W. B. Hodgson Hall in Savannah

W. B. Hodgson Hall stands with regal elegance on Whitaker Street 501, a testament to the generosity of Margaret Telfair Hodgson and her sister Mary. Constructed in 1876 by Detlef Lienau, the designer of the American Institute of Architects, it now serves as the Georgia Historical Society's Research Center.

The building was a gift of Margaret Telfair Hodgson and her sister, Mary Telfair, as a memorial to Margaret's husband, William Brown Hodgson (1801–1871). Hodgson was a prominent Savannah citizen, American diplomat, and scholar of the Middle East. He died on June 26, 1871, while on a visit to New York City.

Hodgson was a member of the Georgia Historical Society and served as one of its curators for 25 years. He is buried in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery. Although he arranged with and paid William H. Wiltberger for burial in lot 13 of section D, he was interred in lot 19 of the same section. The family of Noble Jones, including his son Noble Wimberly Jones, occupies lot 13.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons