Machen Square East

Machen Square East. City of Brunswick. , Machen Square originally called “Machen Place,” is the northernmost of the original colonial squares along Newcastle Street. For the century of the city’s existence, there was little development on either side of Machen Square. In the 1880s, landmark structures were built adjacent to and near Machen Square, and its importance in the city’s history was permanently established., A Dramatic Neighbor , Maritime and industrial prosperity inspired a wave of civic improvement in Brunswick during the 1880s. In 1899, a new red brick and stone Grand Opera House (above) was built on the same as Machen Square. The “castle wall” roofline was as dramatic as the performance inside. A row of shops extended along the theater’s street frontage. Push cart vendors sold ice cream and other treats to theater-goers in Machen Square East during the summer months., In the mid-1920s, the Grand Opera House was sold and transformed into an Art Deco-style movie palace, renamed the Ritz Theater (below).The roof extensions were removed to create a square façade, and a cascading glass sign was installed. When the building fell into disrepair, the City of Brunswick rescued the structure in 1980 and began a long restoration process. Today, the Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association is based at the Ritz Theater, and offers community arts, education and entertainment programs. Photo courtesy of Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association., A Growing Skyline , A 1920s view of downtown Brunswick (below) shows a rapidly expanding , modern city. The Oglethorpe Hotel and the smokestack of its power-generating plant dominate the skyline. The original diagonal walkway through Machen Square East can be clearly seen from above. Photo courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, gly240., Best View in Town , For many years, the “pocket parks” along Newcastle Street served as prime viewing areas for a small-town favorite activity-parades. Through the years, citizens of Brunswick enjoyed watching processions of everything from sailors and W.A.V.E.S. from NAS Glynco (top) to smiling beauty queens pass by Machen Square. Parade photos courtesy of Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association., Total Transformation , In 2011, Signature Squares of Brunswick began the ambitious task of creating a beautiful park in Machen Square East. All previous paving and plant materials were removed and replaced. A unique fountain containing pieces of the reclaimed façade of the National Bank of Brunswick was installed. Authentic rose varieties that were popular in the 19th century were added in the late summer to represent unity of the old and the new in blooming harmony., 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.