Port City from Past to Present

TAKIN’ IT DOWNTOWN

Brunswick

GEORGIA

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNALIESE KONDO

STUDIO PIXEL POP

Brunswick, Georgia. A historic Port City. A Main Street City. The “Downtown” of the Golden Isles. Founded in 1771 and named for England’s King George III of the House of Brunswick, this city has seen much growth and change. Today, there’s excitement in the air as development surges and new businesses open their doors. Visitors from near and far flock to events like First Friday, Brunswick Stewbilee, and the more recently established PorchFest. There are concerts, stage productions, art exhibits, a farmer’s market, and so much more to experience. This month we’re crossing the causeway. Let’s go downtown!

TAKIN’ IT DOWNTOWN

Brunswick

GEORGIA

e s t . 1 7 3 8 In 2021, The City of Brunswick celebrated its semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since its founding in 1771; however, its origins as a British settlement date back even further. In 1738, Captain Mark Carr, a soldier in General James Oglethorpe’s regiment was granted land along the Turtle River and established a 1,000-acre tobacco plantation called “Plug Point.” The Royal Province of Georgia purchased Plug Point in 1771 and officially renamed it after Braunschweig, King George II’s ancestral home in Germany.

The town of Brunswick was then laid out in accordance with the Old Town plan created by Gen. Lachlan McIntosh to reflect the designs that Georgia’s founder, Oglethorpe, had implemented in Savannah. The streets followed a grid pattern interspersed with 14 designated green spaces as public squares and parks. In 1783, a Board of Commissioners was created to plot and sell land and use funds to found Glynn Academy. A courthouse and jail were built in 1797 when the county seat shifted to Brunswick from Frederica on St. Simons Island. There was a period of slow growth in mid 1800s and the town was reincorporated as the City of Brunswick in 1856. The population at that time was about 500 residents and the city now included a bank and sawmill. Between

the arrival of the Civil War and blockades that forced residents to flee inland and repeated bouts with yellow fever, real growth didn’t take place until the Reconstruction era. By 1878, the city was accessible by two new railroads and boasted a population of about 3,000. A Brunswick “resident” who lived through it all and is still standing today is Lovers Oak, the enormous oak tree at the intersection of Albany and Prince Streets. As proclaimed by the plaque at its base, in 1987 the National Arborist Association and The International Society of Arboriculture jointly recognized the tree as having lived at the time of the signing of our constitution. In fact, it’s estimated that the ancient oak is well over 900 years old. Reconstruction era. Designated as one of the five original ports of entry for the thirteen colonies by President George Washington in 1789, Brunswick is one of two deep water ports in Georgia, the other being Savannah. When the port was established, tall ships began to arrive, putting Brunswick on the map as a business and trade destination, but blockades were put into place during the Civil War. Once the blockades were lifted and through the early 20th century, it was the growing market for lumber from the timber mills and naval stores (materials extracted from Southern pines and used for construction and repair of sailing vessels, such as rosin and turpentine) that kept the local economy alive and thriving. This area could provide these items in abundance and a joint railroad terminal along the waterfront for the newly established Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad and Southern Railway served steamboats and cargo ships carrying these goods as well as cotton and other crops from Southern fields.

A central figure during this period of prosperity was Major Columbia Downing (18451924), who is memorialized with a monument in Queen Square. He initially came to Brunswick to open a naval storehouse for Standard Oil. Within a year Downing purchased the business, founding Downing Company, which by 1890 was processing 125,000 barrels of rosin and 25,000 barrels of turpentine annually. His home on Halifax Square at 825 Egmont was built circa. 1886 and designed by Alfred Eichberg, who also designed Brunswick’s Old City Hall and Temple Beth Tefiloh. The Queen Anne-style home with Romanesque

flourishes is known today as top-rated B&B Brunswick Manor (pictured on page 20). It has been featured in national media coverage for its stunning Christmas displays and historic charm. Downing also chartered the National Bank of Brunswick in 1884 and served as its president. He was a director of the Oglethorpe Hotel Company, which opened the opulent 125room hotel on Newcastle Street in 1888.

During its heyday, the Oglethorpe was one of the largest and most beautiful hotels in the South and one of Brunswick’s most identifiable landmarks. It was frequented by Gilded Age millionaires Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Pulitzer, and Morgan as they awaited transportation to and from their private winter retreat on Jekyll Island. Sadly, the hotel fell into a state of disrepair and was demolished in 1958. At the entrance of Machen Square West, you can see some of the pink and white Italian marble tiles preserved from the hotel built into the walkway. The late century-turn of the century building boom in Brunswick produced numerous Victorian homes in a wide variety of styles that are still standing today, as well as Old City Hall (1889), the Grand Opera House, now known as the Ritz Theatre (1898), and the Historic Brunswick Courthouse (1907), a beautiful example of Beaux Arts architecture. The Downtown Development Association has a suggested Walking Tour route and guide to numerous historic homes and structures that is well-worth a day of exploration.

As the U.S. highway system developed in the 1920s, Hwy 17 brought traffic bound for the coast right through the city. When Brunswick, under the leadership of visionary city manager F.J. Torras, completed the bridge that linked the mainland to St. Simons Island, this spurred an influx of tourist and residential development on St. Simons and Sea Island that lasted for decades. It was at this time that Brunswick became firmly established as the gateway to the Golden Isles.

