Savannah Square by Square- complete flm

[Music] what is it about savannah georgia that brings so many visitors from all around the world is it the spanish moss the live oak trees or the many historic squares [Music] maybe it's the monuments and hundreds of historic buildings around the city's parks and green spaces when i'm walking around i see both the history and the architecture as well as a a garden one of the things that makes savannah unique is the fact that you're walking through green spaces unlike any other city and it it it's the community's gardens throughout the historic district you can't get savannah out of your system it's a city that you love to be in you love to walk in every square has its own character you love to see them all in springtime my mother called it when the azaleas are out a bride savannah's like like like a new bride once you get savannah sand in your shoes you never get it out and that's very true maybe it's a combination of all of these things but whatever it is savannah is a magical place that makes everyone tourists and locals alike slow down and take it all in here's a quick explanation of how our video tour of savannah will progress we'll start in the far north at river street where savannah began and show you the many monuments and attractions at this popular destination next we'll travel west to east on bay street which is located on the bluff above the river moving from the ogleport bench all the way to emmett park in the east then we'll head to martin luther king jr boulevard to visit several historic sites and museums we'll move east to montgomery and barnard street strolling through six squares and visiting paula deen and mrs wilkes restaurants we'll hit all the picturesque squares and historic attractions on bull street from johnson square all the way to forsyth park we'll see everything on abercorn street including the owens thomas and andrew lowe house museums colonial park cemetery and the cathedral of saint john the baptist we'll visit the isaiah davenport house beach institute and all four historic squares on habersham street and then we'll stop in the three squares on houston street before dropping anchor at the historic pirates house restaurant on east broad so let's get started and see all savannah has to offer [Music] the story of savannah begins at the river that gives the city its name general james oglethorpe sailed up the savannah river with 114 english colonists aboard the ship anne in february 1733. he was greeted by tama chichi the chief of the local yamacraw indians who welcomed the newcomers and helped oglethorpe found britain's 13th american colony named after king george ii on the bluff above the river using this compass oglethorpe laid out savannah as america's first planned city with a grid of streets and public squares savannah is a unique city its design was never replicated successfully anyplace else in the world what's amazing about this plan from 1733 is that it still works in the 21st century and the squares make that possible over the ensuing decades savannah grew into one of the south's most important port cities shipping cotton and other agricultural products from georgia's heartland to destinations all around the world hundreds of ships still visit the city each year unloading their cargos at the massive facility up the river and making savannah one of the nation's busiest ports since the days when oglethorpe showed up there's been shipping ship building on this river and it's played a major role in the development of the city over the years and the in the old days when it was tall ships tied along city front nowadays with the big container ships coming up river it's still a busy busy port and come down to river street you see any given afternoon you'll see 10 15 ships sometimes passing in and out of here cobbled with ballast stones from ships that have called on the city over the centuries river street is one of savannah's most visited attractions boasting shops restaurants and taverns of every description [Music] the city of savannah offers free rides on its diesel electric hybrid streetcar and you can even take a free ride on one of the city's river ferries across the river to the hotel and convention center complex on hutchinson island the savannah riverboat cruise company offers day and evening cruises up and down the river it's a relaxing way to see the sights including the beautiful tallmadge memorial bridge it's named after one of georgia's former governors and rises 185 feet above the water back on river street the river street suites company has been creating savannah's signature treat the pecan praline since 1973. a praline is a candy coated nut and it was first invented in france in the 1600s we start our first batch pralines about 8 30 in the morning and we go all the way to 11 o'clock at night and we're making breathings about every 30 minutes and that's a non-stop process and we still struggle to keep up a lot of the times river street also boasts several noteworthy monuments to savannah's past starting with the newest the world war ii monument just west of the big hyatt hotel the memorial's two 20-foot tall copper and bronze spheres represent the two large theaters of the war europe and the pacific inside are listed the names of local troops who died in the conflict and the seals of each of the u.s armed services surround the memorial it's appropriate that the world war ii memorial is situated here on the river because it was just downstream that civilian workers at the former southeastern shipyard built 88 liberty ship freighters that played an important role in the war effort further upriver