Troup Square

The armillary sphere in the center of the square
Namesake	George Troup
Maintained by	City of Savannah
Location	Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Coordinates	32°04′21″N 81°05′23″W / 32.0724°N 81.0896°W / 32.0724; -81.0896
North	Habersham Street
East	East Macon Street
South	Habersham Street
West	East Macon Street
Construction
Completion	1837 (1837)

Troup Square is one of the 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the fourth row of the city's five rows of squares, on Habersham Street and East Macon Street, and was laid out in 1837. It is south of Colonial Park Cemetery, east of Lafayette Square and north of Whitefield Square. The square is named for George Troup, the former Georgia governor, Congressman and senator. It is one of only two Savannah squares named for a person living at the time (the other being Washington Square).^[1]

A large iron armillary sphere stands in the center of the square, supported by six small metal turtles.^[2] The armillary has been the source of some controversy, as it is one of the few examples of modern sculpture in the squares.^[3]

A special dog fountain is located on the west side of the square. The Myers Drinking Fountain was a gift from Savannah mayor Herman Myers in 1897 and was originally placed in Forsyth Park. When moved to Troup Square, its height was adjusted for use by dogs and has become the site of an annual Blessing of the Animals.^[4][2]

The Unitarian Universalist Church sits on the western side of the square and is its oldest building, albeit not original to the square: built in 1851, it was moved a third of a mile from Oglethorpe Square nine years later. It is believed that James Lord Pierpont wrote the tune to "Jingle Bells" while he was the church's music director, but other sources claim he only copyrighted it when he was in the role, and that he wrote it in Medford, Massachusetts. The oldest building original to the square is the Lewis Cook Duplex, at 313–315 East Charlton Street, which dates to 1852.

In 1969 Savannah landscape architect Clermont Huger Lee and Mills B. Lane planned and initiated a project to remove the central vandalized playground, close the fire lane, install an armillary sundial, and add new walls, benches, lighting, and plantings.^[5]

Dedication

Namesake	Image	Note
George Troup		The square is named for George Troup (1780–1856), former governor of Georgia.

Markers and structures

Name	Image	Note
Armillary sphere		A close-up of the sphere.

Constituent buildings

Each building below is in one of the eight blocks around the square composed of four residential "tything" blocks and four civic ("trust") blocks, now known as the Oglethorpe Plan. They are listed with construction years where known.

Gallery

• 
  Unitarian Universalist ("Jingle Bells") Church, 321 Habersham treet
• 
  Frances Threadcroaft Duplex, 301–307 East Harris Street
• 
  Sarah Coombs Property, 309–311 East Harris Street
• 
  Parsonage of the Universalist Unitarian Church, 313 East Harris Street
• 
  Cohen Row, 312–320 Habersham Street
• 
  McDonough Row, 410–424 East Charlton Street
• 
  424 East Charlton Street, a bookend of McDonough Row
• 
  Mortimer Williams House, 401 East Charlton Street
• 
  Dale Row, 405–411 East Charlton Street
• 
  George Haslam House, 417 East Charlton Street
• 
  Henry Bragdon/Edward Segur Duplex, 419-421 East Charlton Street
• 
  Ellen Williams House, 423 East Charlton Street
• 
  311 Habersham Street
• 
  Troup Trust, 410–424 East Macon Street
• 
  Charles Lampe Duplex, 301 & 305 East Charlton Street
• 
  Mary Edmundson House, 311 East Charlton Street
• 
  Lewis Cook Duplex, 313–315 East Charlton Street
• 
  Michael McQuade House, 317 East Charlton Street
• 
  John Kenney House, 319 East Charlton Street

References