Savannah no longer has a square named after John C. Calhoun.
Now, the square on Abercorn Street has no name — "the square formerly known as Calhoun," after Savannah City Council voted 9-0 to remove the name of Calhoun, a former vice president and South Carolina statesman who was known for being a staunch advocate for slavery.
The vote comes nearly two years after an activist group called the Center for Jubilee, Reconciliation and Healing and its founders, Patt Gunn and Rosalyn Rouse, began pushing for the square to be renamed for Suzie King Taylor, a Savannah icon.
But their efforts have come with opposition, and at the public hearing held Oct. 27, residents spoke about keeping Calhoun’s name on the square, citing the importance of not changing history.
Council's vote on the topic was unanimous, with 1st District Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier making the motion, seconded by At-Large Post 2 Alderwoman Alicia Miller Blakely.
Following the decision, Gunn and Rouse praised council for their work.
"I am so proud of my city. I am so proud of the mayor and council. They have joined the rest of the nation in removing Calhoun's name," Gunn said. "My heart keeps my soul practicing truth-telling and reconciliation and healing. This is definitely an opportunity for our city to heal."
Credit: Will Peebles
Credit: Will Peebles
Rouse spoke proudly about the group's efforts, and said the next step in the Center's process is to continue advocating for their own proposed new name: Susie King Taylor Square.
"It's a great day, but I want the city of Savannah to say her name: Susie Baker King Taylor. I want the world to know her name," Rouse said.
A history lesson
No public comments were heard this week, since there was an open public hearing at the previous meeting. Instead, the city's Municipal Archives Dept. Luciana Spracher gave a presentation on the history of the square, from the pre-Oglethorpe Native Americans who lived in the area to the naming of the square in 1851.
Spracher's presentation echoed the findings of a study published in 2021 in regards to the location of the burial grounds of enslaved people in Savannah's Whitefield and Calhoun Squares.
Originally, the Center set out to rename both Calhoun and Whitefield squares, due to their proximity to the burial sites of enslaved Africans, and because both Calhoun and Whitefield were slaveholders.
According to documents in the city’s municipal archives compiled by Spracher, there were two burial grounds in the area where the two squares now stand — a graveyard for both enslaved and free people of color ran between what is now Lincoln and Habersham streets, with Gordon Street as its southern boundary.
![Rosalyn Rouse, left, and Patt Gunn look on as Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier reads a proclamation from the city of Savannah recognizing Jubilee Freedom Day in Calhoun Square. [Will Peebles/Savannahnow.com]](https://www.ajc.com/resizer/lIFFPhLN7KO0HZ10_thex3EfbZo=/1022x0/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/SLYS4WHGSMYLDQSLF5OKORSGPA.jpg)
Credit: Will Peebles
Credit: Will Peebles
Beside it was the stranger’s burial grounds, a cemetery for those who didn’t live in Savannah, but died here. The stranger’s burial grounds was between what is now Lincoln and Abercorn streets, with Gordon Street as its northern boundary.
Municipal Archives Director Luciana Spracher says Calhoun Square may slightly overlap with the boundaries of the other stranger’s cemetery, sometimes referred to as Potter’s burial ground.
Susie King Taylor
While choosing a new name for the square has no set timeline as of now, Gunn and Rouse say they'll continue to push for a new name: That of Susie King Taylor, a Savannah icon.
Taylor was born to enslaved parents in Midway in 1848, received a formal education from two secret schools taught by Black women, and went on to be an educator herself. After the Civil War in 1866, she and her husband returned to Savannah, where she opened a fee-based school for Black children on what is now Oglethorpe Avenue.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
But with city council now taking up the action, Gunn says they’re turning their efforts towards advocating for Taylor Square as council considers options for a future name.
Gunn says the coalition will be mobilizing around honoring Taylor through petitions and outreach campaigns like their "Come Sunday" events held in the former Calhoun Square and Whitefield Square. They met publicly on Oct. 13 in Whitefield, when they handed out shirts with Taylor's image and the words "Say her name" printed on them.
"I want these new babies coming up to be able to enjoy a new square with a new name and we're ready to go through the process. My heart beats for Susie King Taylor, but today is the removal of Calhoun. It was a long journey, but worth every bit of it" Gunn said. "I do believe that the moral arc bends towards justice, we've just got to have some patience."
Will Peebles is the City Council and County Commission reporter for Savannah Morning News, covering local Savannah and Chatham County decisions. He can be reached at wpeebles@savannahnow.com or on Twitter @willpeeblesSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah City Council votes unanimously to remove the name of Calhoun Square
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