Critical Point 3:
Historic Savannah Foundation (1955) and Savannah’s renaissance:
After its retrieval from the ravages of the war, Savannah rebounded as a thriving community not only in economy but also in terms of aesthetics and culture. The very first step towards the city’s success as a historic beauty was the formation of Historic Savannah Foundation in 1955. The demolition of the 1870 Italianate City Market and attempted demolition of the 1821 Federal-style Davenport House stimulated a group of concerned women who initiated the preservation of historic buildings and eventually formed the foundation. The war left several consequences, like demolition of distinguished buildings to create parking lots, that were hard to recover from and the foundation firmly had to take several steps to restore Savannah’s lost beauty. As no local zoning laws existed to protect historic structures, the foundation developed a comprehensive strategy to promote preservation through private-sector involvement. Financed primarily though membership, private donations, grants, and income from special events and publications, the foundation was able to successfully save more than thirty five hundred buildings in Savannah's historic neighborhoods in its first half-century. The triumph of the foundation ultimately was ascertained by the designation of Savannah's Historic District was as a National Historic Landmark in 1966 making it one of the largest historic landmarks in the country. Currently Savannah exists primarily on its tourism business that drew almost fifty million people in the last decade and continued to attract people around the globe through its elegant architecture, ornate ironwork, fountains and green squares.