stands the maritime monument a fountain topped with a metallic model of the steamship savannah the first steamship to cross the atlantic ocean back in 1819. on the other side of the high hyatt stands the african-american monument which commemorates the contributions of savannah's black citizens its marble base supports the bronze figures of an african-american family with broken shackles at their feet at the base of the abercorn street ramp rests an anchor installed by the women's propeller club in 1976. this monument honors american mariners who've lost their lives at sea perhaps the best known riverfront monument of all honors florence mardis savannah's world famous waving girl at her home on nearby elba island mardis waved a greeting to every passing vessel for more than 40 years she was a young girl living on an island and she was lonely so she just started to go out and wave to ships they would wave back they would salute her they started to expect her and look for her and she just kept it up for 44 years featuring her brass lantern and pet collie this is the first monument in the city to feature a georgia woman the nearby olympic torch was erected during the olympic sailing events in savannah in 1996 its five pedestals represent the five rings of the olympic emblem and the flame on top is surrounded by billowing sails between river street and the bluff above is the district known as factors walk you can access it by any of several stone stairways or by means of the sloping cobblestone paved ramps that lead from the river to the bluff cotton merchants known as factors used the iron bridges to carry cotton and other merchandise from bay street to their riverfront warehouses bay street today is a busy thoroughfare but it is home to numerous noteworthy savannah landmarks right in front of the hyatt riverfront hotel sits a bench marking the very spot where general oglethorpe first met with tama chichi in february of seventeen thirty three bay street walk sign is on across bay street the gold dome city hall was built in 1906. two statues representing art and commerce decorate the fourth story balcony the dome sheathed in tissue thin 23 karat gold tower 70 feet over bay street inside a dramatic four-story high rotunda is peaked by a leaded glass dome colored in yellows golds and blues and in the entrance foyer visitors may get an up-close look at the old machinery that used to power the clock in city hall's dome before the clock was electrified in the 1940s city hall replaced the old city exchange building which had stood on the spot since 1799 now all that's left of the old exchange is the bell which is on display beneath the cupola nearby across the street stands an enduring monument to the importance of trade and commerce in savannah the landmark u.s customs house designed by prominent new york architect john norris in the mid-19th century this imposing yet graceful stone structure still serves its original purpose more than a century and a half later a few paces to the east stand two historic cannons known as the washington guns these artillery pieces were gifts from president george washington to a local military unit named the chatham artillery both of the cannons were surrendered to washington's army by the british at the battle of yorktown in 1781 where drayton street intersects bay you'll find one of savannah's most photographed and most loved landmarks the cotton exchange lion the 19th century original lion was smashed by an automobile in 2008 but it's been painstakingly recreated and is back in business as savannah's favorite ambassador half acre salzburger park is home to a monument given to savannah by the government of austria it honors the salzburgers an early group of german-speaking protestant pioneers who established a settlement just up the savannah river in present-day effingham county emmett park is a large shaded grassy area extending over the bluff on east bay street all the way from lincoln street to east broad street named after irish nationalist robert emmett it contains numerous monuments starting with the memorial to the georgia hussars a famed local cavalry unit formed by general oglethorpe this cannon a british six-pounder from the 1779 battle of savannah was unearthed from beneath a downtown sidewalk in 1958. an obelisk honors the men of dog company a group of savannah marine reservists who were called to action during the korean war the names of marines who made the ultimate sacrifice are etched with gold the celtic cross honors savannah citizens of irish descent it becomes a focus of attention during the city's famous annual st patrick's day celebrations a marble replica of the map of vietnam topped by bronze combat boots rifle and helmet sits inside a reflecting pool in the vietnam veterans memorial an inscribed block bears the names of chatham county citizens killed in the conflict the chatham artillery monument topped with a bronze eagle bears witness to the fact that this renowned local military unit still serves in our nation's wars around the globe today the piercing eyes of noble wimberley jones gaze out amiably from the east end of emmett park this early georgia colonist patriot and physician helped found the georgia medical society in 1804 at the far eastern end of the park the old harbor light sits atop the bluff where it was placed in the mid-1800s to warn passing mariners about british ships sunk in the harbor during the revolutionary war a cluster of anchors rests around the base of the light martin luther king junior boulevard serves as the main automobile gateway into historic savannah the visitor center is located inside the front section