The city of Savannah is famously home to 22 squares, and those of us who have spent a lot of time in the downtown area of this lovely and historic city are familiar with many of them. While each has its own beauty and special attributes, there’s one square in particular with an especially noteworthy past: Wright Square, bordered by Bull, State, and York Streets. This magnificent little park is gorgeous and has an absolutely fascinating history. Check it out:

Wright Square is a gorgeous park that's a popular site for picnics and relaxation.
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The Spanish moss-draped oak trees make for a beautiful backdrop, and the richly-manicured greenery makes this feel like a sprawling park.
Originally, this was known as Percival Square, but it was renamed in 1763 in honor of James Wright. Wright (pictured below) was the final of Georgia's three royal governors.
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The square is best-known for its monument honoring William Washington Gordon. The politician and businessman was a railroad baron and the father of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts.
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This is actually the only monument in any of Savannah's squares that's dedicated to a native Savannahian.

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In 1883, years after Gordon's death, a monument marking the grave of Yamacraw chief Tomochichi was moved in order to clear space for a monument dedicated to Gordon.
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Nellie Gordon, the daughter-in-law of William Washington Gordon, felt that this was desecration of Tomochichi's grave. She paid to have a new monument erected in the southeast corner of the square dedicated to Tomochichi. The large rock is made of granite from Stone Mountain.
The story of Tomochichi's grave is not the only tidbit from the history of Wright Square. This was also the site of the first gallows in Savannah, where criminals were hanged for their crimes.
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The most famous hanging to take place here was that of Alice Riley. She and her husband were Irish servants who came to Georgia and worked for William Wise, a cattle farmer who was said to be quite cruel and demanding of his workers.

In 1734, Wise was found dead in his home, evidently killed by being drowned in a bucket. Riley and her husband disappeared at the same time the murder was discovered. Between their suspicious absence and general anti-Irish sentiment of the time, they were immediately considered prime suspects.

Riley's husband was hanged for the murder, but by the time Alice's turn came along, it was clear she was pregnant. She was allowed to stay alive long enough to birth the baby, but she, too, was hanged in January 1735, just a few days after baby James was born.
Sadly, little James passed away just a few weeks after his mother. There are still stories today about those walking through Wright Square at night hearing a woman calling for her baby. Could it be the ghost of poor Alice Riley?
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Have you ever heard these stories about Wright Square in Savannah? Do you know of any other fascinating Georgia historical stories? Share yours in the comments!

There are lots of great vacation rental homes in Savannah, and this Wright Square Vrbo is the perfect place to stay if you want to be right in the thick of things!

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