City of Savannah launches new educational tour series highlighting local history

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The series, titled “Stories in Stone,” is hosted by the city’s Cemeteries Division and Municipal Archives and is designed to highlight Savannah’s rich cultural history while encouraging preservation efforts.

The first tour, “Stories in Stone: A Guided Tour of Laurel Grove South Cemetery,” will take participants through the historic grounds, focusing on the lives and legacies of influential African American citizens laid to rest there.

Led by Cemetery Operations leadership, the two-hour walking tour will also explore ongoing efforts to restore and preserve the site as a cultural landmark.

Tours will take place on April 24 and April 25, with each session beginning at the cemetery’s main entrance on Kollock Street.

A second tour in the series will shift focus to Historical Nicholsonboro Baptist Church, one of the city’s oldest African American congregations.

The experience, titled “Preserving Sacred Spaces,” will guide guests through the church’s historic structures, including an 1870 praise house and an 1890 sanctuary, while highlighting the history of the surrounding Gullah Geechee community.

The church has been recognized by the Historic Savannah Foundation as one of Savannah’s endangered African American landmarks and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

City leaders say the goal of the series is to deepen community appreciation for Savannah’s history and the stories that continue to shape it.

EVENT

Stories in Stone: Laurel Grove South Cemetery Tour

WHEN: April 24 (2–4 PM) and April 25 (12–2 PM)

WHERE: Laurel Grove South Cemetery, 2101 Kollock St., Savannah

RESERVE: citycemeteries@savannahga.gov | 912-651-6843

Preserving Sacred Spaces: Nicholsonboro Baptist Church Tour

WHEN: May 2 (10:30 AM–12 PM)

WHERE: Nicholsonboro Baptist Church, 13319 Old Coffee Bluff Rd., Savannah

RESERVE: Archives@savannahga.gov