of the historic central of georgia railway terminal the rear section once the passenger shed is now home to the savannah history museum operated by the coastal heritage society inside you'll find a wide variety of exhibits from savannah's founding to the present day among the most popular attractions are forest gump's bench savannah lyricist johnny mercer's oscar and grammy and the low family carriage there are also exhibits related to the 1779 revolutionary war battle of savannah the original statue from atop the pulaski monument in monterey square and hands-on activities for kids a special collections gallery offers a variety of exhibits such as this look at quilting in savannah which periodically change if your visit leaves you hungry stop in the whistle stop cafe behind the museum where you can dine in a real central of georgia railway car just across louisville road battlefield memorial park commemorates the bloody battle that took place here in october 1779. this relatively recent addition to savannah's heritage tourism scene includes an earthen fortification modeled after the spring hill readout the british fort at the center of the battle there are also 800 granite stones representing the french and american soldiers killed during the attack many of the stones were inscribed with the names of individual revolutionary war participants a stone marker originally erected by the sons of the revolution in 1911 now sits atop the exact spot where archaeologists found the original fortification from the battle back in 2005. so it's authentic it's not disney world it's where the actual battle took place it's where people fought and died for america it's the real deal [Music] the industrial revolution followed on the heels of the american revolution here and just a few steps from the battlefield stands the sprawling 19th century industrial complex now known as the georgia state railroad museum now boarding for coach shops paint shops and points west here visitors can take periodically scheduled train rides around the site including a spin on the massive turntable used to switch cars attached to locomotives or take a leisurely stroll around the complex and enjoy structures like the 125 foot tall brick smokestack that towers over the site [Applause] one of the historic railroad buildings on mlk has been transformed into an exciting new art museum and architectural showcase long referred to as the gray building this victorian structure was once home to the central of georgia's executives today the savannah college of art and design has built its museum of art within the tumbledown walls of the warehouse that stretched out behind the offices the museum itself is literally risen from the ruins of the old central georgia railroad complex dating back to 1853 and the museum itself has literally sprung from what used to just be ruined walls the central feature of the new museum is an 86 foot tall glass tower glowing in various colors in the night sky it serves as a beacon welcoming visitors to savannah the ships of the sea maritime museum located near the northern end of mlk is housed inside the early 19th century scarborough house the house was built for william scarborough a wealthy savannah merchant and primary financial backer of the ss savannah the first ship to cross the atlantic ocean under steam power back in 1819. today the ships of the sea maritime museum houses a marvelous collection of maritime models paintings and artifacts finally no visit to mlk junior boulevard would be complete without a stop at the ralph mark gilbert civil rights museum it tells savannah's story which is a little bit different than the story that you hear around the rest of the south or in this region and the exhibits are amazing located inside a turn-of-the-century black-owned bank building the museum's many exhibits include an actual lunch counter where civil rights sit-ins occurred in that exhibit you see a policeman at the ready you see a mannequin of a black man sitting at the counter and then you see a mannequin of a white woman taking the order and you can punch a button if you're colored it would say you know what um you know what how the response would have been given to them as well as if you're white what that response would have been only one of the historic squares remains on montgomery street franklin square named for founding father benjamin franklin is home to a recently installed monument to the free black volunteers from haiti who fought in the 1779 battle of savannah six bronze statues including a drummer boy representing future haitian king henry topped this imposing monument on the western side of the square sits the historic first african baptist church the oldest black church in the nation founded by slaves and free blacks in 1773 this church played a leading role in the civil rights movement in the 20th century on the eastern side of franklin square begins city market a four block pedestrian only complex of shops and restaurants city market adjoins ellis square named for colonial governor henry ellis this square was home to a series of public market buildings over more than two centuries the last such structure constructed in 1872 was torn down in the 1950s to make way for a parking garage this became a catalyst for the creation of savannah's modern day historic preservation movement in 2010 the city of savannah reclaimed the square demolishing the mid-20th century garage and replacing it with underground parking on top planners created a brand new square featuring a splash pad visitor center and statue of 20th century savannah lyricist and songwriter johnny mercer ellis square is one of