September 20, 2024
By: Joey Strength & Logan Lawrence
On May 13, 1791, President George Washington visited Savannah as part of his Southern Tour, and the land where our offices now stand played a significant role in this historic occasion. On that day, President Washington attended a public dinner with members of The Society of the Cincinnati, a group of Revolutionary War officers, followed by an elegant evening ball. This historic event is closely tied to the present-day site of our firm, which was once home to the Filature, a building originally constructed in the 1750s.
The Filature was initially used for silk production during Georgia’s colonial efforts to establish a silk industry. However, by the 1770s, the building had transitioned into a public assembly hall and became a prominent gathering place in Savannah. It was in the Long Room of the Filature that President Washington was introduced to nearly 100 elegantly dressed ladies, many of whom wore sashes and headpieces adorned with emblems in honor of the occasion.
A historical account from that evening provides a vivid picture of the event:
“The room, which had been lately handsomely fitted up, and was well lighted, afforded the President an excellent opportunity of viewing the fair sex of our city and vicinity, and the ladies the gratification of paying their respect to our Federal Chief.”
The evening concluded after a few minutes and a country dance, with President Washington and his suite departing around 11 p.m. The festivities continued into the early morning, with supper served at midnight and dancing lasting until 3 a.m.
President Washington himself noted the occasion in his diary:
“Dined with the Members of the Cincinnati at a public dinner given at the same place and in the evening went to a dancing Assembly at which there were about 100 well dressed & handsome Ladies.”
Though the original Filature building was destroyed by fire in 1859, its legacy is preserved by a historical marker on our current building, placed on our property in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration. The marker reads: “Where colony’s production of silk was reeled until 1771. Building then used for public purposes. President Washington attended a ball here in 1791. Building destroyed by fire in 1859.”
“This is a spot-on and timely reminder of the importance of this site in Georgia and American history, and though many of Savannah’s original buildings are gone, the history that took place here still deeply resonates and reminds us that the footsteps of the past—literally and figuratively—are still everywhere around us,” added Georgia Historical Society Senior Historian Dr. Stan Deaton.
The significance of this site in both Savannah’s colonial history and President Washington’s visit is a symbol of our firm’s deep roots and storied history. Today, while the original structure no longer stands, the legacy of the land serves as a meaningful reminder of its role in early American history and Savannah’s development. This rich heritage continues to shape the story of our firm and the community we serve.
