Hodgson Hall, at the northwestern corner of Forsyth Park, has served as the headquarters of the Georgia Historical Society since 1876. Hodgson Hall was constructed in honor of the diplomat and orientalist scholar William Brown Hodgson by his widow, Margaret Telfair Hodgson, in the mid 1870s.
The building was designed by Danish-born, New York architect Detlef Lienau, whose other design projects in Savannah included the transformation of the Telfair family's house into a museum. The Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hodgson Hall is today the location of the Georgia Historical Society’s research center and archives. It is particularly notable for its beautiful library, which occupies much of the main building.
History of Hodgson Hall
William Hodgson, scholar and diplomat, died in 1871. His widow, Margaret Telfair Hodgson, a member of the prominent Telfair family and whose sister, Mary Telfair, gave the city its present Telfair Academy of the Arts, began construction of the building that was to stand in his honor shortly after.
Margaret Hodgson herself, however, died before its completion. Mary Telfair, wishing to carry out her late sister’s wishes, took over the construction of the new building. Mary too died before the building was complete, but it was finished and dedicated according to her instructions.
According to Ms. Telfair's stipulations, Hodgson Hall was never to be used for public speaking of a general kind, which is to say that not conducted under the auspices of the Historical Society. Nor could it be used for entertainments at which any sort of refreshment was served; nor might the building be rented out for any purpose whatsoever.
The Georgia Historical Society moved its library into Hodgson Hall in 1875. Dedication ceremonies were performed on the 37th anniversary of the Society, February 14 1876.
Whilst construction of the new building was underway, the Historical Society made an unsuccessful bid to have the name of Forsyth Park changed to Hodgson Park to reflect his contribution to its establishment.
Savannah’s citizens and officials were not, however, in agreement as to whether or not the creation of the park could in fact be reasonably attributed to William Hodgson. Tradition too on its side, the name of Forsyth was preserved.