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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Laid out in 1841, Crawford is the only of Savannah’s squares with recreational equipment: a basketball court, won after a 1946 Savannah-wide basketball competition. Found on Houston Street, the square was named after native Savannahian William Harris Crawford, who was Secretary of the Treasury and ran unsuccessfully for President in 1824.

All of the squares in Savannah were fenced in at one time, but only Crawford remains so. It’s also retained its cistern, from the days when Savannah’s fire department kept a station in every square. The fence, the cistern and the basketball court give Crawford a distinctly unique feel to it. Compared to the rest of Savannah’s squares, only Ellis Square is less “standard”. Still, with a gazebo in the center and azaleas that bloom in spring, Crawford definitely manages to charm.

During the days of Jim Crow, when segregation was the law of the land, Crawford was the only square which blacks were allowed to use. It’s a historically black neighborhood, and today a very quiet, peaceful one. But “peaceful” probably isn’t how Crawford was described a few years ago — none other than the fabulous Lady Chablis used to call it home. I doubt anything within a two-mile radius of her could be considered “peaceful”.

Check out our pictures of one of Savannah’s least appreciated, and most unique squares.

Location on our Savannah Map

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Read more about Bluffton, SC

I grew up in Bluffton, Ohio. A burgeoning Midwestern metropolis of about 3000 people, Bluffton is the kind of place where something wild is always going on. Friday night football, the Blaze of Lights, cruising up and down Main Street in an endless loop, looking for something, anything to do… ah, the memories.

So visiting Bluffton, South Carolina, was amusing to me. It’s about ten times the size of my hometown, and a lot more interesting. Located on the May River, close to Hilton Head, it’s a funny little city filled with strange characters. We spent the day and on the way home, found ourselves in total agreement on one thing: Bluffton is bizarre.

Our unofficial guide for the day was a local, which definitely helped our appreciation. We met Nancy inside her store called Eggs N Tricities, which is packed from wall to wall with exactly the kinds of things you’d expect to find in a store called Eggs N Tricities. The most random stuff, all cool in its own way, from vintage clothes to old books, to paintings, knick-knacks, shells and other curiosities which defy description. Nancy visits flea markets and thrift shops to discover her treasures, cleans them up and sells them. We visited her house, which has a beautiful view of the river, and were unsurprised to discover that it looks exactly like her store. Appealing, random madness.

Nancy was a perfect guide to Bluffton — she knew a lot of stories about the locals, and we had a blast driving around the old houses. We had a delicious lunch at The Cottage, which even at 2pm was busy. Afterwards, we visited a few of the shops; it’s a very artsy town, packed with knick-knack stores and local painters. We went down to the Oyster Factory and checked out the Church of the Cross, an impressive wooden structure which dates from 1857.

There are actually two side to Bluffton, and the one most people know is the “new city”, built up and around the highway. We were told that some people who live in that part of Bluffton don’t even know about the old town. That’s shocking, because the old Bluffton is awesome — definitely worth a trip from Savannah.

Location on our Day Trip Map

Bed and Breakfast in Bluffton, SC