FAQs • Savannah, GA • CivicEngage

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Can I come in to do research?: The Municipal Archives is open to the public for research. However, you must arrange a research appointment before coming to the Municipal Archives in City Hall. If you do not have an appointment, we cannot guarantee that staff will be available to assist you. To make a research appointment, please contact the Archivist through
Ask a Question.

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Municipal Archives

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1. Are you the public library?: No. Savannah's public library branches are part of the Live Oak Public Library system. The main public library branch is Bull Street Public Library, located at 2002 Bull Street.

2. Can I come in to do research?: The Municipal Archives is open to the public for research. However, you must arrange a research appointment before coming to the Municipal Archives in City Hall. If you do not have an appointment, we cannot guarantee that staff will be available to assist you. To make a research appointment, please contact the Archivist through
Ask a Question.

3. Can I make a remote reference request?: Yes. Please see Ask a Question.

4. What types of records do you have?: One of the main functions of the Municipal Archives is to preserve the records of the City of Savannah government. Therefore, we maintain archival records of the Savannah City Council and of the City's operating bureaus and departments. We also maintain publications produced by and/or for the City of Savannah. For more information on our collections, please see
Explore the Collections.

5. Do you have records for Chatham County?: No. We maintain the records of the City of Savannah. For records pertaining to the Chatham County government, or property or projects lying in Chatham County but outside of the City of Savannah boundaries, please contact Chatham County at (912) 652-7855. Also see Savannah Area Libraries & Archival Repositories.

6. Do you have genealogy records?: We do not maintain biographical records for Savannahians, unless they had a specific connection to the City of Savannah government (for instance, former mayors, aldermen, or city managers). We do maintain some vital records that are useful for genealogical research, including birth and death registers and cemetery records. For more information on our collections, please see Explore the Collections.

7. Do you have building and property records?: Yes. We maintain records related to City owned buildings and property. We also maintain records of building permits, and some property assessment and tax records that are very useful when conducting property research. For more information on our collections, please see Explore the Collections.