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Other Information: Savannah was the site of Georgia's
first settlement in 1733. In Peter Gordon's 1734 engraving of
Savannah, a one-room building is shown that is identified in
the legend as the "Tabernacle & Court House" (see
engraving). A variety of other facilities in Savannah and
Frederica served as courthouses during the Trustee period. After
the Trustees gave up their charter in 1752, Georgia became a
royal colony. Subsequently, a courthouse was built -- though
the date of its construction is not recorded. In 1764, the colonial
House of Assembly named commissioners with responsibility for
rebuilding the colonial courthouse in Savannah. The next year,
Peter Tondee and Joseph Dunlap began construction of the building,
which was located on the western half of Trust Lot H in Percival
Ward. This courthouse, which was finally completed in 1773, was
a 34 x 60-foot red brick building facing Wright Square.With the
outbreak of the American Revolution, royal officials left Georgia,
and the new brick building became Chatham County's first courthouse.
In December 1778, British forces captured Savannah, beginning
an occupation that lasted most of the rest of the war. During
this time, the brick courthouse was used as barracks for British
troops. After the Revolution, the courthouse was repaired and
again placed into use by Chatham County. Apparently, the building
had been damaged extensively during the war, for the legislature
in 1791 named commissioners to build a courthouse and jail. However,
nothing came of this legislation, and the brick courthouse continued
in use. In 1796, a great fire destroyed much of Savannah--including
the interior of the courthouse. For several years, court sessions
were held in various buildings, including Savannah's theater
and silk filature. In 1804, the legislature authorized a lottery
for rebuilding Chatham County's courthouse, and the building
was subsequently used until 1830.
By 1829, the justices of Chatham County's inferior court had
decided a new courthouse was needed, and in 1830 they advertised
for bids. The winning proposal -- for $27,484 -- was awarded
in September 1830. The old brick courthouse was torn down in
October 1830, and construction soon began on a new building at
the same site. During 1831 and early 1832, Savannah's City Exchange
served as temporary courthouse. Completed in May 1832, the new
Greek Revival courthouse was a two-story brick building covered
with plaster and painted white (see
photo). The 110 x 46 -foot building occupied an entire block.
The 1832 courthouse survived Sherman's occupation of Savannah
in late 1864 and early 1865. In 1885, the legislature authorized
a referendum for Chatham County to borrow $50,000 to expand and
improve the courthouse. However, instead of renovating the old
structure, Chatham County in 1888 decided to build a new courthouse.
In 1889, the old courthouse was demolished and a new Romanesque
Revival building erected in its place (see
photo).
By the 1970s, Chatham County joined a growing number of Georgia
counties who found their current courthouse inadequate to serve
the judicial, administrative, and legislative branches of county
government -- but did not want to tear the historic building
down. In 1978, Chatham County built a new six-story courthouse/judicial
center, while converting the old courthouse for use as the administrative
and legislative offices. In the 1980s, the county spent $4.3
million in renovating the old courthouse.
County Courthouse Historical
Marker: None
County History:
The land that would form Chatham County was ceded to the English
by the Creeks in the Treaty
of Savannah on May 21, 1733, confirmed and expanded by agreements
of 1735 and 1736. In 1741, the Trustees of Georgia divided the
colony into two counties -- Savannah and Frederica. The County
of Savannah (see
map) included all of present-day Chatham County southward
to the Ogeechee River. This division only lasted a year, as the
Trustees in 1742 named William Stephens as president of the entire
colony. After the Trustees surrendered their charter in 1752,
Georgia became a royal colony. By an act
of March 15, 1758, the colonial legislature created seven
parishes. With the outbreak of the American Revolution, Whig
forces took control of government in Georgia. On Feb. 5, 1777,
they adopted the state's first constitution -- the Constitution
of 1777. Art.
IV of that document transformed the existing colonial parishes
into seven counties, with Indian ceded lands forming an eighth
county. Chatham County, which was fifth on the list and thus
is considered Georgia's fifth county, consisted of all of Christ
Church Parish and that part of Saint Philip Parish south of the
Canoochee River (see
map). The county was named in honor of William
Pitt, the first Earl of Chatham. Pitt (1708-1778) was British
Prime Minister during the French and Indian War. Later, he opposed
the Stamp Act and was a popular figure in the American counties.
In 1793, the legislature created Bryan County from the western
portion of Chatham County. In 1850, land from Effingham County
was annexed to Chatham.
County Seat:
In creating Chatham County, the Constitution of 1777 made
no provision for a county seat. However, Savannah clearly was
the seat of government -- except for the period of British occupation
from December 1778 to 1782. A Feb. 26, 1784 act of the General
Assembly specifically designated Savannah as county seat of Chatham
County.
Maps
Size of County (Total
Area): 646.3 square miles
County Rank in Total
Area: 12th out of 159
Population:
Chatham County
City of Savannah
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