Historic Old Town Brunswick

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Brunswick’s streets and squares were laid out on Oglethorpe’s Savannah Plan in 1771. George Washington proclaimed Brunswick as one of the five original ports of entry for the Colonies in 1789. Today, Brunswick is nurtured by an ongoing revitalization and restoration program for Georgia’s second largest concentration of historic structures. Visit our bustling waterfront, home to The Liberty Ship Memorial Plaza, shrimp boats, cruise ships, a marina, and vessels from around the world. Enjoy the charms of Old Town Brunswick, with its Victorian commercial buildings, grand residential homes, historic banquet and reception facilities, and delightful bed & breakfast inns. Explore streets of quaint shops, restaurants, art galleries and antique dealers. In an atmosphere that’s warm and welcoming for residents and visitors alike! Among its numerous assets, Brunswick is the second largest concentration of documented historic structures in Georgia. The nearby islands of St. Simons and Jekyll lure visitors with the promise of beaches, resorts, and historic sites - it has long been known as the “Gateway to the Golden Isles”. Our marshes along the east coast offer stunning views and are unique and beautiful in many ways.

Places

Brunswick Old City Hall

Old City Hall, ca. 1888

Queen Square

This square is one of the original town squares laid out in 1771. It is home to the Oglethorpe Memorial, Downing Memorial, Liberty tree and Sesquicentennial tree. The Liberty tree was planted in 1906 by the DAR with soil from the 45 states and 4 territories. The Sesquicentennial tree was planted in 2006 with soil from “Brunswicks” in 5 states.

Jekyll Square

These small parks offer the passerby an opportunity to rest, relax and enjoy the beauty of our natural surroundings. Signature Squares, in cooperation with the City of Brunswick, has completed renovations on Jekyll Square, and will be starting in Machen Square soon. Jekyll Square West features part of the original fountain from Hanover Square, two blocks south of downtown. Theses squares are part of the original 1771 plan for the City of Brunswick.

Machen Square

Three Rivers Regional Library

The library provides a full range of programs, readings, local authors, foreign films, and historic records for the city and region. Be sure to ask about the “Vanishing Geor-gia” collection of the University of Georgia.

Liberty Ship WWII Memorial

At the entrance to the park is a scale model of the Liberty Ships constructed in the city during World War II. The park features a seasonal farmers market and open stage for community events. It overlooks the picturesque shrimp docks and Andrew’s Island.

The Historic Ritz Theatre

The theatre was built in 1899 as the grand Opera House. It was converted into a movie theatre, refaced with Carerra glass and renamed in the 1920’s. In the 1980’s after a roof collapse, it was restored by the City into a performing arts theatre. The lobby hosts a gallery for local, regional and national artists.

Mahoney-McGarvey House, ca. 1891

This house was built from plans drawn by J. A. Wood, architect for the Plant railroad system, who designed and built the Tampa Bay Hotel and Brunswick's Oglethorpe Hotel. Though technically classified as an Exotic Revival structure, due to its Moorish influence, it is known as the finest example of Carpenter Gothic architecture in the State of Georgia. Carpenter Gothic is a term used to describe the variety of turned and pierced woodwork, available through the advance of, at that time, modern technology. The Mahoney family willed it to the McGarvey sisters who were good friends and early leaders in the preservation movement in Brunswick. They later had their business housed there, and at Virginia McGarvey's death, left it in trust, with the requirement that the building be preserved.

Old County Court House 701 G Street, ca. 1907

The plot of land on which the courthouse was built was formerly used by the city to house livestock. Commonly known as Magnolia Square, the parcel was purchased on October 21, 1905, from the city for the sum of one dollar. The Atlanta firm of Miles & Bradt constructed the building using plans drawn by New York architects Gifford and Bates. The cornerstone was laid on December 27, 1906, by W. M. and M. H. Ballard, and construction was completed on December 18, 1907, at a cost of $97,613.00. This Neoclassical Revival design was built at the juncture of Victorian and Edwardian styles. In its conception we see philosophy reflected in architecture: four identical entrances suggest that any door leads to justice; the interior columns indicate thatjustice is not to be taken lightly and the intricate iron stair rail shows that the course of justice is always a delicate balance. Steel vaults and sturdy oak finishes allow citizens to feel safe and secure in the knowledge that the government is working for their public good, safety and welfare. The new courthouse, completed in 1991, faces the old courthouse across a mall which connects and underscores the architectural and societal links between past and present.

"New City Hall," ca. 1901

This Georgian Revival structure, built in 1901, originally housed the Post Office and Customs House. Remodeled in 1964, it became the "new" City Hall. The roof of the porticо is what's known as a Guastovino tile ceiling system. If you view the building near sunset, you will see glazed bricks set in a uniform pattern sparkling against the unglazed bricks.

Lissner House, ca. 1907

The adaptive use of this home shows governmental sensitivity to historic preservation. Built by J. J. Lissner, the house exhibits strong Prairie influences including a massive porch, use of natural materials as Ludowici roof tiles (manufactured in nearby Ludowici, Ga.), and a floor-to-ceiling granite fireplace in the living room. This home is one of the few in Brunswick to have a partial basement, and the only residence to be equipped with an elevator.

