Savannah Waterfront

The colony of Georgia began on Savannah's waterfront in 1733. The riverfront has always played an important role in Georgia, whether as colonial port, exporter of cotton, or tourist destination. The first commercial house below the bluff opened in 1744. Cotton dominated Savannah's exports throughout the nineteenth century. Construction began in the early 1800s for the multi-storied warehouses and "Factor's Walk," named for the cotton brokers whose offices were in the upper floors. River Street was created in 1834 and cobbled with ballast stones. The last cotton office on the waterfront closed in 1956. River Street's revitalization began in 1977.