Chippewa SQUARE

Chippewa Square is one of the original 24 city squares. Today, 22 of the original squares still exist. The square gets its name from the Battle of Chippewa, which occurred during the War of 1812. The prominent feature of the square is a statue of our founder, James Edward Oglethorpe. He was born in 1696 in Yorkshire, England. Along with several other politicians, he petitioned King George II and Parliament to solve the problem of overpopulation in debtor prisons. They created Georgia, with Savannah as the crown of a debtor's colony, though no debtors were specifically brought here. Instead, it served as a buffer between the Carolinas and the Spanish in Florida. Oglethorpe, the other trustees, and a number of artisans set sail on November 17th, 1732, aboard a frigate named the Anne for their new home. They arrived at the mouth of the Savannah River on February 1st, 1733. Taking a small group ashore, they met with the Yamacraw, the local Indigenous people. Through discussions, it was agreed that the city of Savannah would be built here, with the Yamacraw moving their camp outside the town. This arrangement allowed the new colonists to build while providing the Yamacraw with access to products shipped in.