It looks like we’re going to reach exactly 91 posts of Savannah. That’s in addition to over 1200 photos! It’s been a very busy three months. If you’d like to get a print of one of our photos, or get a license for printing a magazine or another use, just get in touch with us!
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Laid out in 1791, Warren Square was named in honor of General Joseph Warren, a Revolutionary hero from Massachusetts who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Warren Square itself looks like a battlefield — in a fight being waged between the forces of preservation and development.
On the square’s west side is a hulking parking lot, damaging Warren’s aesthetics and rudely truncating the lovely St. Julian Street, which is notable for the oyster shells in its pavement. Turn your attention to the east of the square, however, and an entirely different picture emerges.
On Habersham and especially on St. Julian, there are a number of splendidly restored houses, some of which were moved here from other locations. With its Savannah grey brick, the house at 420-422 E. St. Julian is particularly striking, as it’s so isolated from other buildings. Another excellently restored house is at 24 Habersham, which was built in 1797 by a plantation owner from Daufuskie Island. It hosted Marquis de Lafyette in 1825, and served as a makeshift hospital during the yellow fever epidemic of 1876.
Warren Square itself is almost completely nondescript. There’s a nicely kept yard, but no statues or markers of any kind. But with its location near the river, the beauty of the homes on the east side, and since you probably parked in that hideous garage on the west side anyway, there are plenty of reasons to make a swing through it.
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Located on the Isle of Hope, about 20 minutes away from the center of Savannah, Wormsloe Plantation is a historic site mostly owned by the state which welcomes visitors to explore an oak-lined drive, museum and walking trails.
Pulling into the plantation, the scene is breathtaking, particularly on a sunny day. Hundreds of towering live oaks line a road which leads straight as an arrow a mile and a half into the coastal forest. Speed along the path is limited to 15 mph, but most visitors will want to proceed even slower. The oaks, evenly spaced apart and draped with Spanish moss, are amazing — alone worth the $5 price of entry.
Wormsloe offers even more, though. Established by Noble Jones, who came to Georgia with Oglethorpe and the original settlers (and likely had the coolest name of any of them), the plantation has been home to the same family throughout the generations. The mansion visible from the road is still in private hands; it’s opened often to fundraising events and private parties… when we visited, they were preparing for a wedding reception.
There’s a museum dedicated to the site, with artifacts found at Wormsloe and a description of colonial life in Georgia. To be honest, we skipped out on the museum to spend more time outdoors — it was a beautiful day, and we wanted to explore the walking trails. We saw the tabby ruins of Noble Jones’ original residence, and the shell middens left by the Isle of Hope’s Native American inhabitants, mostly of the Yuchi and Creek Tribes. We came upon a makeshift “Colonial Village”, complete with a wooden house and big tools used by the settlers.
Given its proximity to the city, Wormsloe is an excellent place to spend a few hours during a quick and easy day trip. Consult their website to find special events, and make sure to bring your camera… you’ll want to have it nearby.
Wormsloe Historic Site
7601 Skidaway Rd
Location on our Day Trips Map
912 353 3023
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