Taylor Square, formerly known as Calhoun Square, is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. Laid out in 1851 south of Lafayette Square, west of Whitefield Square, and east of Monterey Square, it is named in honor of

Susie King Taylor Susie King Taylor (August 6, 1848 – October 6, 1912) was an American nurse, educator and memoirist. Born into slavery in coastal Georgia, she is known for being the first African-American nurse during the American Civil War. Beyond her aptitude ...

, an educator, memoirist, and the first Black nurse to serve in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. The oldest buildings on the square, the Adam Short Property and the Alexander Bennett House (both on East Taylor Street), date to 1853. The square is sometimes informally called Massie Square due to the presence of Massie Common School House, which was built in 1855 and lies just outside.Massie Common School House: Savannah’s Cradle of Public Education
–

Georgia Historical Society The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is a statewide historical society in Georgia, United States. Headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, GHS is one of the oldest historical organizations in the United States. Since 1839, the society has collected, ex ...

The Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, founded in 1868, is located directly across the street from the square's western side.

Name

The square had previously been used as a "

negro In the English language, the term ''negro'' (or sometimes ''negress'' for a female) is a term historically used to refer to people of Black people, Black African heritage. The term ''negro'' means the color black in Spanish and Portuguese (from ...

burial ground"; in 1855, the bodies of enslaved residents Emily and Rinah were removed to Laurel Grove Cemetery. In 2004, a skull was found by utility workers outside the Massie Heritage Interpretation Center on the square's southeastern side. This legacy prompted a 2021 movement to rename the square after the

Sankofa (pronounced ''SAHN''-koh-fah) is a word in the Twi language of Ghana meaning “to retrieve" (literally "go back and get"; - to return; - to go; - to fetch, to seek and take) and also refers to the Bono people, Bono Adinkra symbols, Adinkra ...

bird, a Ghanaian symbol expressing the "importance of knowing one's history." City councilors voted unanimously on November 10, 2022, to remove Calhoun's name from the square. In August 2023, after discussion and debate, the Savannah City Council settled on a new name, Taylor Square. The council approved the installation of a new granite marker, which will note that the square that was once named for

John C. Calhoun John Caldwell Calhoun (; March 18, 1782March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist who served as the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. Born in South Carolina, he adamantly defended American s ...

(Calhoun Square) is now named for

(Taylor Square).

Dedication

Constituent buildings

Each building below is in one of the eight blocks around the square composed of four residential "tything" blocks and four civic ("trust") blocks, now known as the

Oglethorpe Plan The Oglethorpe Plan is an urban planning idea that was most notably used in Savannah, Georgia, one of the Thirteen Colonies, in the 18th century. The plan uses a distinctive street network with repeating squares of residential blocks, commercia ...

. They are listed with construction years where known. ;Northwestern residential/tything block *Mary Demere House, also known as The House on Taylor, 128 East Taylor Street (1860) – bay windows added 1894 *Mary Demere (Estate of) House, 126 East Taylor Street (1872) *Adam Short Property, 118–122 East Taylor Street (1853) – joint-oldest building on the square *108–114 East Taylor Street (1873) *John Kuck House, 106 East Taylor Street (1906) *Alexander Bennett House, 102 East Taylor Street (1853)Historic Building Map: Savannah Historic District
– Historic Preservation Department of the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (November 17, 2011), p. 68 – joint-oldest building on the square ;Northwestern trust/civic block *Sara Clark House, 421 Abercorn Street (1859) – additional level added in 1894 ;Southwestern trust/civic block * Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, 429 Abercorn Street (1875)History
– Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church official website ;Southwestern residential/tything block *John B. Berry House, 127 East Gordon Street (1856) *Adolphus Gomm House, 115 East Gordon Street (1869) *Charles Hutchins House, 113 East Gordon Street (1868/1897) *John Mingledorff Property, 439 Abercorn Street (1856) ;Northeastern residential/tything block *William Rogers House, 202 East Taylor Street (1859) *George Ash Row House (1), 206–210 East Taylor Street (1855) *Andrew Hanley House, 214 East Taylor Street (1883) *George Ash & Francis Grimball Duplex, 216–218 East Taylor Street (1854) *George Ash Row House (2), 220–224 East Taylor Street (1869) ;Northeastern trust/civic block *Easton Yonge House, 426 Abercorn Street (1855) – by George Ash; side porch added 1909 ;Southeastern trust/civic block *430–432 Abercorn Street (1868)Historic Building Map: Savannah Historic District
– Historic Preservation Department of the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (November 17, 2011), p. 69 *Edward Purse Duplex, 220–222 East Gordon Street (1856) ;Southeastern residential/tything block * Massie Common School House, 201–213 East Gordon Street (1855) *John Guerrard Row House, 215–229 East Gordon Street (1872) *Lengre Building, 233 East Gordon Street (1923) *Flora Max House, 235 East Gordon Street (1894) *Thomas Davis House, 237 East Gordon Street (1893)

Gallery

File:Calhoun Square, Savannah, Georgia.jpg, Calhoun Square (formerly named after

) File:Wesley Monumental Church - August 9, 2021.jpg , Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church (UMC) File:Calhoun Square, Savannah.jpg, The square's unique clumps of grass, looking southwest towards the UMC File:Calhoun Square.jpg, Looking east towards 432 Abercorn Street File:Easton Yonge House.jpg, Easton Yonge House, 426 Abercorn Street File:Georgia20131014 237 Savannah Historic District.jpg, 430–432 Abercorn Street File:William Rogers House.jpg, William Rogers House, 202 East Taylor Street File:206-210 East Taylor Street.jpg, George Ash Row House (1), 206–210 East Taylor Street File:Andrew Hanley House.jpg, Andrew Hanley House, 214 East Taylor Street File:216-218 East Taylor Street.jpg, George Ash & Francis Grimball Duplex, 216–218 East Taylor Street File:220-224 East Taylor Street.jpg, George Ash Row House (2), 220–224 East Taylor Street File:113 East Gordon Street.jpg, Charles Hutchins House, 113 East Gordon Street File:115 East Gordon Street.jpg, Adolphus Gomm House, 115 East Gordon Street File:127 East Gordon Street.jpg, John B. Berry House, 127 East Gordon Street File:421 Abercorn Street.jpg, Sara Clark House, 421 Abercorn Street File:220-222 East Gordon Street.jpg, Edward Purse Duplex, 220–222 East Gordon Street File:215-229 East Gordon Street.jpg, John Guerrard Row House, 215–229 East Gordon Street File:Massie Common School House.jpg, Massie Common School House, 201–213 East Gordon Street File:Savannah Historic District, 1922.jpg, Lengre Building, 233 East Gordon Street File:235 East Gordon Street.jpg, Flora Max House, 235 East Gordon Street File:237 East Gordon Street.jpg, Thomas Davis House, 237 East Gordon Street File:Alexander Bennett House, 102 East Taylor Street.jpg, Alexander Bennett House, 102 East Taylor Street File:102 East Taylor Street.jpg, Another view of 102 East Taylor Street File:106 East Taylor Street.jpg, John Kuck House, 106 East Taylor Street File:118-120 East Taylor Street.jpg, Adam Short Property, 118–120 East Taylor Street File:126 East Taylor Street.jpg, Mary Demere (Estate of) House, 126 East Taylor Street File:128 East Taylor Street.jpg, Mary Demere House, 128 East Taylor Street

References

{{Squares of Savannah, Georgia Squares of Savannah, Georgia 1851 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)