the oldest squares in savannah and today it's actually the newest so what we see today is a brand new square over the original design of oglethorpe's plan paula dean's world famous lady and sons restaurant operated by the television personality and cooking sensation and her sons jamie and bobby backs up to ella's square folks line up all the way down the block on congress street nearly every day to sample dean's famous southern buffet which comes with sweet tea bread and mouth-watering dessert i've got a little bit of fried chicken some collard greens i've got some sweet potato macaroni and cheese got the mashed potatoes a little bit of the pork with the salsa on it and some of the black peas so it's gonna be a good meal hopefully i can go back twice hopefully you know people visit from all over the country and we'll open them up to experience some of the things that we grew up eating uh every night of the week my grandmother's legacy is what we offer on the buffet every day head down barnard two blocks to find telfair square home of great savannah art and architecture telfair's name honors an entire family of prominent savannians including mary tell fair benefactor of the telfair academy she bequeathed this early 19th century mansion to become a museum upon her death today it houses 19th and 20th century american paintings and sculptures and is also home to the bird girl statue made famous in the book midnight in the garden of good and evil the sleek modern jepson center for the arts rises like a sculpture from the southwestern corner of telfair square this amazing building open to the public in 2006 features over 7 500 square feet of gallery space for major traveling exhibits of contemporary art as well as installations of works from the permanent collection the art zeum is a 3 500 square foot interactive gallery for children and families sandwiched between the telfair and the jepson on the spot once occupied by the telfair family garden sits trinity united methodist church considered to be the mother church of methodism in georgia this savannah gray brick and stucco building was constructed in 1848 orleans square on barnard street between hall and perry is named after andrew jackson's victory over the british in the 1815 battle of new orleans the german memorial fountain in the middle of the square honors early german immigrants to savannah orleans square is also home to the stately harper folks house which was restored by 20th century preservationist and businesswoman elita harper folks the mansion is now owned by the society of the cincinnati which has opened its doors for public tours pulaski square on barnard between charlton and harris streets is named in honor of revolutionary war hero kasamir pulaski though his monument is actually located elsewhere downtown known for its beautiful canopy of live oak trees this shaded square and its neighbor to the south chatham square are great places for a quiet stroll on a relaxing afternoon chatham square was named for william pitt the first earl of chatham who was an early supporter of the georgia colony just around the corner on brick paved jones street is the world famous wilkes house also known as mrs wilkes dining room people come from all over the world to sample the down-home cooking that's been offered since sema wilkes opened her boarding house here back in 1943 though mrs wilkes passed away in 2002 her family keeps the traditions of hospitality and country cooking alive well we were asking around for the best fried chicken in this house and pretty much everyone we talked to told us that we had to come here i think it's like coming to your grandmother's house for dinner only my grandmother's everybody's here and i hear people say that at every table this is like going to my grandmother's for dinner meals at mrs wilkes are served family style where everybody sits around big tables and passes the food from one person to another there are no strangers at the table by the time the meal is over it's a lot of passing a lot of interacting with others and someone at the end of the table might say oh this is you know sweet corn is really good you should try it and then you pass it down and try it yourself it's pretty fun over the years some pretty famous people have eaten here including president barack obama in 2010 but as mrs wilkes would always say the most important person is you bull street has been called savannah's string of pearls so named because it boasts some of the city's most spectacular squares and monuments the northernmost square johnson square is savannah's largest general oglethorpe named it after his friend robert johnson the colonial governor of south carolina the obelisk in the center of the square contains the remains of general nathaniel greene a brilliant revolutionary war general who died outside savannah after the war a sundial nearby honors colonel william bull who helped oglethorpe lay out the street plan of savannah and a crescent-shaped marble bench bears the likeness of savannah songwriter johnny mercer the most notable historic building on the square is christ church the oldest church in georgia founded in 1733 right square which the locals call courthouse square because it's home to the federal courthouse and the old chatham county courthouse is a vibrant place the tall elaborate monument in the center of the square honors railroad executive and politician william washington gordon the grandfather of girl scouts founder juliet gordon lowe gordon's monument replaced the original burial site of the indian chief tama chichi oglethorpe's friend later gordon's widow and fellow members of the colonial dames placed