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 |
| Died | January 28, 1985 (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.
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]
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]
|
Main article: 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]
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.