Very encouraging story today in the Savannah Morning Newspaper. The small coastal community of Pin Point is to be the first designated historic district in unincorporated Chatham County. Pin Point was founded by freed slaves from Ossabaw Island in 1890.
Their history is rich with triumph and perseverance. The newly free citizens established their community along Moon River, and built a thriving seafood business which sustained them financially. They passed the trade down through generations, and many of the residents recall their endless hours of shucking and canning oysters and crab meat with a fond sentimentality. “We were poor, but, when I look at it, we were rich,” says Abraham Famble, a lifelong resident.
The residents of Pin Point have refused to sell their waterfront community for condominium development and commercial business. 68% supported the move to petition for historic status, while only 50% was needed. The Chatham County Historic Preservation Commission gave its recommendation for approval.
The residents observe that the move will likely raise the property value, but that hasn’t deterred them. “Development has made a real imprint on some of the old communities - really destroyed them,” says Sharon Varn, “By preserving Pin Point, future generations can learn how hard their forefathers worked to survive and the struggles they had being dependent on the river.”