Anna Colquitt Hunter
Colquitt around 1940, during World War II, when she was a Red Cross field director
Born
Anna Habersham Colquitt

January 21, 1892
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
DiedJanuary 28, 1985(1985-01-28) (aged 93)
Tybee Island, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation(s)Preservationist, artist

Anna Habersham Hunter (née Colquitt; January 21, 1892 – January 28, 1985) was an American preservationist, and a founder of the Historic Savannah Foundation in 1955.

Early life

Hunter was a descendant of James Habersham (1712–1775),[1] a pioneering merchant and statesman in the British North American colony of Georgia.[2] She was born in Savannah, Georgia, on January 21, 1892, but also grew up in South Carolina.[3]

She was a graduate of Agnes Scott College, but left to marry George Lewis Cope Hunter, son of James Henry Hunter and Harriet Cope,[4] who was a student of agriculture at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.[3] He was registered as a student in 1908.[5]

George died in 1936, aged 44, leaving his widow with three children to support.[3]

Career

After her husband's death, Hunter began working for the Savannah Morning News and the Savannah Evening Press as a reporter, columnist and editor.[3]

During World War II, she served as a Red Cross field director, serving in North Africa and Italy.[3]

After the war, she performed as a dancer and singer, taking her to New York City in addition to dates in the South.[3]

Historic Savannah Foundation

In 1954, Savannah's popular City Market in Ellis Square was demolished to be replaced by a parking garage, prompting a public outcry.[6] The following year, a funeral home was set to purchase the Isaiah Davenport House in Columbia Square and tear it down for a parking lot.[7] This sparked a movement to start a preservation process in the city.[7]

"What began as an effort to save one house quickly turned into an organized movement that went on to save an entire city." – Historic Savannah Foundation[7]

Hunter formed a group with six of her friends to block the demolition of the house and formed the Historic Savannah Foundation. The group managed to raise the $22,500 needed to purchase the property themselves.[7]

Death

Hunter died on January 28, 1985, aged 93. She is buried with her husband, whom she survived by 49 years, in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery.

References

  1. ↑ James Habersham – Georgia Historical Society
  2. ↑ Grey-White, Deborah (2013). Freedom on My Mind. Boston, MA.: Mary V. Dougherty. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-312-64883-1.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Anna Colquitt Hunter – Georgia Women
  4. ↑ A History of the Glen Family of South Carolina and Georgia – University of Wisconsin-Madison, Books on Demand (1923), p. 65 ISBN 9780608318462
  5. ↑ Announcement: With a Register of Officers & Students – University of Georgia (1908), p. 189
  6. ↑ Savannah Morning News and Evening Press – Clemson University, May 1981
  7. 1 2 3 4 Our Story – mhysf.org
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