Meet The Red Lion

Savannah is home to many structures that are well over 100 years old.  One of these is the Old Savannah Cotton Exchange.  The Cotton Exchange, constructed in 1889, was the center of Savannah commerce during a time when cotton was king.  Over two million bales of cotton were shipped through the Savannah port each year.  The building was (and still  is) unique in its Romanesque architectural style.  The Exchange was designed by Boston architect, William Gibbons Preston (1844-1910), and is one of the few structures in the world erected over an existing public street, Factor’s Walk.

Perhaps equally well known is The Red Lion, a beautiful red terra cotta winged lion fountain that sits in front of the Cotton Exchange building on Bay Street.  The seated lion continues to overlook the city’s downtown commerce.  It is around 52 inches high and is inset in the north end of the fountain’s base.  A single stream of water flows from its mouth.  The entire collection pool is surrounded by an ornamental fence containing silhouettes of famous statesmen and authors.  The Red Lion is as memorable as the Exchange itself and is one of the most photographed iconic images of Savannah.