a granite boulder from stone mountain georgia on the southeast corner of the square to honor the great chief when you visit wright square consider stopping inside the lutheran church of the ascension which is regularly open to tourists inside you'll find rich colors and beautiful stained glass windows the church is named for the image of christ ascending into heaven we do want people to come in and enjoy the windows that's why it's open and not only that a lot of people come in to meditate and pray during the week on the northeastern corner of bull street and oglethorpe avenue you'll find the birthplace of girl scouts founder juliet gordon lowe it's open to the public as a historic house museum operated by the girl scouts of the usa in the median of oglethorpe in front of the mansion bull street is flanked on one side by a monument marking the site of savannah's original jewish cemetery and on the other side by the saint andrews monument honoring the city's scottish forebears chippewa square was named for american soldiers who lost their lives in the battle of chippewa during the war of 1812. today its most famous resident is another historic soldier savannah's founder general oglethorpe the 1910 statue of oglethorpe depicts him facing south towards britain's spanish enemies in florida with his sword drawn chippewa square is also famous as the location where forrest gump sat on a park bench and uttered his famous line about life being like a box of chocolates the opening scene of the movie starts with a feather fluttering down from the steeple of independent presbyterian church which sits on bull street just north of the square other noteworthy historic structures on this square include the sanctuary of savannah's first baptist church though the congregation started later than other downtown savannah churches in the year 1800 the current greek revival structure on chippewa square is the oldest church building still in existence in the city across the square bright neon lights mark the location of the historic savannah theater it's one of the oldest continually operating theaters in the nation built in 1818 and rebuilt after suffering extensive damage in a fire in 1948 today the theater hosts a variety of nightly performances by a top-notch professional theater troupe [Music] just south of the square on bull street you'll find the six pence pub made famous when it served as the setting for a key scene in the julia roberts dennis quaid film something to talk about [Music] madison square was named in honor of america's fourth president and the primary author of our constitution james madison the dramatic monument in the center of the square honors sergeant william jasper a revolutionary war hero who was killed in the october 1779 battle of savannah fittingly coastal heritage society archaeologists unearthed artifacts from part of that battle in the northeastern quadrant of the square in 2008. two historic cannons on the south side of the square mark the starting point of two of georgia's original highways leading to darien and augusta there are two noteworthy historic homes on madison square the gothic revival green meldrum house was union general sherman's headquarters after he captured savannah in december 1864 ending his infamous march to the sea ironically the sorel weed house caddy corner to sherman's quarters was home to confederate general william moxley sorrell and was even frequented by confederate hero robert e lee southwest of madison square stands the early 20th century scottish rite masonic building its ornate details from the choice of colors to the number of times each feature is repeated are all symbolic of masonic beliefs and themes across bull street is the 1893 savannah volunteer guards armory it features romanesque towers arched windows and molded terracotta and the front entrance is flanked by historic cannons this building was the original home of the savannah college of art and design which has grown since 1978 to include classrooms in more than 60 renovated historic structures throughout downtown savannah monterey square commemorates the 1847 american victory at monterey during the mexican-american war the patriotic monument in the center of the square honors revolutionary war hero kasamir pulaski a polish nobleman and cavalryman who was killed fighting for american freedom in the battle of savannah two of savannah's most photographed buildings are located here as well the sumptuous mercer williams house home to the late jim williams is situated on the west side of the square across the square you'll find congregation mikvah israel the nation's only gothic-style synagogue it was formed in 1735 by a group of jews who arrived in georgia just a few months after the colony's founding mkva israel is open for tours and a museum upstairs contains a model of the ship which brought georgia's first jews to the colony as well as images and artifacts from the congregation's more than two centuries of faith and worship in savannah the collection of artifacts here includes a rare deer-skinned torah scroll brought to georgia by the first jewish colonists down the street from monterey square you'll find an imposing wrought iron fence surrounding the sumptuous armstrong house this stunning italian renaissance mansion was completed in 1919 by savannah millionaire george ferguson armstrong later it became home to city supported armstrong junior college now armstrong atlantic state university the school moved out in 1966 and a few years later the mansion became home to the law firm of bowen williams and levy the architecture the size the detail is just beautiful and not something