Attractions
Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau's Black Heritage brochure offers details on additional sites.
Historic Churches
23 Montgomery St.
912-233-2244
Built entirely by enslaved African Americans in the late 1700s, First African Baptist Church was the home of the first African American congregation in Savannah. It is still a very active church and tours are given during the week. There is also a museum and a gift shop in the church.
575 W. Bryan St.
912-232-5526
This historic church was organized in 1793 by Reverend Andrew Bryan, a former slave who first became a noted evangelist and then served as pastor until his death 19 years later. It has a rich tradition and is still home to a vibrant congregation.
Second African Baptist Church
123 Houston St.
912-233-6163
Organized under the leadership of Reverend Henry Cunningham in 1802, the initial membership of Second African Baptist Church came out of a necessary expansion from First African Baptist Church whose congregation had grown considerably over the years.
It is also the church where Gen. Sherman’s Field Order No. 19 was first read to newly freed African Americans, giving them “40 acres and a mule”.
St. Phillip Monumental A.M.E. Church
1112 Jefferson St.
The oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in Georgia, it was organized in 1865 and follows the tradition of this denomination which was started in 1787 by Richard Allen, a minister, an educator and a social activist. Civil War chaplain and politician Henry McNeal Turner later became the first Bishop in the A.M.E. denomination, and served as pastor to St. Philip Monumental.
Museums
Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum
460 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
912-777-6099
The Civil Rights Museum documents the civil rights movement in Savannah, and is a rich source of information on the period from the 1940s through the 1960s. The museum was organized by and named in honor of Reverend Ralph Mark Gilbert who was not only a pastor of First African Baptist Church, but presided over the Savannah Branch of the NAACP during those years of turmoil prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act. a noted community leader and activist.
Beach Institute African-American Cultural Center
203 E. Harris St.
912-234-8000
The Beach Institute was first school erected for Savannah’s newly-freed African American population in 1867. That School was organized by the Freedmen’s Bureau and funded by philanthropist Alfred E. Beach for whom the Institute is named. Today it houses a museum and an art gallery containing a permanent collection of the Savannah barber/artist Ulysses Davis.
514 E. Huntingdon St.
912-695-3872
The mission of the King-Tisdell Cottage is to ensure that the rich history and culture of Savannah’s African American community is not forgotten. Documents and historic nineteenth century artifacts serve as reminders of middle class African Americans during the early 20th century.
9924 Pin Point Ave.
912-355-0064
Located in the deep south side of the city, Pin Point is home to a very proud Gullah/Geechee community with roots dating back to the nineteenth century. At one time, the museum was an oyster processing factory, but currently displays reminders of the strong fishing and craft culture that was the heart and life of the community.
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201 E, 37th St.
912-421-8168
This museum houses a vast collection of African art and artifacts collected over 30 years by local philanthropist and art collector, Don Kole.
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Savannah Gallery on Slavery and Healing
718-A Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
912-547-5937
The home base of the Underground Tours of Savannah.
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Monuments
​​​​​​​​The Haitian Monument
Located in Franklin Square, this impressive monument was erected in 2007 by the Haitian American Historical Society to honor the memory of those brave volunteer soldiers of African descent from Haiti who fought with distinction alongside the American colonists and the French against the British during the Revolutionary War
Laurel Grove South
2101 Kollock Street
This cemetery, dating back to the mid 1800s, was designated as a segregated cemetery for Savannah’s African American residents. Here, one can find slave headstones as well as more recent markers. It is still in use, and many of Savannah’s most notable African Americans are laid to rest here.
The African American Family Monument
Located on the north side of Savannah’s water front on River Street, this monument was first conceived and championed (almost single-handedly) by Savannah resident Dr. Abigail Jordan, a distinguished teacher, leader and noted community activist. It serves as a testimony to faith, hope, and the strength of the human spirit.
Prince Hall Masonic Temple
602 E Broad St.
This temple is home to the Savannah Masonic District #1, and houses five Masonic Lodges and six Order of the Eastern Star Chapters, as well as other Masonic houses in the Prince Hall Family. The first Masonic Prince Hall bodies were organized in Savannah in 1866.
