history.