Hanover Square

Hanover Square. . , An Ornament for the City , Despite its Colonial pedigree, Brunswick appears as a classic Victorian town. Many landmarks were built in the late 19th century, a period of emerging prosperity and civic pride. In 1884, the local newspaper praised the Ladies Park Association for its work to make Hanover Square "an ornament for the city." In 2006, Signature Squares of Brunswick, in partnership with the City of Brunswick, restored Hanover Square, incorporating design elements and plant selections used in the 1880s-1890s, the city's first golden era. , Authentic Pathways , Hanover Square's dangerously worn, broken brick walkways were excavated and replaced. The slightly arched, "crowned" profile allows drainage. Only the border courses at the end of the paths are set into concrete. The rest of the bricks are set directly on the soil as they were in the 19th century. , "Please Shut Out the Hogs!" , At the onset of Ladies Park Association's massive project to beautify Hanover Square in 1882, livestock roamed freely on the streets of Brunswick. The ladies persuaded the city to put up fencing that would protect the new gardens from hungry cattle, hogs and horses. , A decorative iron fence surrounded the square until 1951. Sections of the original fence panels have been restored and returned to adorn the perimeter of the square. Nature displayed its dominance over the plans of humans on the western side of the park, where a red cedar tree "claimed" a section of fencing. , The Center of the Square , Restoration of Hanover Square's fountain began with the removal of a 14-foot-wide iron basin, then taking the entire structure down to the bare soil. A steel-reinforced poured concrete base structure came next. Stucco exterior walls re-created the original 1884 appearance of the fountain. A new cast iron fountain head was installed in time for the debut of the renovated square on July 4, 2006. , A History in Flowers , Plants for the renovated garden were carefully selected to reflect the square's original 19th century esthetics. Numerous palms, along with the massive live oaks, create an atmosphere that is both historic and uniquely local. , Victorians loved showy plants with unusual shapes, like crinum lilies, which were used in the first beds surrounding the fountain in the 1880s. , Roses have bloomed in Hanover Square for over a century. The current garden features a collection of 31 hardy antique roses. The photos were taken in Hanover Square at the peak of blooming season for each variety. Each rose is identified with its name and the date the variety made its horticultural debut. , Signature Squares of Brunswick, Inc. is a non-profit organization established in 2005 under the leadership of co-founder and Executive Director Julie Hunter Martin to restore and preserve the parks and squares within the Historic District of Brunswick. Signature Squares gratefully acknowledges the support of the following in preserving the history of Hanover Square: City of Brunswick; Friends of Coastal Georgia History; Jekyll Island Authority; The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. and Garden Clubs of Glynn County for financial and in-kind contributions; Jerry Spencer, ASLA, Landscape Architect; and Mia Knight Nichols for research support..