"I am astonished but not discouraged by my enormous responsibility. Devoted both from affection and duty to the cause of the people, I shall combatt with equal ardor aristocracy, despotism, and faction."  

 —Marquis de Lafayette 

The Fabulous Fountain on Lafayette Square 

This gorgeous water fountain found near the center of Lafayette Square in Savannah was installed in 1983 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Georgia's founding. On February 12, 1733, James Oglethorpe sailed up the Savannah River. He stepped off the ship Anne near the Yamacraw Bluff to establish the British colony of Georgia on behalf of the Georgia Trustees, the governing body chartered and appointed in 1732 by His Majesty King George II of England. 

The governing principle of the new North American colony in Georgia: “Not for Self but for Others.” 

General Oglethorpe’s very first order of business was greeting Tomochichi, leader of the Yamacraw Natives. Geography was an essential consideration in the location of Savannah, as Oglethorpe wanted to establish the initial settlement in Georgia as far from the Spanish colony in Florida as practical.  

Forming good relations with the Native Americans was essential for the survival of the Georgia Colony. From a military perspective, Oglethorpe needed to be concerned with French interests to the west and Spanish settlements to the south. So, in May 1734, Oglethorpe returned to Great Britain on the HMS Aldborough. A large delegation of Yamacraw Indians sailed with him, including Chief Tomochichi. The group met the Georgia Trustees and then went to Kensington Palace to powwow with King George II. 

Trading with the area’s Native tribes was a tricky business, and Oglethorpe quickly understood that regulating trade justly was essential to gain a more significant share of the trade and thereby counter French influence that stretched to Mobile and New Orleans and up the Mississippi River. 

In England, the Georgia Trustees passed the Indian Act in 1735, which required the licensing of Indian traders in Georgia. It empowered Oglethorpe to assure ‘good conduct’ in any trading activities with the Natives. The following year, the Trustees built an Indian garrison well up the Savannah River and named it Augusta in honor of the Princess of Wales, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. 

James Oglethorpe actively enforced provisions of the Indian Act against unethical South Carolina traders. The Georgians essentially won the contest among various factions to control the backcountry trade with Native tribes. In the first history book written on Georgia in 1751, Benjamin Martyn claimed this Georgian Indian Act had successfully blocked the influence of the French within the region. 

In 1837, this Square and the surrounding city Ward in Savannah were named for the Marquis de Lafayette, the unwavering youthful Frenchman who became an American Revolutionary War hero. Lafayette was wounded in the Battle of Brandywine, served with distinction in the Battle of Rhode Island, and helped block the forces of Cornwallis during the decisive siege at Yorktown. 

During the French Revolution, Lafayette was a key figure but was captured and held in prison for over five years until Napoléon Bonaparte secured his release in 1797. He later visited Savannah in 1825. 

Easy to spot nearby this fabulous fountain on Lafayette Square are some of my favorite Postcards from Savannah, including the Hamilton-Turner Inn (see PFS-19), the Flannery O’Connor childhood home (see PFS-44), and the Andrew Low House (see PFS-43). Of course, the impressive Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (see PFS-12) dominates the view from Lafayette Square and the surrounding area.