Sights and Scenes: Savannah's River Street

A virtual walk along one of the south's most vibrant urban waterfronts: Savannah's River Street

Morrell Park

Morrell Park was created during the mid-1960s and is named after William Goodrich Morrell, Jr. Morrell was the then chairman of the Park and Tree Commission. The park was named to honor Morrell in 1974.

River Street was the primary location for goods coming into and leaving the port of Savannah. By the 1800s, it had become the world’s leading exporter of cotton.

River Street Marketplace

The River Street Marketplace is an open-air market intended to be reminiscent of open air markets that stood on River Street during the 19th century.

Rousakis Plaza Echo Square is a relatively unknown public space in the heart of one of the busiest tourist spots in Savannah.

River Street is lined with warehouses built adjacent to a bluff that date back to the 18th century. In June 1977, a $7 million project to redevelop the blighted industrial district into a new waterfront plaza, lined with restaurants, bars, shops and galleries was completed.

Yamacraw Bluff is where the Colony of Georgia was established on February 12, 1733 by General James Edward Oglethorpe.

John P. Rousakis Riverfront Plaza

Named after former Mayor John P. Rousakis, Rousakis Riverfront Plaza is a half mile long waterfront park that was dedicated in June 1977. The $7.3 million project was funded with $4.3 million in federal urban renewal and $3 million in local funding. This would have amounted to a $40 million project in 2017 standards. The project played a critical role in the revitalization of Savannah into the tourist destination that it is today, 44 years later.

Dedicated in 2002, the African-American Monument commemorates the city’s Black community while highlighting the story of the Trans Atlantic slave trade. The monument includes an inscription by Maya Angelou.

The rear of the Savannah City Hall just south of River Street. The Savannah City Hall was designed by architect Hyman Witcover and completed in 1906.