Monterey Square

For many, Monterey Square is the ultimate Savannah [1] square. Originally named “Monterrey Square” to commemorate the local Irish Jasper Greens’ participation in a victorious Mexican-American War battle in 1846, the spelling morphed into its current version somewhere along the way. But Monterey Square remains one of the most visually beautiful and serene spots in all of Savannah.

At the center of Monterey Square is a monument not to the victory for which it’s named but to Count Casimir Pulaski, killed while attempting to retake the city from the British, and whose remains supposedly lie under the 55-foot monument. As early as 1912, people began noticing the disintegration of the monument due to substandard marble used in some key parts, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that a full restoration was accomplished.

(The restoration company discovered that one of the monument’s 34 sections had been accidentally installed upside-down. So in the true spirit of preservation, they dutifully put the section back—upside down!)

The “Goddess of Liberty” atop the monument, however, is not original; you can see her in the Savannah History Museum [2].

Fans of ironwork will enjoy the ornate masterpieces in wrought iron featured at many houses on the periphery of the square.