Washington Square

About This Square

Laid out in 1790, this square was built on the land that had once been the common gardens for the city and was named for George Washington, who visited the city and, it is said, his namesake square the following year in 1791.

Up until the 1950s, they had New Year’s Eve Bonfires here, kind of ironic considering there is a monument here honoring the Washington Fire Company, a volunteer company that was located here from 1847 to 1875.

There are several notable structures on the square.

The Brice Hotel just off the squaree was originally a cotton warehouse but became a Coca Cola bottling plant until it was converted into the Mulberry Hotel in 1982.  It became the Kimpton Brice Hotel in 2013.

The property at 25 Houston Street – the International Seamen’s House – has been operated as a Christian missionary home for visiting seafarers since 1898, although the current structure was built in 1965.

At 21 Houston Street is the Simon Mirault House, named after one of Savannah’s free people of color who owned a sweets shop on Broughton Street.  It was built in 1852 on Troup Square and moved here in 1963 by Jim Williams of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” infamy.

The Hampton Lillibridge House at 507 E. St. Julian Street, which has the unfortunate designation as being the “most haunted house in America.” It was also owned and moved here by Jim Williams, and he said there was so much paranormal activity that he had to call in an exorcist. The people who live there now say it’s a bunch of BS and they haven’t had any ghostly problems.