OH, SAVANNAH! It took but a day to fall in love with you as you simply exude charm with every historic home, centuries-old stone roads and inviting neighborhood squares. While it is nearly impossible to take in all this city offers in the ten days I had, I tried, in spite of losing several days to rain.
Savannah (on the coast of Georgia, the last of the 13 colonies) claims James Edward Oglethorpe as the city’s designer. Laid out in a grid fashion with 22 squares throughout the town dedicated to public use (in green, on map below). Savannah is considered the first planned city in the United States and I found it a very walkable town with the historic portion about one mile long by one mile wide. After taking my self-imposed prerequisite, 1-1/2 hour Old Town Trolley, I determined my route of discovery. Trusty tourist map with homes and squares checked that I wanted to explore in hand and off I went to discover Savannah.
Chippewa Square is a great example of one of Savannah’s inviting public squares and is home to the Oglethorpe statue. When founded in 1733, the city had four prohibitions: No alcohol, No lawyers, No Catholics (it was felt they would favor the Spaniards who were always floating nearby) and No slaves. Unfortunately, the fourth prohibition lasted but a short time. By 1743, early settlers in Savannah grew tired of Oglethorpe and sent him packing back to England. This same year his ban on slavery was rescinded and it wasn’t until 1798 when Georgia outlawed the importation of enslaved people. I’m not clear on the other three prohibitions but overtime, they all left town. Interesting to note, Oglethorpe never returned to Savannah, the city he so beautifully created.
Interesting people have called Savannah home over time including Juliette Gordon Low, born in 1860 in a home on Lafayette Square. In 1912, Low founded the Girl Scouts in Savannah. Our comic trolley driver played the Girl Scout Oath which brought a smile to several faces.
Antique dealer, Jim Williams, resided in the Mercer House when murder was committed. This event played out in the 1997 film, In the Garden of Good and Evil. Today, the Mercer House is one of several beautiful abodes available for tour. And of course, Life IS like a box of chocolates, right! Much of the film, Forest Gump, was filmed in Savannah and today Gump’s bus stop bench resides in the Savannah History Museum.
While he wasn’t a welcomed guest nor long-time resident, Union General William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea ended with Sherman gifting President Lincoln the city of Savannah for Christmas in 1864. Less than four months later, the Civil War would come to an end.
Heading to Savannah? Put on your walking shoes and get ready for some history and southern hospitality. I found this town to be very warm, welcoming and worthy of leaving a bit of your heart behind.
Camp Dawg 