Independent Presbyterian Church, Savannah

Savannah's Independent Presbyterian Church is called the mother church of all of Georgia's Presbyterians. The church, organized in 1755, was originally housed in a building on land granted by King George II. According to his plan, it would be a house of worship that followed the Doctrine of the Church of Scotland.

One of the church's original buildings was destroyed by fire in 1790, after being used as a magazine and stable by the British during the American Revolution. In 1800, its new building was damaged by a hurricane, and required extensive renovation. The church remained in this building until 1816, when the congregation had outgrown it. Architect John Holden Greene was hired to design and build the new, English restoration style building. It featured Federal windows, Corinthian columns, an elevated pulpit, and soft, natural light. Unfortunately, this original building doesn't survive today- it was completely destroyed by a fire in 1889, replaced with an exact replica of Greene's design by architect William G. Preston, and rededicated in 1891. Today, the church's interior reflects its historic design- some pieces of the interior, like the marble baptismal font, even managed to survive the fire and are still in use.