Found on Madison Square, the Sorrel-Weed House has gained a reputation as the most haunted spot in a city known for ghouls. The house has been the subject of just about every sort of "Ghost Hunting" reality show that exists, and even offers visitors the chance to take a spooky nighttime tour. But Jürgen and I decided to check it out during the day, on an architectural tour.
"Lady Hats at the Mansion" is a suggestive title, yes? Is it a metaphor? A play on words? Well, apologies for being so literal, but in this case, we're referring to actual lady hats. As soon as we learned about this bizarre collection, we raced over to the Mansion on Forsyth. Nothing gets our blood pumping like dainty hats for lady-folk!
Located on Calhoun Square, the Massie School opened its doors in 1856, and was the first public school in Georgia. Today, it's been converted into the Massie Heritage Center, featuring an overview of Savannah's unique urban planning, and exhibits dedicated to the most important aspects of the city's culture, from architecture to the Native American influence.
Sorry, Paula Deen, but Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is Savannah's most famous dining establishment, with a history that stretches back to 1943. That's when young Sema Wilkes bought a boarding house at 107 West Jones Street and began serving family-style meals to her clients. Her reputation grew quickly, and soon enough, people were lining up outside the door to get a taste of her famous home cooking.
Madison Square, on Bull Street between Chippewa and Monterey Square, is possibly the most monumental in Savannah. With a magnificent tribute to William Jasper as its centerpiece, Madison offers a wealth of things to see and do.
Before we moved to Savannah, me, Jürgen and four-year-old Xiao Liang of Taiwan were the only three people on Earth who hadn't read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt. And now, noble Xiao stands alone. Jürgen and I have buckled down and read "The Book."
On New Year's Eve, we were invited into the home of an old-school Savannahian. Our soft-spoken host, Alvin, was a true southern gentleman, as gracious as possible, and both his character and his house seemed to be straight from the pages of some Victorian Gothic novel.
Andrew Low was a Scot who moved to Savannah when he was sixteen. He entered the cotton business and, by the time he was in his thirties, had become the leader of uncle's company and the richest man in the city. Accordingly, he built a house which would reflect his newly-acquired status on Savannah's newest square, Lafayette.
The Pirate's House, on the northeastern corner of Savannah, is thought to be Georgia's oldest building, and is certainly one of its most famous. Captain Flint, from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, is said to have died here after drinking too much rum.
Found on on the eastern side of Telfair Square, the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences occupies a Regency style mansion built in 1818. It's been a public art museum since 1886, which makes it the oldest in the South.
We had been excited to get into the old homes of Savannah, especially after our experience at the Scarborough House. So it was with high expectations that we visited the Owens-Thomas House on Oglethorpe Square. Unfortunately, our high expectations weren't met, this time.
On MLK Boulevard near River Street, one of Savannah's most historic houses has been converted into a museum called The Ships of the Sea. The 1819 Scarborough House was designed in the Greek Revival style by architectural wunderkind William Jay, who was responsible for many of the city's best houses of that time period.