Indeed, Savannah’s leaders have fine-tuned the art of balancing the city’s historical fabric with the needs of the future. Long before her popularity began making national headlines, however, a lush shoreline with its steep bluff overlooking the river caught the eye of a curious explorer and visionary.

General James Edward Oglethorpe, who landed on a bluff high along the Savannah River in February 1733 with other 120 travelers of the good ship "Anne", envisioned Savannah's original city plan. Oglethorpe named the thirteenth and final American colony, Georgia, after England's King George II. Savannah became its first city.

Savannah is credited as being America's first planned city. Oglethorpe laid the city out in a series of grids that allowed for wide-open streets intertwined with shady public squares and parks that served as town meeting places and centers of business. Savannah had 24 original squares with 21 still in existence.

Many of Savannah's old buildings have survived and been restored including the Pirates' House (1754), an old seaman's inn mentioned in Stevenson's Treasure Island; the Herb House (1734), the oldest existing building in Georgia; and the Pink House (1789), site of Georgia's first bank. The mansion birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, (built 1819-21) is owned and operated by the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. as a memorial to their founder. The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences opened in Savannah as one of the South's first public museums. The many restored churches include the Lutheran Church of Ascension (dating from 1741); the Independent Presbyterian Church (1890) and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (1876), one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the South, the First African Baptist Church whose congregation dates back to 1788, and Temple Mickve Israel, the third oldest Synagogue in America.

In 1966, Savannah's Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark by the US Interior Department. In awarding Savannah the prestigious status, the Department stated the Savannah's Historic District "retains much of James Oglethorpe's original city plan from 1733 of open-space squares surrounded by the rhythmic placement of streets and buildings. This plan was followed well into the 19th century and the district includes many buildings of architectural merit from that century."

As the Millennium turned, Savannah experienced resurgence in tourism. The 1990's saw more than 50 million people visit our fair city. Visitors revel in our elegant architecture, ornate ironworks, fountains, and lush green squares. Savannah's natural beauty is rivaled only by the city's hospitable reputation, creating one of the country's most popular vacation spots. Guests who come to our city are truly captivated by our city's charm, the richness of our heritage, and all the activities the city offers every day of the year.