Historic District - South in Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Louis B. Toomer: Founder of Carver State Bank
Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 6, 2018
1. Louis B. Toomer: Founder of Carver State Bank Marker
Louis Burke Toomer, African-American leader, local bank founder, and realtor, was born in Savannah in 1897. Raised and educated locally, Toomer established the Georgia Savings and Realty Corporation on February 23, 1927, in the historic black business district on West Broad Street. During segregation, the company provided banking, investment, and insurance services for blacks who were not always allowed access to white banking establishments. In 1947, the name of the corporation changed to The Carver Savings Bank, and it was converted to a state-supervised savings bank. It became The Carver State Bank in 1962. A staunch Republican who served as a delegate at three GOP conventions, Toomer was appointed Register of the Treasury (1953-1956) by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Toomer died in 1961 and a bronze sundial was erected in his honor in 1964 in Chatham Square.
Erected 2018 by Georgia Historical Society and Carver State Bank. (Marker Number 25-60.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Government & Politics • Industry & Commerce. In addition,
this page online
Location. 32° 4.321′ N, 81° 5.814′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is in the Historic District - South. It can be reached from the intersection of Barnard Street and West Taylor Street, on the left when traveling north. Located in the middle of Chatham Square. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Barnard Street, 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
Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 6, 2018
2. View of marker looking northeast towards West Taylor Street.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Armstrong Junior College (was about 800 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . Carver State Bank history with photo of Louis B. Toomer. (Submitted on December 6, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 6, 2018
3. View of marker looking west into Chatham Square.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 932 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 6, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
