Factors Walk – Savannah, GA

The story

The iron-and-brick catwalks connecting Bay Street to River Street, once the nerve center of the world cotton trade. Cotton factors (brokers) worked in the upper offices while warehouses below stored bales for shipping. Now home to restaurants, shops, and inns, with the original cobblestone ramps and iron bridges preserved.

Everything that was here

1920–present · still open
Factors Walkpedestrian walkway
The iron-and-brick catwalks connecting Bay Street to River Street, once the nerve center of the world cotton trade. Cotton factors (brokers) worked in the upper offices while warehouses below stored bales for shipping.…
See the map in 1921 →
1908–1933
Prohibition Bootlegging Tunnel NetworkSmuggling Infrastructure
During Prohibition, the interconnected cellars beneath Bay Street's cotton warehouses became Savannah's primary bootlegging corridor. Bootleggers transported illegal liquor from boats on the river through the tunnel…
See the map in 1909 →
1820–1920
Cotton Factors' Offices & WarehousesCommercial District
Named for the "factors" (brokers) who negotiated cotton sales between plantation owners and buyers. The multi-level brick buildings connected Bay Street to River Street via iron walkways and stone steps. Factors…
See the map in 1821 →