The Massie Heritage Center occupies a historic building constructed in the 1850s on the south of Calhoun Square to house one of Savannah’s earliest schools, which was created to provide an education for the children of poor whites. The Massie School was established through the benefaction of Peter Massie, a Scottish immigrant who had made his fortune in Georgia as a planter and slave owner.
The building was used as a school for almost 120 years, later repurposed as a small museum dedicated to Savannah’s history, with a particular emphasis on its histories of education and city planning. Allow around an hour or so for your visit.
See also:
– Must-see sights
– More Savannah museums
– Architecture tours
– Other things to do in Savannah
Exhibits at the Massie Heritage Center’s explore aspects of local history. The design of the city’s landscape – built according to the revolutionary plan of founder James Oglethorpe and preserved through the efforts of many individuals and organizations since – is revealed through exhibits including a scale model of the Historic District, plus others about Savannah’s civic and residential buildings and their architectural styles.
There are also displays on Georgia’s original American Indian inhabitants; Savannah’s maritime history; historical clothes (which visitors can try on); and the history of the Massie School, including a restored classroom. The museum's newest exhibit examines the history of African-American education in Savannah.
John Norris, an architect responsible for several of Savannah’s most notable antebellum buildings, designed the Massie School building, employing a simple Greek Revival style. The building is made of Savannah gray brick, finished in stucco scored to resemble large blocks of stone, although this scoring has faded with time.
Today, the building consists of three separate structures. When the school was first established, only one of these structures (the middle one) was erected, completed in 1856.
The eastern and western parts of the school – slightly smaller than the original building, but modeled on the same design – were added later: the western annex in 1872 and the eastern annex in 1886, since which time the building has remained largely unchanged. Access to these additions, unlike the original building, is not from the street but from the central building, connected to the annexes by outdoor passageways.
A small garden recollects the time when the Massie Heritage Center was a school building, with brick walls containing outdoor yard space divided into two sections: one for boys and one for girls.
For additional information call 912-395-5070 or visit the official website.
Open Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm and Sunday, 12pm-4pm. Closed St Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Adults $9, military/seniors (63+) $7, children (6-17) $6, young children (0-5) free, family ticket (up to 5 people) $20.
207 East Gordon Street, Savannah, GA 31401
The Massie Heritage Center is on the south of Calhoun Square, in the center of Savannah’s Historic District. See on map
– American Prohibition Museum
– Georgia State Railroad Museum
– King-Tisdell Cottage
– National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force (Pooler, GA)
– Pin Point Heritage Museum
– Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum
– Savannah History Museum
– Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
– Webb Military Museum
See also:
– Guided tours of Savannah
– Black history sites in Savannah
– Historic house tours
– Savannah cemeteries