10/09/2026
We recently recovered the plaster maquettes from the attic at the old SCCPSS headquarters at 208 Bull Street. Famous Savannah sculptor John Walz used these as small-scale “mock-ups,” or prototypes to help him envision the much larger statues that front the building’s portico on the Oglethorpe Street side. Maquettes were an instrumental part in the sculptor’s design and planning process. This building, designed by Henry Urban, was built in 1901 to replace the old Chatham Academy that burned down in 1899. The maquettes have been in the attic since 1901. They have been successfully transferred to Savannah Technical College where Historic Preservation Department Director and students will work on repairing and restoring these antiques.
One depicts Demeter, Greek Goddess of Fertility and Abundance, and the other is Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom. They inspired the larger completed statues on top of the building that show Demeter holding a cornucopia of fruit (symbolizing fruitful) as she stares across at Athena, deep in thought, holding a pen and studying her tablet.