you see very often to know that this house was built for three people george armstrong his wife and daughter is just overwhelming to anybody that you tell that to bull street opens into the wide vista of forsyth park an incredible 30 acre green space named for 18th century georgia governor u.s senator and secretary of state john forsythe who donated two-thirds of the land needed for the park's creation the park's signature feature is the cast iron fountain at the north end which was installed in 1858 in 2010 the city of savannah renovated an old militia training fort south of the fountain and converted it into a visitor center and cafe in the center of the park the confederate monument presides over a broad grassy expanse it honors the sons of savannah who fought for the south in the american civil war well it is i believe the largest confederate monument uh in in georgia the largest monument i believe in the city and it it is a it is a poignant symbol and a powerful symbol of america's greatest tragedy busts of savannah confederate generals francis bartow and lafayette mcclause stand guard on the north and south ends of the monument forsyth park is also home to a monument honoring chatham county marines killed in world war ii korea and vietnam located on gaston street on the north end of the park and a statue on the south end honoring the roughly 50 georgia volunteers who fought in the spanish-american war in the closing days of the 19th century this is one of dozens of copies of a figure known as the hiker used in spanish-american war monuments around the nation if you love history you simply must stop at least briefly inside the georgia historical society's headquarters on the northwestern corner of the park at the intersection of gaston and whitaker streets hodgson hall named for prominent 19th century savannah scholar and diplomat william brown hodgson was dedicated in 1876 its sole purpose since then has been to house the society's huge collection of books letters photographs and artifacts you really get the essence in the sense that this is a special place it's a place that has history literally figuratively in it it is historic because it's been here for over 130 years it was built specifically as a place for people to come and learn about georgia history study georgia history as a historian you know that all the people who have written about our state's history over the past 100 years and then some have worked here have sat at these tables looked at these manuscripts some of the same ones that you can come in and look at today visitors may see displays of rare artifacts such as the famous pistols used in the fateful duel between lachlan mcintosh and button gwinnette or the ball that claimed the life of casimir pulaski in the 1779 battle of savannah while there is no admission charge researchers must pay a fee in order to access the archives reynolds square on abracorn street is named for captain john reynolds georgia's colonial governor in the 1750s the most prominent feature of this square is the statue of evangelist john wesley founder of the methodist church wesley created an incredible movement of people 50 million people strong all over the world though he spent most of his life in england a young wesley preached in savannah for three years in the 1730s during which time he founded america's first sunday school and created the continent's first hymnal yet the georgia colony was not kind to the visionary evangelist savannah was a rough time for john wesley he did not thrive in savannah georgia he was rigid and determined to do things by the book of common prayer and the colonists were not rigid and did not want to follow in that direction but it was out of the ashes of savannah that his life took a new turn wesley's savannah home is believed to have stood near the spot where his statue now stands to wesley's right you'll find the old pink house restaurant originally the home of prominent savannah patriot james habersham jr it's been a popular stop for tourists and locals alike for many years just south of reynolds square on abracorn street is the lucas theater a grand 1920s movie palace that was safe from demolition by a group of concerned savannah citizens in the 1980s after a breathtaking 14 million dollar renovation completed in the year 2000 the lucas is once again enjoyed by the public on a regular basis the savannah college of art and design supports the theater's overhead and uses it for numerous events throughout the year around the corner on broughton street next door to the trustees theater with a neon scad sign you'll find stratton leopold's popular ice cream shop the original leopold's was founded in 1919 by three immigrant brothers from greece we make all of our own ice cream everything is made right here now stratton leopold the son of one of the founders has brought the family business back to life in grand style this this this is a has carbonated waters like seltzer show you real quickly and it is i'll make something called an egg cream which most southerners don't know it's a northern thing we put some syrup it could be any flavor a little bit of milk it could be strawberry it could be cherries or anything and then we do this there egg cream egg cream cheers i grew up in ice cream i grew up behind the very same soda fountain that you'll find at leopold's ice cream i love ice cream it's something that i i've been eating every day several times a day for all of my life we make all of it ourselves with my father's recipes from 1919 all natural wonderful cane sugar heavy heavy cream a lot of just great cream and just wonderful products in it in addition to