While I was in Savannah, I stummbled across a protest at city hall. The group was dressed in traditional garb and holding signs of protest reading "Save Weeping Time". I was curious about this when I did my own research. Weeping time is not a building or anything that is really visible history, yet it has a real interesting story.
Weeping Time was the largest slave auction sight in the United States of America. The auction was for two days and it rained for two days, which is one of the many reasons for the name. The other reason for the name is the number of slaves. The number is heartbreaking and it is a big part of the history and the fight to remember Weeping Time, 429 men, women, and children were sold into slavery at this location.
If you plan to visit Savannah the only thing that will indicate this location is a monument marker and its in danger. Originally sharing the land with the Housing Authority of Savannah the marker stood reminding all of this historical event. However, HAS sold the property to the Salvation Army who wants the land cleared including marker to build a homeless shelter. The Salvation Army needed special permission to put a building on this land as this was archaelogical property. The City of Savannah approved the process even though it was in Phase one of archelogical preservation.
The Weeping Time Coalition is in desperate straights trying to protect this from being destroyed. The Weeping Time Coalition has filed lawsuit against the city of Savannah and we are all hoping that this monument is not demolished. People need to remember.
