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Madison Square, on Bull Street between Chippewa and Monterey Square, is possibly the most monumental in Savannah. With a magnificent 1888 tribute to William Jasper as its centerpiece, Madison offers a wealth of things to see both inside the square and around it.

South Carolinian revolutionary hero Sgt. Jasper was mortally wounded during the Siege of Savannah. He had found fame during an earlier battle with the British, when he recovered a shot-down South Carolina flag and held it aloft in the midst of heavy fighting. The statue pays tribute to that event, and includes other scenes from his life. Cannons from the Savannah armory protect Madison’s southern flank, and a monument to the ill-fated rebel siege on British-controlled Savannah can also be found in the square.

Around Madison, there’s enough to occupy an entire afternoon. You can visit the Green-Meldrim House, where General Sherman famously stayed during his time in Savannah. With its cast-iron fence and extended covered porch, this National Historic Landmark from 1861 is a stunning example of the Gothic Revival style. It’s connected to the St. John’s Episcopal Church. According to legend, the ladies of the congregation, offended by the next-door presence of the enemy Yankee, rang the bells without pause, through the night. Sherman responded by having the bells removed.

On the northwest corner of Madison is one of Savannah’s most famous residences: The Sorrel-Weed House. One of Savannah’s best examples of Greek Revival and Regency architecture, the house has found itself the subject of numerous ghost stories. It was even the subject of a 2009 episode of Ghost Hunters. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, the house is worth visiting.

Across Bull Street is of Savannah’s most unfortunate buildings: the Hilton DeSoto. An ugly, towering blight on the city’s skyline, the Hilton has loomed over the middle of Savannah since 1966, when it replaced the lovely red brick DeSoto hotel. Continuing clockwise around the square brings you to the most popular bookshop in Savannah: E. Shaver’s. We stocked up on Savannah literature here when we first arrived; the staff is helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. With every conceivable genre represented, it’s a fun place to browse.

On the southeast corner of Madison is the SCAD shop, which is a great place to hunt for unique gifts. And should you need a break while touring the houses, shops and churches of Madison Square, you can stop in at the popular Gryphon Tea Room. With its high ceilings, comfortable furniture and classy interior, this former pharmacy is a great place to relax your tired feet.

Location on our Savannah Map

- Savannah Bargains

We just published our Savannah Book

Three months ago, me, Juergen and 4-year-old Xiao Liang in Shenzhen, China were the only three people on Earth who hadn’t read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Sincere apologies to Xiao: you are now completely alone. We’ve buckled down and read The Book.

And it’s a great book! Especially after having become intimately familiar with Savannah during our time here, the characters and locations leaped right off the page. John Berendt has an amazing talent for description, and a clever way of getting into interesting situations and meeting the right people. The Book was a little humbling to read — the same places which we’ve written about on this blog are far more perfectly, hilariously captured in Berendt’s work.

But, dear lord, have we gotten tired of hearing about it. I wonder if there’s ever been a city to capitalize so much on a single work of art. I doubt that even Bethlehem milks the Bible as outrageously as Savannah does The Book. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is everywhere. You can find copies of the book on sale in every shop, even clothes stores! There are tours. There’s an entire store dedicated to it. Fans can visit the Mercer House on Monterey Square, where Jim Williams lived and Danny Hansford died.

While I loved Midnight, I’m glad I didn’t read until after we’d lived here for awhile — otherwise we might have used it as our sole travel guide. But though we’ve tried to do things which are unique, and cringe about repeating Berendt’s experiences, sometimes we can’t help ourselves. For example, on Saturday we went to see The Lady Chablis at Club One. The Book’s portrayal of her was too perfect. We simply had to experience The Doll firsthand.

Buy The Book – The Movie or take The Tour

Where is the bird statue now?

May we guide you through Savannah?

On New Year’s Eve, we had the opportunity to meet Alvin Neely, a true Savannahian in every sense of the word. We had been invited to his house for a couple drinks, and were left speechless when we came through the front door. His mansion, so impressive from the outside, was even more amazing once you stepped inside.

Built in 1887 by William G. Preston, the brick mansion just south of Gaston Street boasts complicated interior architecture, rounded arches and turrets. In the 30-odd years he’s owned it, Alvin’s done a excellent job of maintaining and restoring the house’s original elements, and decorating it with artwork and antique furniture. Juergen asked how he went about choosing what art to buy for his home. “Buy? No, this is all stuff I get for free”. He pointed to a beautiful painting of a dancing jester. “The artist gave me this in exchange for a month’s rent”, he said, chuckling about what a great deal that had been.

William G. Preston was also the architect of the late, lamented DeSoto Hotel. Alvin reminisced about that building, which was torn down to make space for the hideous Hilton DeSoto. He got out a book of old images from Savannah, back in the days when the live oaks which now tower over the city’s squares were just saplings. A member of the Historic Savannah Foundation, Alvin recounted some of the battles which he helped fight … the DeSoto was one they lost.

We had a great time hanging out with Alvin and seeing his house. Our time in the city is winding down, and I think one of the memories we’ll always carry is how welcoming and friendly the people of Savannah have been to us. It’s been wonderful.

- Crazy hike we did in Spain