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Guyton is a city in Effingham County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,289 people, 665 households, and 527 families residing in the city. Guyton is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located 28 miles (45 km) northwest of that city's center.
While some of the early settlers came from the Savannah area, it seems that most came from North and South Carolina. In 1792 a tract of 250 acres (1.0 km2) of land in the form of a land warrant from Effingham County was issued to Squire Zachariah White. The community became known as "Whitesville". The Squire was not married and left no heir when he died in 1838. White had granted a right-of-way to the new Central of Georgia Railway Co. prior to his death. He was buried on his own land, as was the custom then. His grave is in the rear of the present New Providence Church. Years later, a local controversy was started when some of this community tried to have Squire White's grave moved to the new local cemetery. It was never moved.
Shortly after White's death, the Effingham County Commissioners took over his land for unpaid taxes. They had a survey made, laid off lots and streets just as they still are today, and sold it all at public auction as payment of his taxes. Many lots were bought by affluent Savannah residents as a place for a summer home. At this time, the fever was very bad in Savannah.
When the Central of Georgia Railroad Company, having a charter to build and operate a railroad from Savannah to Macon and on to Marthasville (now Atlanta), laid their track through Whitesville in 1837 or 1838, they referred to this place as Station Number 30. After a short time, locals asked the railroad company to give this place a name so they could request the federal government to place a post office here. Since there was another town in the state named Whitesville, Mr. W. W. Gordon, President of the Central Railroad, named this location "Guyton", after Archibald Guyton, a prominent local citizen. The U. S. Post Office established a post office at Guyton, Georgia, December 31, 1851.
Guyton was an affluent town by the time of the Civil War. During the Civil War, the Confederacy built a hospital in Guyton. There are 26 Confederate soldiers buried in the local cemetery. When General Sherman marched from Atlanta to Savannah on his burn and destroy mission, he came through Guyton with his main body of troops. It took five days for his army to pass through, with some of his troops looting, burning, and stealing. The depot and tracks were destroyed, which could explain why some records of this period are not complete.
In 1887, Guyton was incorporated and issued a town charter by the State of Georgia. The local member of the Georgia Legislature who had the bill introduced and passed was Colonel Clarance Guyton, a grandson of Archibald Guyton.
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