Discover the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah Georgia
Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1839, the Georgia Historical Society is the private, non-profit historical society for the state of Georgia. Stay & Play in GA!
The oldest cultural institution in the state, and one of the oldest historical societies in the country, GHS fulfills its mission to collect, preserve and share Georgia’s history by presenting a variety of educational programs, authoring publications on Georgia and southern history, and by operating a library and archives at its headquarters, Hodgson Hall, a National Historic Landmark building in Savannah Georgia.
GHS is member-supported, has active, mutually beneficial relationship s with dozens of local historical society affiliates across Georgia, and in recent years has become a recognized resource for national scholastic and media organizations.
Library and Archives
The Georgia Historical Society's library and archives is a preeminent research center for American and Georgia history. The library and archives house the oldest and one of the most outstanding collections of manuscripts, books, maps, photographs, architectural drawings, portraits, and artifacts related to Georgia and its role in American history.
Each year thousands of researchers from around the world travel to the Georgia Historical Society to discover our state's and nation's past. Please see our list of examples of published works using the Georgia Historical Society's collection.
Within the library and archives is preserved an unparalleled collection of Georgia history, including more than 4 million manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, 30,000 architectural drawings, 15,000 rare and non-rare books, and thousands of maps, portraits, and artifacts. The Georgia Historical Society's vast collection includes such treasures as an original draft of the U.S. Constitution, one of only a handful in existence; a compass and snuff box belonging to Georgia founder James Oglethorpe; records related to the Cherokee Removal and Trail of Tears of 1836; and the correspondence of national figures such as U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low.
The manuscript collection includes family papers, military records of every Georgia war, the papers of Georgia's major political leaders, colonial account books, diaries, plantation records, papers of social and cultural organizations, and business records ranging from the 18th through the 20th century.
The periodical collection dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the visual material collection is made up of an impressive collection of photographs and other images including portraits of many of Georgia's most prominent leaders. A cased image from the Georgia Historical Society Photograph collection.
The Georgia Historical Society also serves as the branch repository for the Secretary of State's Office.
Amenities: Parking, Public Restrooms and Accessibility for mobility-impaired.
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