Machen Square East

Machen Square East. . , The Journey Back to Machen Square , In January, 1958, the First National Bank of Brunswick sold its landmark building (left) on Machen Square West to the S.H. Kress Company, and the 64-year-old structure was demolished. The owner of the demolition company hauled the elaborately carved blocks of granite of his home in Brunswick , and used them for erosion control. There, They sat, forgotten, until two young explorers discovered them. Bank photo courtesy Coastal Georgia Historical Society., "Why do our rocks have faces?" , Carol and Alex bought the property in 1994, and raised their family in the home. As their children, Emma and Will (left), played outside, they began to notice the elaborate carvings on the massive granite blocks on the edge of the creek bordering their yard. Their curiosity lead the family to research the origins of the granite. They learned that the carved blocks were pieces of the façade of the former bank building on Machen Square. The family donated the priceless architectural treasures to Signature Squares., Recycling on a Grand Scale , A grant from the Delong-Sweet Foundation enabled Signature Squares to bring landscape architect Jerry Spencer’s vision for a water feature to life in Machen Square East. His plan incorporated the reclaimed bases and capitals as elements in a unique fountain, the center piece for this square., The basis and capitals were removed from the Snyder’s back yard, and holes were drilled through them for water pipes. The bases and capitals were carefully lowered, (lower left) threading the tubing for the fountain through tons of solid rock., The bases and capitals now have a renewed purpose, welcoming visitors to Machen Square with a fountain (below) that celebrates the history of this beautiful city. Photos courtesy of Carol and Alex Snyder and family, pictured above. Fountain photos courtesy of Jerry Spencer., Preservation Leaders , Captain Walter E. “Bud” DeLong, USN Retired. (left) was stationed at Naval Air Station St. Simons from 1945-46, where he served as Administrative ans Executive Officer for the base, In 1998, he and his sister, Wycliffe G. Sweet, founded the DeLong-Sweet Family Foundation to support the arts and historic preservation, along with other worthy causes. Grants from the DeLong-Sweet Family Foundation funded the restoration work for Jekyll Sqaure and Machen Square. Future generations will enjoy these important spaces for many years, thanks to the Foundation's foresight and generosity. Photo courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society., 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.