Downtown square will get new name; final 6 revealed

A sign stands at the entrance to Calhoun Square in the downtown historic district of Savannah, Ga., on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. The Savannah City Council has voted to remove Calhoun’s name from the square, which was named in 1851 for John C. Calhoun, a former U.S. vice president and senator who was also an outspoken advocate of slavery in the decades preceding the Civil War. The move comes two years after a statue of Calhoun was taken down in Charleston, S.C. Savannah officials say the square that bore Calhoun’s name for more than 170 years will be renamed later. (AP Photo/Russ Bynum)

by: Shawn Watkins

Posted: Aug 23, 2023 / 06:31 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 23, 2023 / 06:31 PM EDT

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The formerly known Calhoun Square was stripped of its name by the Savannah City Council in 2022. But on Thursday, the square will earn a new name.

Following more than 300 name submissions from the public, after rigorous review from two city commissions, the final six names are:

Seven Sisters Square
W.W. Law Square
Taylor Square
Georgia Leile Square
Major Clayton Carpenter Square
Creek Square

City Council removed seventh vice president John C. Calhoun’s name from the square due to his support of slavery, a view that does not represent Savannah, according to Mayor Van Johnson.

The name will be decided at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Council Chambers at Savannah City Hall.