Wagner Heights, Bounded by Wheaton & Adair Streets, Hillcrest & Catholic Cemeteries, Savannah

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2276. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Wagner Heights neighborhood is bounded by Wheaton Street on the south, Hillcrest Cemetery on the north, Adair Street on the west and the Catholic Cemetery on the east in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. USGS Savannah Quadrangle, Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates general for the area: Zone 17, Northing Easting

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2276. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE WAGNER HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD The Wagner Heights neighborhood is located in Savannah, Georgia. The neighborhood is located on former agricultural lands, sopth of the Savannah River and east of the original town of Savannah: The area, located on a slight knoll thirty feet above sea level, is primarily flat and sparsely vegetated. The area north of the neighborhood is occupied by Hillcrest Cemetery, and vacant marshy fields formerly cultivated. Historic and modern residential and commercial development lie south of the neighborhood on Wheaton Street.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2276. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WAGNER HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD The individual historic residences within the Wagner Heights neighborhood are examples of historic architectural resources found in early twentieth century residential neighborhoods in Savannah and other urban areas in the United States. Piecemeal residential development occurred in other areas within Savannah and typifies modern subdivision development. The resources within these neighborhoods represent disparate time periods and styles and are not unified by a common developer, contractor or ~rtisan. This type of development followed in the wake of the early planned suburbs emerging in U.S. cities (c.

until World War I) which focused on urban housing in pastoral or park- like setting, largely for the emerging middle-class urban homeowner. In areas similar to Wagner Heights, developers subdivided housing lots and built homes close together, creating irregular housing patterns with a mixture of old and newer housing styles, often geared towards working class buyers. The Wagner Heights neighborhood typifies this type of growth and exhibits varied housing styles, lot sizes and changing class status. The Wagner Heights residences are examples of early twentieth century residential architecture in Savannah, spanning the period to The Wagner Heights neighborhood is situated on land originally owned by the Wagner and Mastick families, who presumably operated plantations.

The George Wagner's Sons Company operated a greenhouse operation in the area of Henrietta Street within the current neighborhood as late as In Carl Mendel of Mendel Real Estate Company requested a survey of the property located north of Thunderbolt Road (currently Wheaton Street) and south of the Hillcrest Cemetery. This survey subsequently subdivided the majority of the property into uniform housing lots measuring thirty feet by one hundred feet. The original streets, Wagner, Mastick, Adair, WAGNER HEIGHTS HABS No. GA-2276 (page 3) Helmken, and Henrietta incorporated the names of the original property owners and their heirs. The street layout did not include Richardson Street, the only east-west cross street within the neighborhood.

The Mendel Real Estate Company held extensive real estate property in Savannah in the early twentieth century, including several emerging residential subdivisions. By City Investment Company of Savannah and other individuals began street improvements, lighting, laying sewer lines, and presumably constructing houses within the neighborhood. The City Investment Company primarily owned property on the east side of the neighborhood at this time. Housing styles vary greatly in the Wagner_ Heights neighborhood in period, craftsmanship, and integrity, pointing to the fluctuating pattern of growth within the neighborhood. The Mendel Real Estate Company subdivided and sold several lots beginning in to Harry Gunther. By five identical houses were constructed on those lots.

It is likely that the subsequent development of the area followed this pattern.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2276. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WAGNER HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD Six streets comprise the Wagner Heights neighborhood; five run in a north-south direction and one bisects these about midway in an east-west direction. House styles and types vary within the subdivision, ranging from two story American Foursquares to bungalows with and without Craftsman features. The houses are situated on small lots which are fronted with sidewalks. Landscaping includes mature hardwoods as well as foundation shrubbery. PART IV: SOURCES OF INFORMATION Chatham County Land and Tax Records. On file in the Chatham County Courthouse, Savannah, Georgia. PART V:

Project Information

Historic American Buildings Survey documentation completed as a mitigation stipulated in the Section 106 documentation for Georgia Department of Transportation Project Chatham County; P.I. No. (the proposed Harry S Truman Parkway) . Prepared by: Gail Anne D'Avino WAGNER HEIGHTS HABS No. GA-2276 (page 4) Title: Transportation Planner II Affiliation: Georgia Department of Transportation Office of Environment and Location Aviation Circle Atlanta, Georgia Date: August