Cuyler-Brownsville, one of the most historic neighborhoods in Savannah, Georgia, began when newly freed slaves migrated from farms and barrier islands into the city after the Civil War. Known for its rich history and character, the Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood, with its row houses and Victorian single-family homes, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Among the buildings in the Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood are Mercy Housing Southeast’s Heritage Place and Heritage Corner & Row Apartments. Once home to the Charity Hospital and the Florance Street School, the affordable housing community was redeveloped after the City of Savannah asked Mercy Housing Southeast to renovate the hospital and school.

With help from the City of Savannah’s Urban Redevelopment Plan and Mercy Community Capital Mercy Housing Southeast preserved these historic buildings and created a new affordable housing community.

Now, a new phase begins. This summer, a significant renovation of Heritage Place is underway. Funded in part by a grant from the Georgia Office of Policy and Budget and the American Rescue Plan, the affordable apartments at Charity Hospital and the Florance Street School, as well as some adjacent buildings, will be thoroughly updated with energy-efficient lighting, windows, appliances, and fixtures to provide residents with more affordable utility costs and better indoor air quality and comfort, while maintaining the historic features of the buildings.

Charity Hospital

Heritage Place and Heritage Corner & Row Apartments opened their doors in 2015 and stand on the grounds of two of Savannah’s most storied buildings – Charity Hospital and the Florance Street School. Both were instrumental in addressing the inequities facing African Americans living in Savannah under Jim Crow segregation.

As one of the city’s most important institutional buildings, Charity Hospital was established in 1893 as the McKane Training School for Nurses. Three years later it became a hospital for women and children and in 1931, following a move to a new two-story building, the hospital trustees renamed it Charity Hospital. It was the first hospital in Savannah to train African American nurses and doctors.

Florance Street School

Built as a direct result of efforts by Savannah’s African American community in 1928 to remedy the inequities in segregated schools, Florance Street School was one of the first modern public schools in this southern city for African American children. These efforts brought about a 300% increase in state expenditures for black schools. Florance Street School was desegregated in 1971 and remained an elementary school until 1987. Following its closing, the building remained vacant until 2000.

Mercy Housing Southeast is proud of our role in preserving these important buildings while creating affordable homes for the community.