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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Neglected throughout much of its history, like much of the city’s eastern side, Columbia Square has enjoyed a magnificent restoration and is today one of Savannah’s most lovely squares.

The restorative efforts truly kicked off in the fifties when a group of society women, concerned about the demolitions which threatened to destroy Savannah’s historic soul, drew the line at the proposed destruction of the 1820 Isaiah Davenport House. They joined forces as the Historic Savannah Foundation and made it their mission to rescue the storied Federal-style building. Over the years, the foundation has bought and saved over 300 other buildings in Savannah’s historic center. Without their work, Savannah would be a much more common place.

Surrounding Columbia are plenty of other noteworthy houses. The Kehoe Inn, on the western side, is a breathtaking Renaissance Revival mansion from 1829 which operates today as a Bed & Breakfast. Across the square, the ivy covered house on 130 Habersham, still a private residence, is possibly the square’s most strikingly gorgeous.

Columbia Square itself is a work of art. Four massive oak trees at each corner provide shade over the entire square, at the center of which sits the Wormsloe Fountain. Green and grey, the rustic fountain was designed in the shapes of leaves and winding ivy; though it was donated by the plantation’s family in the 1970s, it looks as though it’s been in Columbia Square forever. Like it sprouted from the ground.

This is probably one of our favorite squares in the city. Check out the pictures, and you’ll see why.

Location of Calhoun Square on our Savannah Map

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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.

Location on our Savannah Map

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Andrew Low House
Hamilton-Turner Inn
Flannery O’Connor’s Childhood Home