On December 21, 1996, the city of Savannah, Georgia, officially celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of Georgia's founder, James Edward Oglethorpe. The commemoration began at noon with a memorial service at Christ Church, founded on a site selected by Oglethorpe in February 1733 when the first Georgia colonists arrived. The program included readings by Mayor Floyd Adams, Jr. and State Representative Sonny Dixon, with the service by Rector The Rev. Marcus B. Robertson.
After the service, the group assembled in the square in front of the church for a parade. Led by a contingent of colonial soldiers, complete with bagpipe and the British of Oglethorpe's era, the group marched around the square. Marching with the group were Mayor Floyd Adams (right) and State Rep. Sonny Dixon (left), (Mayor Adams is a member of the James Edward Oglethorpe Tercentenary Commission, while Rep. Dixon co-authored legislation creating the commission and was part of Governor Miller's Tercentenary delegation to England last October).
The parade marched to Chippewa Square, where the famous monument of General Oglethorpe stands. Here, a town crier read a proclamation from Mayor Adams formally announcing Savannah's observance of the Oglethorpe Tercentenary. An official of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources also used the occasion to present a $10,000 Historic Preservation Grant to the City of Savannah for repairs to the Oglethorpe monument.
Mayor Adams then addressed the group recalling General Oglethorpe's 300th anniversary as a time for a multicultural commemoration of Georgia's founder. Afterwards, two young ladies in period costume brought a wreath to be placed at the base of Oglethorpe's monument.
Lisa White, president of the Georgia Historical Society and event organizer, then spoke to the group giving thanks to all who had participated. A bag piper then gave a stirring rendition of "Amazing Grace."
The Tercentenary celebration ended with a unit of colonial-era reenactors fired three rounds of vollies in honor of the General's 300th birthday.
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