delicious ice cream leopold's has a fun decor packed with memorabilia from stratton's many years as a hollywood movie producer the next square south on abercorn is picturesque oglethorpe square named for georgia's founder and home to one of the city's most visited historic house museums the owens thomas house is a magnificent regency mansion famous for its upstairs interior bridge and sumptuously appointed rooms the house also boasts one of the earliest intact urban slave quarters in the south the owens thomas house is really special because we have everything here we have the opportunity to tell everything at this one site on the mansion's southern wall stands an iron balcony where revolutionary war hero lafayette watched a parade in his honor during his savannah visit in 1825. he went to all 24 states at the time and every man woman and dog and child came out to greet him so he really was like a rock star artist and historian preston russell illustrated the famous scene for the cover of his book on savannah history the savannah volunteer guards were here the chatham artillery passed right by this street in this balcony he was standing on and saluted him and they were carrying the famous chatham artillery that george washington had given the city of savannah in 1791 is a gift from the president so lafayette must have been very impressed as well as perhaps moved the owens thomas house is operated by the telfair museums nearby stands a pedestal honoring the moravian settlers who lived in georgia briefly in the colony's earliest days doing missions work with the native americans here before they moved on to pennsylvania moving south along aberchorn street you'll next encounter savannah's old burying ground known today as colonial park cemetery this picturesque six acre spot contains the bodies of more than nine thousand savannians all of whom were laid to rest between 1750 and 1853 colonial park is a virtual forest of historical plaques marking the graves of famous savannians its little above ground brick burial houses are believed to be unique to savannah and one other town in south georgia wander through the cemetery and you'll find 18th century gravestones carved with interesting old symbols as well as flowing flowery epitaphs and some mischievous carvings left behind by union troops who camped out here during the final days of the civil war across abercorn street from the main entrance to colonial park in the median right in front of savannah's main firehouse you'll find big duke dating back to 1872 this bell was used as a fire alarm and as a way to signal police and soldiers it was dedicated as a monument to fallen firefighters in 1985 the tall spires of the cathedral of saint john the baptist tower over abracorn street south of the cemetery and big duke this gothic structure is savannah's second catholic cathedral built over 20 years starting in the 1870s and then rebuilt after a major fire now it's a must-see for tourists in savannah who flock inside to gaze at the marvelous murals gilded in gold as well as the stained glass windows that adorn its walls there are many attractions in lafayette square which is situated in the shadow of the cathedral and is named for the same revolutionary war hero who reviewed the parade in his honor from the balcony of the owens thomas house on the southwest corner you'll find the grand andrew lowe house museum operated by the colonial dames this mid-19th century mansion belonged to the wealthy cotton magnate whose son married girl scouts founder juliet gordon its splendid interior and fine furnishings make this mansion one of savannah's most popular tourist attractions southeast of the square on west charlton street stands the 19th century town home where influential 20th century author flannery o'connor spent her childhood days this house too is open to visitors several days a week across the street is the hamilton turner house now operated as a boutique hotel this tin roofed second empire home became the first residence in savannah to obtain electric lighting in 1883 stroll south of lafayette square and you'll pass by clary's cafe a century-old savannah eatery and coffee shop made famous by midnight in the garden of good and evil adjacent calhoun square named for pro-slavery and states right senator john c calhoun is the only square left in savannah with all of its original buildings intact the most prominent structure on this square is wesley monumental united methodist church which was created long before john wesley's statue was erected in reynolds square the cornerstone for wesley monumental was laid in 1878 because there was no statue to wesley in savannah and the methodist wanted a living memorial for him inside john wesley and his brother charles are immortalized in stained glass in the rear wall of the sanctuary calhoun square is home to educational as well as spiritual monuments the massey heritage center on gordon street opened a savannah's first public school in 1856. when regular classes ended here in the 1970s massey reopened as a teaching museum of history and architecture in the central exhibit an interactive 3d model of savannah's national historic landmark district explains the layout and design of the city's 22 historic squares here is displayed the actual compass savannah's founder general oglethorpe used to plot the city's grid other exhibits include a room full of artifacts from the area's native inhabitants an architecture exhibit explaining the many building styles found in savannah and a preservation room explaining how dedicated savanians saved the city's hundreds of historic buildings shaded grassy warren square is the