Queen Square

Queen Square. Northwest Quadrant. , Queen Square was named by colonial era founders of the city to honor the ruling queens of England. It was the most commercialized of the 14 original city squares., Parks vs Prosperity , By the 1870s, the railroads, booming forest products business and activity at the Port of Brunswick brought new wealth to the city. Along with it came the need for more public and private business buildings., Although Brunswick’s original charter forbade the sale or commercial use of city’s squares, a market house was built in the northwest quadrant of Queen Square in 1857. By the 1870s, a number were approved to build a variety of structures, including a coffee house and greengrocer, around the market., Citizens protested encroachment of the public parks to no avail. Permits were issued with the warning that if the land was later needed for public use, the leases would be terminated and the owners would forfeit the buildings. In 1872, the city discovered that all current leases would had been negotiated improperly, and no further permits were issued for a time., In the following years, lots in this quadrant of Queen Square were sold and resold. A planned federal building and an opera house never materialized. Construction of a new city market structure was begun, but the project ran out of funds in the economic downturn of 1892., A rare snowstorm blanketed the building’s unfinished arches. Eventually, all buildings were removed and the northern half of Queen Square reverted to park space. The only additions to the square after 1900 were memorials to inspiring leaders and beautiful trees planted by local civic groups. , Parade Watching , After the removal of buildings from the area, it became the ideal place to a passing circus parade. The exciting spectacle would have been the first, and possibly only, time that many Brunswick would have seen a live elephant., Columbia Downing, Jr: Talented Leader , Columbia Downing Jr. arrived in Brunswick in 1891 at age 36 and made a lasting impact on the city. His talent, confidence and enthusiasm led the way to great financial success that he generously shared with the community. Downing’s holdings included a large naval stores operation, grocery wholesale and provisions and a barrel-making factory. He served as a city Alderman, an organizer of the First National Bank of Brunswick, and a director of the of the Oglethorpe Hotel Company. In 1926, the Downing Memorial Association placed a permanent marker in Queen Square to honor his contributions to the city. Images of Downing Company employees and docks courtesy of Georgia Archives. Vanishing Georgia Collection, GLY 223 and 224., In 1771, the city of Brunswick. Georgia was laid out according to "the Oglethorpe Plan," named after the colony's founder. General James Edward Oglethorpe. The design featured a grid of 14 large and small squares. The intention of the plan was to create permanent, park-like common areas throughout the city. The squares still bear their original names, which reveal Brunswick's strong historic ties to England., Signature Squares of Brunswick, a non-profit organization founded to restore and preserve the parks and squares within the historic district of Brunswick, gratefully acknowledges the research contributions of Mia Knight Nichols and the support of the City of Brunswick: Delong-Sweet Foundation: The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc., Magnolia Garden Club; Jekyll Island Authority; Friends of Coastal Georgia History: Downtown Development Authority; Plum Creek Foundation; Jerry Spencer, ASLA, Landscape Architect.