The Savannah post office opened in 1833, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Rogers Cross Roads (1818), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 886 in 18302020 census: 1,632193 years
How historic is Savannah?
B
More historic than 65% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Savannah post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Savannah’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Savannah is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Savannah’s overall grade.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Savannah’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (10% of New York towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Savannah’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1885Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the map
Savannah on the map, 1902 to 1978
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Savannah. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1902Clyde sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Savannah.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Savannah’s post office has been open since 1833. Another post office, Rogers Cross Roads, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Rogers Cross Roads
1818–1825
Savannah
1833–today
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Evans CornerFort HillNoble CornerWiley Corner
Gone or out of use
School Number 11schoolSchool Number 2schoolSchool Number 3schoolSchool Number 4schoolSchool Number 5schoolSchool Number 5schoolSchool Number 6schoolSchool Number 7schoolSchool Number 8schoolSchool Number 9school
Fort Hill, located on the highest land in the town, is a historic native village and was the site of a Jesuit mission in the 17th century, built by the remains of an earlier, "Owasco", village. Like other nearby towns, Savannah was part of the Central New York Military Tract. Settlers arrived in more modern times around 1808, but Savannah is considered to be the last town in the county that was settled.
The Town of Savannah was created from the Town of Galen on February 28, 1825.
come up through Ossabaw Sound and up the Ogeechee to the rear of my army, giving me abundant supplies of all kinds, and more especially of heavy ordnance necessary for the reduction of Savannah. I have already received guns that can cast heavy and destructive shot as far as the heart of your city; also, I have for some days held and controlled every avenue by which the people and garrison of Savannah
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
army a detailed account of what he proposed to do, and following is a portion of it: “ Yesterday I made a demand on General Hardee for the surrender of the city of Savannah, and today received his answer — refusing; copies of both letters are herewith inclosed. You will notice that I claim that my lines are within easy cannon-range of the heart of Savannah ; but General Hardee asserts
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The next day we all had to leave Macon. Whether we were able or not, the order was imperative. Great was my joy when I learned that we were on the way to Savannah and not to Andersonville. We traveled over the same road, so well described in one of your articles on Andersonville, and arrived in Savannah sometime in the afternoon of the 21st day of November, 18G4. Our squad was placed in some barracks and confined there until the next day. I was sick at the time, so
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The whole sickening reality was made apparent by one glance at the guard line. Our parole was a mockery, its only object being to get us to Savannah as easily as possible, and to prevent benefit from our recapture to any of Sherman's Eaiders, who might make a dash for the railroad while we were in transit. There had been no intention of exchanging us. There was no exchange going on at Savannah.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Savannah, 1779 to 1984
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Savannah post office opened in 1833, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Savannah rank for history?
Savannah is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Savannah?
29% of Savannah’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1963.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (8), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1874
1984
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2018
2018