A large iron armillary sphere stands in the center of the square, supported by six small metal turtles.[2] The armillary has been the source of some controversy, as it is one of the few examples of modern sculpture in the squares.[3]
A special dog fountain is located on the west side of the square. The Myers Drinking Fountain was a gift from Savannah mayor Herman Myers in 1897 and was originally placed in Forsyth Park. When moved to Troup Square, its height was adjusted for use by dogs and has become the site of an annual Blessing of the Animals.[4][2]
The Unitarian Universalist Church sits on the western side of the square and is its oldest building, albeit not original to the square: built in 1851, it was moved a 0.33 miles (0.53 km) from Oglethorpe Square nine years later. It is believed that James Lord Pierpont wrote the tune to "Jingle Bells" while he was the church's music director, but other sources claim he only copyrighted it when he was in the role, and that he wrote it in Medford, Massachusetts. The oldest building original to the square is the Lewis Cook Duplex, at 313–315 East Charlton Street, which dates to 1852.
In 1969 Savannah landscape architect Clermont Huger Lee and Mills B. Lane planned and initiated a project to remove the central vandalized playground, close the fire lane, install an armillary sundial, and add new walls, benches, lighting, and plantings.[5]
Each building below is in one of the eight blocks around the square composed of four residential "tything" blocks and four civic ("trust") blocks, now known as the Oglethorpe Plan. They are listed with construction years where known.
Frances Threadcroaft Duplex, 301–307 East Harris Street
Sarah Coombs Property, 309–311 East Harris Street
Parsonage of the Universalist Unitarian Church, 313 East Harris Street
Cohen Row, 312–320 Habersham Street
McDonough Row, 410–424 East Charlton Street
424 East Charlton Street, a bookend of McDonough Row
Mortimer Williams House, 401 East Charlton Street
Dale Row, 405–411 East Charlton Street
George Haslam House, 417 East Charlton Street
Henry Bragdon/Edward Segur Duplex, 419-421 East Charlton Street
Ellen Williams House, 423 East Charlton Street
311 Habersham Street
Troup Trust, 410–424 East Macon Street
Charles Lampe Duplex, 301 & 305 East Charlton Street
Mary Edmundson House, 311 East Charlton Street
Lewis Cook Duplex, 313–315 East Charlton Street
Michael McQuade House, 317 East Charlton Street
John Kenney House, 319 East Charlton Street
Referencesedit
^Official Savannah Guide's Tour Savannah's Squares, accessed June 16, 2007.
^ abCity of Savannah's monuments page This page links directly to numerous short entries, many accompanied by photographs, discussing a variety of monuments, memorials, etc., in the squares and elsewhere. Accessed June 16, 2007.
^Chan Sieg (1984). The squares: an introduction to Savannah. Virginia Beach: Donning.
^Tour Guide Manual for licensed tour guides in the City of Savannah, accessed June 16, 2007.
^Dolder, Ced (Spring 2014). "Clermont Lee, (1914-2006) Pioneering Savannah Landscape Architect" (PDF). Magnolia – Publication of the Southern Garden History Society. XXVII (2): 4. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
^ abcdefghHistoric Building Map: Savannah Historic District – Historic Preservation Department of the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (November 17, 2011), p. 53
^ abcdefgHistoric Building Map: Savannah Historic District – Historic Preservation Department of the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (November 17, 2011), p. 54