January 2006 - A Century of History - Savannah City Hall Centennial, 1906-2006
Constructed between 1903 and 1906, Savannah’s City Hall stands as a monument to the progressive spirit of the City of Savannah during the early 1900s when the municipal government strived to achieve “A Greater Savannah.” The City desired a larger home to reflect the community’s prosperity and to give the growing government adequate facilities with “a building for a century to come.” Local architect Hyman Wallace Witcover designed a monumental Italian Renaissance Revival building in granite and limestone for the City and the Savannah Contracting Company executed the design. On January 2, 1906, Savannah’s City Hall was thrown open to the citizens of Savannah for inspection. One writer from the Municipal Journal, of New York, declared he had“never seen a city building better adapted to the uses for which it was intended.” City Council held their first meeting in the new Council Chamber on January 3, 1906. In the century since then, City Hall has served the local government and the community faithfully, and stands as a symbol of the City’s progress and history. The following timeline traces Savannah’s City Hall through its first century of history,beginning in 1906 and ending in December 2005. This timeline was prepared to document City Hall’s history in preparation for its 2006 centennial anniversary, as well as to serve as a research tool for future users. All information of pertinence found in the research process was included. However, there may be additional events that were not clearly documented and have slipped through the cracks of history. Therefore, this should not be considered “everything” that ever happened in or to City Hall.