Inside Savannah's 1733 Plan: HSF Lecture at Historic Kennedy Pharmacy

On a late-summer evening in Savannah, the Murray C. Perlman and Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center inside the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy at 323 E. Broughton St. becomes a classroom for the city itself. The Historic Savannah Foundation hosts a lecture—"More than a Historic District: The Enduring Relevance of the Savannah Plan"—where decades of maps, freshly uncovered photographs, and new analysis reanimate the 1733 grid that founder James Edward Oglethorpe set down. Architects, planners, and curious visitors gather over a wine reception at 5:30 p.m., then move into the lecture at 6:00 p.m. to hear SCAD's Dr. Robin B. Williams and Dr. David W. Gobel unpack how the city's system of squares, narrow streets, and public greens shaped urban life and influenced design worldwide. Savannah's plan reads on the ground as a series of open squares framed by low masonry buildings, alleys, and live oaks hung with Spanish moss. Those features—public squares, cobblestone alleys that lead toward the Savannah River, and the city's location on the Atlantic Coastal Plain—are central to the talk. Expect rare maps and analytical diagrams that show how the plan has stretched, folded, and adapted through planned interventions and natural forces such as tides and storms. This event is a chance to see scholarly work translated into plain terms: the speakers trace two decades of research documented in their new book, Learning from Savannah: From Ideal City to Elastic Urbanism, and highlight smaller but telling details—adaptive re-use of historic storefronts, patterns of vegetation in public greens, and how historic preservation intersects with contemporary urban needs. The venue itself, a Preservation Center housed in a landmark pharmacy, reinforces the evening's theme: place-making through stewardship. Practical details matter: the lecture is free for Historic Savannah Foundation members and $15 for non-members; advance registration is recommended because capacity is limited to fifty. The program is ideal for urbanists, history buffs, photographers who love architectural detail, and anyone seeking a deeper reading of Savannah's streets beyond postcards. After the lecture, linger on Broughton Street to follow a mapped route of squares, or cross toward the riverfront to see how Oglethorpe's grid meets the tidal landscape. Whether you come for specialized research or a lively civic conversation over wine, this HSF lecture frames Savannah as a living plan—one you can read, walk, and argue with. Plan to arrive early to explore nearby squares—Monterey, Reynolds, and Johnson—on foot, photograph intricate ironwork on 19th-century facades, and sample coffee on Broughton Street beforehand. Public parking and metered street parking are available nearby; consider transit or rideshare for evening events. Space for the lecture is limited to fifty attendees, so pre-register through the Historic Savannah Foundation link to secure a seat and support local preservation work.