Massie Common School
The Massie Common School House is Georgia’s only remaining building from its old chartered public school system. The schoolhouse was built in 1855, and by 1856, it was opened for business. The building boasts a Greek Revival architectural style, a signature of Savannah’s nineteenth-century architecture, and was designed by New York architect John S. Norris.
It all started when Peter Massie, a Scottish planter, had a vision: “For the education of the poor children of Savannah”. Massie was passed down a sum of $5,000 through a will in 1840 and invested the money until it grew enough to build the school. The original structure is composed of just the center portion of the building, and cost the city about $9,000 to build. Later, a west wing was added in 1872, designed by architect John B. Hogg, and in 1886 came the east wing.
In December 1864, the school was closed and converted into a hospital for the federal troops. General William T. Sherman's 60,000 Union soldiers used the school to keep warm in the winter of 1864-65 and broke down the school’s furnace. In the spring of 1865, the school briefly operated as a school for the Freedmen utilizing teachers from the American Missionary Association. However, this only lasted for a few months. The school was reverted to teach whites only, and for years to come thrived under the leadership of its principals. In the 1960s they began admitting black students for the second time in the school’s history. However, after 118 years of service to the public school system, the Massie school was closed due to enrollment issues.
The Massie Common School House was one of the few controversial schools that had both girls and boys in one classroom, even though they were separated on the playground. Today, it stands as the only remaining building for chartered public schools in Georgia. It is situated on East Gordon Street by Calhoun Square, the only square with all its original buildings intact.
After the school closed its doors, it operated as a storage facility for the school system for some time. The Friends of Massie Committee then transitioned the building to what it has become today: the Massie Heritage Centre. For over 40 years, the Massie Heritage Center has focused on educating visitors about Savannah’s rich local history, architecture, city planning, character education, and the history of public schools. They host a yearly event, The May Day Festival, which is a celebration welcoming the spring season. This festival is a long-standing tradition that dates back to the year that the Massie Common School House opened in 1856.
Visitors today can enjoy a wealth of knowledge through the heritage center’s many exhibitions detailing Savannah’s rich history. The exhibitions delve into the topics of architectural history, the Native American history of coastal Georgia, and more. The schoolhouse-turned heritage center pays tribute to many facets of American history and is worth stopping by on your next trip to Savannah.