Glynn Academy

On Mansfield Street, between Egmont and Albany Streets, lie the several buildings which comprise the Glynn Academy High School campus. While these streets are closed to vehicular traffic during the school year, the buildings are of sufficient interest to warrant parking nearby and taking a closer look. In 1777 the first State of Georgia Constitution specified that each county would establish an academy offering free college preparatory education. Although founded in 1788, the location of the first Glynn Academy building is unknown. In 1820 the second building was constructed at Reynolds and L Streets at a cost of $10,000, and was used for over twenty years. In 1840 yet another Glynn Academy was begun on the northern half of Hillsborough Square, with a wooden structure erected in the 1890s, and used until 1915, at which time itwas moved up the road to Sterling, Ga. In 1909 Glynn Academy moved into its new quarters on the south side of Hillsborough Square, which is still in use today. In 1923 construction was completed on the "new" Glynn Academy complex, including the Memorial Auditorium, designed by architect Hendrik Wallen and patterned after the Louvain Library in Belgium. This auditorium has superb acoustical qualities and is the site of many community musical and theatrical presentations. The different building on campus represent a history of architechural design, from the Georgian style (Sidney Lanier) to the Classical Revival (Prep School) to the Richardsonian Romanesque (Annex Building) designed by Alfred Eighberg, also designer of Old City Hall.

McKinnon-Lord-Westbrooks-Schmidt House, ca. 1903

Built as the home of lumber magnate L. T. McKinnon, this impressive Queen Anne design boasts a cypress exterior with interior wood work of white ash and magnolia. The complex balance of the design incorporates a variety of strong geometric shapes in its gables, dormers and veranda. Integral (recessed) porches on the upper floors are typical of the style.

McKinnon-Whaley House, ca. 1910

Built by L. T. McKinnon, these Queen Anne homes have an unusual gambrel roofline. In the front elevation, both houses have retained original design characteristics and remain true twins. Magnolia and poplar woods were widely used in the construction.

Tupper-Miller House, сa. 1895

Built byCaptain William M. Tupper, this Queen Anne exhibits unusual brackets flanking the upper level of the deep two story bay. Of the seven fireplaces, six use a common chimney draft. Unusually well preserved interior woodwork features massive pine paneling and delicate spindle work. After the house was completed, Captain Tupper decided the rooms were too small and built another house directly across the street.

Murray-Copeland-Dawson House, ca. 1896

Built by Jno. Murray between 1896-1900, this symmetrical "T" house with applied porch is a typical tidewater house. The "I" house is one of the most basic American building forms, consisting of 4 "pens" (single building unit) with two on top and two on bottom. In the South, fireplaces were built on the ends of the buildings, to keep most ofthe heat outside, while in the North, fireplaces were built in the center of the house. This home exhibits a nice two-story porch.

Aiken-Patelidas House, ca. 1908

Frank D. Aiken, a Brunswick banker who was also in the lumber and cross ties business, built this home. It remained in his family until 1945 when it was purchased by the Patelidas'. The house occupies two 90'x 180' Old Town lots. Though at first glance this home might seem to have Spanish influences, it actually draws more from the Prairie style, popular at the turn of the century. Of special note is the chimney medallion, the window surrounds, and the frieze over the front door.

Burroughs-Hazlehurst-Taylor House, ca. 1870s

Dr. Burroughs designed and built this home with 1886 records indicating ownership by Misses M. R. and S. E. Hazlehurst. The house is an excellent example of Second Empire. Considered avery functional style, the mansard roof allowed for a roomy, full third story. This style was developed by a M. Mansard in France, when the taxes you paid were determined by how many floors you had to your building. President Grant favored the style, and many public buildings were built during his reign.

Hanover Square

Originally laid out in 1771 by George McIntosh at the re quest of the Royal Gov-ernor of Georgia, the city plan of Brunswick was an evolu-tion of General James Oglethorpe’s famous “Savannah Plan”. The first actively used of the six major squares of Brunswick is Hanover Square. The Square has long been a focal point for the social and communal life of the city. As the city grew and contracted from 1771 to 1825, Hano-ver Square was little more than a designation on the city map. In 1796 the county seat was moved from Ft. Frederi-ca to Brunswick. Elections were held at Hog Crawl Creek off Hwy. 17.. Urbanus Dart and William Davis petitioned the state in 1825 to reconstruct the city. Thus, a lottery was held in Savannah to raise money. In 1825 a county courthouse, jail, and Masonic Temple were constructed as one building in the center of the Square. Over the next 30 years, the building fell into disrepair as the city was aban-doned. As the city gained its third and final charter in 1856, Hanover Square became once again the main public square and gathering place for city residents. From 1952 to present day, the continued preservation efforts of previous citizen groups and individuals have saved Hanover Square from oblivion. In 2004, Signatures Squares of Brunswick was incorporated to actively restore Hanover Square to prominence and restore all the origi-nal squares of Brunswick to their rightful place in the city’s social and community life.