Kayton/Frazier Area in Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

McKelvey-Powell Building

Photographed by Mike Stroud, September 2008

1. McKelvey-Powell Building Marker

Inscription. The McKelvey-Powell Building was originally constructed in 1926. The building was a hub of African-American business and social life in Savannah during the era of segregation in the first half of the twentieth century. Throughout the 1930s the McKelvey-Powell Building was a popular venue for both local music talent and nationally recognized performers. During World War II the building housed a USO center for black soldiers. Afterward, the West Broad Street YMCA operated in the building until the 1960s. It was later renovated, and dedicated in August 2003 as a community resource center under the guidance of Pastor Bennie R. Mitchell, Jr. and the Connor’s Temple Baptist Church congregation.

Erected 2005 by Georgia Historical Society and Connor's Temple Baptist Church. (Marker Number 25-23.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 32° 4.134′ N, 81° 6.085′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is in the Kayton/Frazier Area. It

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is on West Broad Street / Martin Luther King Jr Boulevar near West Hall Lane. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Savannah GA 31401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Coastal Plain and on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Saint Philip A.M.E. Church (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bynes-Royall Funeral Home (approx. 0.2 miles away); Saint Phillips Monumental A.M.E. Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Dr. Ralph Mark Gilbert (1899-1956) (approx. ¼ mile away); Old Jewish Burial Ground (approx. ¼ mile away); De Lyon - De La Motta Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Francis Bartow (approx. 0.3 miles away); Georgia Historical Society (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Savannah.

McKelvey-Powell Building and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2008

2. McKelvey-Powell Building and Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,186 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 25, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Christopher Busta-Peck was the editor who published this page.