As an industrial port city, Brunswick was hit especially hard by the Great Depression; however, World War II brought an economic boom with a sharp jump in population. It’s estimated that 16,000 people came to Brunswick to support the war efforts, with many working at the shipyards to build Liberty Ships. Not only was the shipbuilding profitable for the local economy, but it was also an integral part in securing the Allied victory. The end of the war saw another period of prosperity for the city and for the port. In 1960, the state docks at Brunswick were dedicated and in 1962, the Georgia Ports Authority purchased Colonel’s Island in Brunswick. Today, the Port of Brunswick is one of the nation’s most productive ports on the Atlantic and is the nation’s second busiest port for import and export Ro/Ro (roll-on/roll-off automotive) cargo. A 2017 economic impact study of the Georgia ports reported that the deepwater ports and inland barge terminals contribute $25 billion in income, $106 billion in revenue, and $2.9 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy, and support more than 439,000 jobs throughout the state annually.

Tourism became a major factor affecting the city following WWII. When the state of Georgia purchased Jekyll Island in 1946, the area’s shift from a maritime/industrial economy to tourist trade was underway and was compounded by the construction of the Sidney Lanier Bridge in 1956. Combined with the relocation of Highway 17 and new growth outside of the city proper, Brunswick began to struggle to attract people downtown for business or housing. The decrease in population continued through

TAKIN’ IT DOWNTOWN

Brunswick

GEORGIA

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the end of the 20th century with the decline in the industrial and shrimping industries. Fortunately, in 1979 the downtown area was recognized for its historic significance and protected as the Old Town Brunswick National Register District. The Brunswick Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was activated in 1981. The National Trust for Historic Preservation designated Brunswick a Main Street City in 1986. The DDA and Main Street Brunswick work as two organizations in one with a strong commitment to the economic development, historic preservation, and beautification of Brunswick’s core commercial areas. Their stated mission has been to ensure long term stability of Downtown Brunswick by promoting economic growth and community activities to bring people downtown, and to preserve and enhance the distinct character of Brunswick as a port city. Non-profit organization Signature Squares of Brunswick, Inc. was formed in 2005, stepping in to restore and beautify the historic squares in partnership with the city. They have done some truly impressive work, beginning with the restoration of Hanover Square and its fountain, where health-conscious tourists flocked during the late 19th century to “take the waters” from the artesian well.

Signature Squares’ most recently completed project was the full renovation of Queen Square NE, which boasts a brick pad remaining from the “Brunswick Yacht Club” that occupied 1312 Newcastle Street, the Celtic cross known as the “Oglethorpe Monument,” and a tall metal pole that was once part of Brunswick’s trolley route now neatly nestled by a magnolia tree. This renovation was made more difficult due to the discovery of buried tanks that needed to be removed and the challenges of rising supply costs and limited availability of skilled labor. With the assistance of numerous partners Wiggins Septic, Liberty Environmental Services, and Georgia Power Co. and the designation of that quadrant of Queen Square as a SPLOST VI project, the work was accomplished, and this preserved historic greenspace can now be enjoyed by the community. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on First Friday, March 4 at 4:30 p.m.

Signature Squares’ next project is the renovation of Wright Square, for which they have funding in hand by way of monies contributed to the project by Commissioner Walter Rafolski, several significant donations and grant funding awards, including the DeLong-Sweet Foundation, Magnolia Garden Club, Friends of Coastal Georgia History, Georgia Power Company, and contributions from other local businesses. They are collecting additional donations as part of a challenge to match the contribution received and are encouraging local businesses to participate in the Square Roots 1% voluntary donation program to raise funds for restoration and revitalization. The support from On The Fly Outfitters, Tipsy McSway’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, The Village Oven, The Market on Newcastle and The Wick has been terrific. Individuals or families can participate as well through the purchase of a bench and plaque, historic lamp post or a bundle of bricks. Donations can be made via PayPal on the website at SignatureSquares.org.

Signature Squares of Brunswick has no paid staff or land ownership. Their mission is to preserve and restore Brunswick’s 14 historic squares in partnership with the City of Brunswick while also communicating the history of Brunswick as a port city. By returning these wonderful historic assets back to the gems they were designed to be, we are anchoring our community in its place in history, adding to an improved quality of life, and opening up tourism and entrepreneurial opportunities to engage visitors with our community, such as the bike tours offered by Tyler Vaughn at Brunswick Old Town Tours.

Thanks to ongoing restoration, preservation, and revitalization efforts over the years, the historic district has increased in popularity and become attractive for development. More old buildings are being restored or transformed and new businesses are opening their doors downtown. Old Town and the SoGlo District are attracting residents, business owners, entrepreneurs, and visitors who enjoy the shopping, dining, arts, and entertainment that the area offers. Addressing the increased interest in and popularity of downtown, Coastal Georgia Historical Society presented new programming focused on Brunswick last fall including a lecture series by local historian Buddy Sullivan and a walking tour of the city. Both new offerings were well-attended, and Executive Director Sherri Jones shared the Society’s excitement to be expanding their programs into Brunswick. To see upcoming programs offered by the Society, visit their website at coastalgeorgiahistory.org.