Wright Square (Savannah, Georgia)

Wright Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the second row of the city's five rows of squares, on Bull Street and President Street, and was laid out in 1733 as one of the first four squares. It is south of Johnson Square, west of Oglethorpe Square, north of Chippewa Square and east of Telfair Square. The oldest building on the square is the William Waring Property, at 12 West State Street, which dates to 1825.[1]

Wright Square

William Washington Gordon Monument in the square
Former name(s)	Percival Square Court House Square Post Office Square
Namesake	James Wright
Maintained by	City of Savannah
Location	Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Coordinates	32.0779°N 81.0923°W / 32.0779; -81.0923
North	Bull Street
East	East President Street
South	Bull Street
West	West President Street
Construction
Completion	1733 (1733)

The second square established in Savannah, it was originally name Percival Square, for John Percival, 1st Earl of Egmont, generally regarded as the man who gave the colony of Georgia its name (a tribute to Great Britain's King George II). It was renamed in 1763 to honor James Wright, the third and final royal governor of Georgia. Throughout its history it has also been known as Court House Square and Post Office Square; the present Tomochichi Federal Building and United States Court House is adjacent to the west.[2]

The square is the burial site of Tomochichi, a leader of the Creek nation of Native Americans. Tomochichi was a trusted friend of James Oglethorpe and assisted him in the founding of his colony. When Tomochichi died in 1739, Oglethorpe ordered him buried with military honors in the center of PercIval Square. In accordance with his people's customs the grave was marked by a pyramid of stones gathered from the surrounding area. In 1883, citizens wishing to honor William Washington Gordon replaced Tomochichi's monument with an elaborate and highly allegorical monument to Gordon, called the William Washington Gordon Monument.[3] William Gordon is thus the only native Savannahian honored with a monument in one of the city's squares.[2] Gordon's own daughter-in-law, Nellie Gordon, objected strongly to this perceived insult to Tomochichi. She and other members of the Colonial Dames of the State of Georgia planned to erect a new monument to Tomochichi, made of granite from Stone Mountain.[4] The Stone Mountain Monument Company offered the material at no cost. Mrs. Gordon felt that she was being condescended to and insisted on paying. The Monument Company sent her a bill—some sources say for 50 cents, others for one dollar—payable on Judgment Day. Mrs. Gordon paid the bill and attached a note explaining that on Judgment Day the Dames "would be too busy attending their own duties on that momentous day."[5][6] The new monument was erected in 1899. It stands in the southeast corner of the square and eulogizes Tomochichi as a great friend of James Oglethorpe and the people of Georgia.[7][3]

6 East State Street, in the northeastern tything lot of the square, doubled as Dixie's Flowers, the flower shop Mandy works at in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Bradley Lock and Key, located in the Patrick Duffy Building at 24 East State Street, also in the northeastern tything lot, is the oldest operating business in Savannah.[5]