Visit the scenic and amazing Monterey Square in Savannah Georgia.
In 1847, the Irish Jasper Greens, a Savannah military group, returned from the Mexican war and this name (Monterey) was given to honor one of the battles in that war.
All of the buildings on this square except one (United Way building) are original to the square.
This beautiful square is surrounded by tons of beautiful buildings. It is definitely a sight to see.
The Pulaski Monument in Monterey Square
The Pulaski Monument is in the center of Monterey Square.
General Count Casimir Pulaski was memorialized for his loyalty to the cause of liberty during the American Revolutionary War. Pulaski, who was born in Lithuania, began his military career by rebelling against Stanislaw II, the last King of Poland. Having been condemned to death for his actions in Poland, he escaped and made his way to Paris. In Paris he was recruited by Benjamin Franklin to join the American cause for liberty. After arriving in America in July 1777, Pulaski was commissioned a brigadier-general. Before organizing his ow legion in Maryland, he fought with General Washington in Brandywine and Germantown.
General Pulaski was mortally wounded on the 9th of October 1779 while fighting with the Pulaski Legion in the Siege of Savannah. In testimony to Pulaski's loyalty, John Stevens (1825) writes "...the brave Pulaski who despairing of the cause of liberty in his own country had...sacrificied his life while contending for the freedom of ours... ."
The Italian marble monument is approximately fifty-five feet tall. The shaft is surmounted by an elaborate Corinthian cap, above which stands a statue of Liberty, with the American flag in her left hand and the laurel wreath in her right. The shaft is divided into several parts, separated by bands ornamented with stars, emblems of the states and territories. "The garlands on the alternate bands above the stars, denote that they (the States) are green and flourishing". On one panel of the die is a soldier, wounded in battle and falling from his horse. The date of the event is inscribed above. The arms of Poland and the state of Georgia, surrounded by branches of laurel, decorate the cornice on two sides. The eagle, symbol of liberty, independence and courage, rests on the arms of both. Inverted cannon, symbol of military loss and mourning are on the corners of the die.
The obelisk in Johnson Square was left uninscribed until 1886. Until 1852 it served as a monument for both Nathanael Greene and Casimir Pulaski, both Revolutionary War heroes. The cornerstone for the proposed Pulaski monument had been laid in Chippewa Square by Lafayette, during his historic tour of the United States in 1824-5. By 1852, enough additional money had been earned by the lottery to erect a high-style monument to Pulaski.
The two surviving Commissioners, William Bowen and William Robertson, asked the state legislature to appoint Dr. Richard D. Arnold to serve with them for the purpose of choosing a sculptor and design for the Pulaski monument. They left it to the sculptor, Launitz, to choose a site, and he chose Monterey Square.
In 1912 the Park & Tree Commission noted that the Pulaski monument was in need of some unspecified repairs and again in the 1960's. In 1990 some of the ornamentation from the top of the shaft fell off due to deterioration. The monument had numerous cracks and patched places.
On October 11, 1958, the anniversary of Pulaski's death, the first annual pilgrimage of Polish Americans to Savannah took place. The Pulaski Society performed honors at the monument in 1986.
In 2001 the Pulaski Monument Restoration was completed.
Temple Mickve Israel is here with its museum which is open to the public.
On the Southwest corner, at 3 W. Gordon, is the Noble Hardee House, completed in 1869 as a double house but later converted into a single dwelling. Also on this square is the Mercer-Wilder House and the 1857 built Oglethorpe Club building.
The Pulaski Monument is in the center of Monterey Square.
The obelisk in Johnson Square was left uninscribed until 1886. Until 1852 it served as a monument for both Nathanael Greene and Casimir Pulaski, both Revolutionary War heroes. The cornerstone for the proposed Pulaski monument had been laid in Chippewa Square by Lafayette, during his historic tour of the United States in 1824-5. By 1852, enough additional money had been earned by the lottery to erect a high-style monument to Pulaski. 
On October 11, 1958, the anniversary of Pulaski's death, the first annual pilgrimage of Polish Americans to Savannah took place. The Pulaski Society performed honors at the monument in 1986.