Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), which is currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, will host a panel discussion on “The Restoration of City Hall” as part of the 2025 Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series, “The People, Places and Stories That Define Savannah.” The discussion will take place on Thursday, May 15 at the HSF headquarters, located at 321 E. York St. Attendees are invited to attend a wine reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by the panel discussion at 6 p.m.

Featured panelists will include Rebecca Fenwick, Principal at Ethos Preservation; Raeb Moore, Superintendent at Garbutt Construction; Joe Smith, Founding Principal and Architect with Architectural Collaborative; and Luciana Spracher, Director of Municipal Archives for the City of Savannah.

In honor of National Preservation Month in May, this esteemed panel of local experts will discuss how Savannah’s iconic City Hall building, located at 2 East Bay St., is currently being restored to its former glory and adapting to the needs of its citizens. The panelists will share the challenges of taking on a project of this scale while the building is occupied and reveal details about the new exhibition and public gathering spaces being added to City Hall.

Originally designed by famed architect Hyman Witcover between 1904 and 1906, this restoration project marks the first major interior renovation of City Hall since it was built over a century ago. The project, which is nearing the end of Phase 1, currently focuses on the first two floors of the building’s west wing, including the City Council chambers and City of Savannah archives. The goal of this extensive restoration project is to strike a balance between upgrading the building to suit modern needs while retaining and restoring the building’s architectural integrity.

Historic Savannah Foundation’s 2025 Lecture Series is open to the public. Reservations are recommended, as space is limited. Attendance is free for Historic Savannah Foundation members and $15 for non-members. Members may RSVP by emailing Kendall Graham at [email protected] or calling 912-233-7787, ext. 109. Non-members may purchase tickets by visiting myhsf.org/events/lecture-series