Savannah City Hall

The location for the city hall was formerly home to the City Exchange, which had been built in 1799 and was demolished in 1904.^[2] Following the building's demolition, the cornerstone for the city hall was laid on August 11, 1904, in a large ceremony.^[3] The architect behind the project was Hyman Witcover, who is notable for several other buildings in the area,^[4] while construction was handled by the Savannah Contracting Company.^[5] The construction occurred during the administration of Savannah Mayor Herman Myers, who pursued numerous public works projects during his tenure as mayor.^[6] Commenting on the building, Myers reported that, "it will typify the twentieth century Savannah, the Savannah of indomitable energy, of punishing progressiveness,"^[7] and that the building is "a monument to the progressive spirit that marks the Savannah of today."^[8] The building was the first building built solely to serve as the seat of government for the city.^[5]

The construction of the building cost upwards of $250,000 and was completed in 1905.^[8] The building, located across the street from the United States Customhouse,^[9] is an example of Renaissance Revival architecture and featured an exterior of limestone and granite, capped by a copper dome.^[5] Initial plans called for four statues of chariots on the tops of the building's four corners, but financial limitations prevented this.^[10] The building officially opened on January 2, 1906. In 1987, the dome was covered in gold leaf,^[5] the work of Hussey Gay Bell architects.^[11] In 2014, the Georgia Historical Society, working with the mayor and aldermen, erected a Georgia historical marker at the city hall.^[5]