The National Park Service (NPS) has officially listed the Savannah Powder Magazine on the National Register of Historic Places, solidifying its historical significance.

The City-owned structure joins over 80 sites and National Historic Landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places in Chatham County, including Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District.

Located off Ogeechee Road/Hwy. 17, the Savannah Powder Magazine was built in 1898 as the municipally owned powder magazine for the City of Savannah. The approximately 1,700-square-foot, two-room brick building, designed in the Gothic Revival style, was constructed to store explosives at a safe distance from residential areas.

Notable Georgia architects Alfred S. Eichberg and Hyman W. Witcover designed the structure. It is the only known intact design remaining in the City resulting from the architectural partnership between Eichberg and Witcover.

There are several significant structures in Savannah remaining that each architect designed independent of their partnership. Among Witcover’s notable designs is Savannah’s City Hall, the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, and the Bull Street Library. Eichberg designed Telfair Hospital now Telfair Arms Apartments, and the Central of Georgia Railway Company Shop Property now Savannah College of Art and Design’s Eichberg Hall.

The construction of the Savannah Powder Magazine was one of several public works projects undertaken by the City to enhance safety and improve the quality of life for residents during a period of rapid expansion.

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the NPS’s National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of historic sites deemed worthy of preservation. Properties listed on the register may qualify for preservation benefits and incentives.

Ellie Isaacs of Landmark Preservation Consulting worked pro bono alongside the City’s Municipal Archives department to complete the NPS application for the Savannah Powder Magazine.