Filed under BnB / Inns, Parks / Squares, Photos, Savannah by Mike
Books on German Immigration
Orleans Square, on Barnard Street, might as well be called Parking Lot Square. Sadly, it’s one of Savannah’s squares most negatively impacted by the thoughtless development boom of the mid-20th century.
The square itself is quite charming, with a large central fountain dedicated to the German immigrants to Savannah that was installed on the 250th anniversary of the founding of Georgia. But once you take your eyes off the ground and look around the square, the charm vanishes. The biggest blight is the Civic Center, whose backside and rear parking area mars the western end of Orleans Square. Five of the eight lots which surround Orleans are dedicated to parking. Another is occupied by SCAD’s gym.
Luckily, the houses which do survive on Orleans are beautiful, particularly the Harper Fowlkes House on 230 Barnard. Built in 1842 in the Greek Revival style, this house is occasionally open for tours and also serves as the Georgia headquarters for the Society of the Cincinnati. Another noteworthy home on Orleans is the Stephen Williams House, constructed in 1834 in the Federal style. It’s currently an inn with individually designed rooms.
Location on our Savannah Map
Harper Fowlkes House
Stephen Williams House Inn
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January 24, 2011 at 3:10 pm Comments (5)
Filed under BnB / Inns, Parks / Squares, Photos by Mike
$75 Off – BedandBreakfast.com Holiday Travel Deals
Lafayette Square, on the intersection of Abercorn and Macon, is named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette. That fancy French aristocrat was a major Revolutionary War hero who made a big splash in Savannah with a speech delivered from the balcony of the Owens Thomas House.
Surrounding the square are a number of interesting buildings, including 1873′s Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the biggest Catholic church in the region. The Cathedral’s proximity means Lafayette Square is subject to the madness which grips Savannah during St. Patrick’s Day. The water in the square’s fountain, built in memory of Georgia’s 250th anniversary, is dyed green.
On the western side of the square is the Andrew Low House. Andrew’s feisty daughter-in-law Juliette would found the Girl Scouts in this property’s carriage house, unwittingly releasing the horror of Thin Mints on future generations. Directly across the square we find the Hamilton-Turner Inn, a supremely elegant hotel with individually named and decorated rooms. It was the first house in Savannah with electricity, and gained infamy after falling under the care of Joe Odom — the party man so colorfully depicted in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Another house of note is the Flannery O’Connor childhood home, on 207 East Charlton Street where she spent her first 13 years of life. It’s hard to imagine that Savannah’s strange, Southern atmosphere didn’t have a major influence on her strange, Southern writing. A Flannery O’Connor story smells like Spanish Moss.
So much history is found in every pocket of Savannah, it’s astounding. And Lafayette Square certainly has its share.
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The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Andrew Low House
Hamilton-Turner Inn
Flannery O’Connor’s Childhood Home
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December 8, 2010 at 6:09 pm Comments (5)
Filed under BnB / Inns, Savannah by Juergen
One of the best ways to get a deeper understanding of the history of Savannah is to stay in one of its famous inns or B&Bs. Many are themselves historic sites, with owners who are more to happy to share a story or two with guests. And since Savannah is America’s most haunted city, don’t be surprised to hear one or two ghost stories as well. We’ll be writing a lot on this blog about haunted spots, starting off with The Marshall House. Why is this place believed to be haunted?
The Marshall House was originally opened in 1851 as the first hotel in Savannah, although it did not remain so. Three times it was turned into a hospital. During the Civil War from 1864-1865, the Union Army occupied the Marshall House using it as a hospital. Twice during the 19th century, it became a hospital to accommodate two yellow fever epidemics. After forty years of lying dormant, the Marshall House reopened as a hotel in 1999.
The staff is said to have a notebook containing many of the experiences of past visitors who have stayed. One such occasion involves the plumbing. For no apparent reason, the toilet began to overflow. The woman and her daughter hurriedly grabbed all the towels to soak up the water and called maintenance. Upon the arrival of maintenance, twovery flustered and bewildered people were found. Apparently, when the mother went back into the bathroom to see if the overflow had stopped, it not only had stopped but the towels and the floor were bone dry.
Or listen to this: Another person awoke with someone holding his wrist but no one was there. This same experience has been reported, in the past. It was like a nurse taking the pulse of a patient. There are many more ghost stories from The Marshall House at Ghostly Talk, which is also the source for the above information.
For more information and to make a reservation click here: The Marshall House
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November 15, 2010 at 3:20 pm Comments (8)
