Machen Square Renovation

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Machen Square West Renovation

Another local family, Rich and Martha Armstrong, kindly donated pink marble floor tiles from the venerable Oglethorpe Hotel, built in 1889 on the adjacent block, and demolished in 1958. Machen Square West now plays host to the memory of the lost Victorian masterpiece by featuring an installation of these lovely tiles, engraved with the names of benefactors of Signature Squares and their work to beautify the city.

Machen Square West, designed by landscape architect Jerry Spencer, ASLA, features a green oasis with a cruciform brick walkway, lined with palms and flowering plants. Where there once was an empty lot overwhelmed with unkempt trees and no seating, a verdant park now offers a place to relax and enjoy the bounties of a Coastal Georgia garden.

Signature Squares of Brunswick, a non-profit organization founded to restore and preserve the parks and squares within the historic district of Brunswick, gratefully acknowledges the support of City of Brunswick, the DeLong-Sweet Foundation, Friends of Coastal Georgia History, Jekyll Island Authority, Katharine Armstrong Clark, Richard and Martha Armstrong, and Jerry Spencer, ASLA, Landscape Architect, in preserving the history of Machen Square West.

MACHEN SQUARE WEST HISTORY

Machen Square East Renovation

Machen Square holds the unique distinction of hosting the return of architectural elements from two lost 19th century landmark buildings. Stonework salvaged from the National Bank of Brunswick, which once stood on Machen Square’s west side, was discovered on the property of the Alex and Carol Snyder family of Brunswick, who donated these granite treasures back to the city. These photos show the journey back for the stone artifacts, from a creek bank in the northern part of the county, to the new park and garden at Machen Square East.

Signature Squares of Brunswick, a non-profit organization founded to restore and preserve the parks and squares within the historic district of Brunswick, gratefully acknowledges the support of City of Brunswick, the DeLong-Sweet Foundation, Friends of Coastal Georgia History, Jekyll Island Authority, Alex & Carol Snyder and Jerry Spencer, ASLA, Landscape Architect, in preserving the history of Machen Square East.