northernmost square on habersham street it honors general joseph warren a revolutionary war hero killed at the battle of bunker hill in 1775. the next square south columbia square is named for the feminine personification of the united states the fountain in the center of the square was brought here from wormslow one of savannah's earliest plantations two important historic homes are located here on columbia square the kehoe house constructed by the owner of one of savannah's primary iron foundries in the late 19th century is notable for its iron columns balusters and other features that would normally be carved out of wood or stone the adjacent davenport house museum was home to one of savannah's early 19th century craftsmen isaiah davenport one architectural historian has said that by the time isaiah davenport died in 1827 every square in savannah had a house built by isaiah davenport saved by a group of savannah women in the 1950s the davenport house is now operated by the historic savannah foundation the historic savannah police barracks headquarters of savannah's combined city county police force sits at the intersection of habersham street and oglethorpe avenue completed back in 1870 it's believed to be the oldest continuously used police headquarters in the nation today you'll find vintage city and county police cruisers parked in front of the historic structure as well as a combination taxi cab police car meant to remind savannians and tourists about the dangers of drinking and driving a statue in the median in front of the building serves as a memorial to fallen police officers troop square was named for 19th century georgia governor congressman and senator george troupe an armillary sphere a type of ancient astrological device was installed in the center of the square during the 1970s the unitarian universalist church of savannah occupies a lot on the western edge of the square it's known as the jingle bells church because composer james pierpont served as music leader during the 1850s when he wrote the popular christmas song east of troop square at the intersection of price and harris streets stands the beach institute a historic school named after a new york magazine editor who donated funds to purchase the site the institute opened shortly after the civil war and immediately began educating hundreds of local african-american children the only african-american school is still standing from that period from this facility from the beach institute there grew a sunday school that was founded by the american missionary association and then that sunday school grew into the congregational church which is located on taylor and habersham streets today the beach institute serves as an important cultural resource offering lectures and programs as well as exhibit space for african american art among the most important collections are the remarkable carvings of local barber ulysses davis who cut hair and created amazing artwork for more than five decades several blocks away on east huntington street you'll find the king tisdale cottage savannah's only african-american house museum which is affiliated with the beach institute inside you'll find exhibits explaining the role of black-owned businesses in savannah and telling the story of the two families who made the cottage their home it's historically significant because it tells the story of a working-class family first of all the kings bought the house in 1925 and mr king owned the cleaners at 907 and a half west broad street and his wife ms sarah she was the cookie lady the candy lady but miss sarah had a home business you know and this is in the 1930s the king tisdale cottage was threatened with demolition in 1970 on the lot where it originally stood but was moved to its current location by a partnership of local government and non-profit organizations habersham streets southernmost square whitefield is named in honor of 18th century evangelist george whitefield who founded an orphanage in savannah that still exists today whitfield square features a gazebo and is surrounded by attractively restored victorian homes there are only three squares on houston street in northeast downtown but that does not mean this area is any less historic than its neighbors washington square which honors our nation's first president was named in 1791. the same year he visited savannah today there's a monument here to the washington fire company a 19th century volunteer group the monument contains a stone that was once the cornerstone of savannah's first municipal fire station just west of washington square on the northwest corner of price and st julian streets stands a small home where a lady named jane devoe ran a secret school for slave children for close to 30 years green square was named for general nathaniel greene the great revolutionary war general who lived outside savannah after the war this square was long the center of savannah's african-american community and it was on this spot in 1865 at the second african baptist church where general sherman made his famous 40 acres in a mule proclamation promising farmland to freed slaves crawford square honors savannah-born u.s treasury secretary william crawford who ran for president in 1824 and was once a famous national politician here you can see the exposed top of a brick cistern part of savannah's early firefighting system the pirates house restaurant on east broad street is ground zero for pirate lore in savannah the multiple dining rooms exude pirate ambiance and mystery and the most mysterious spot in the entire building is the rum cellar according to legend the rum cellar contained the opening of a tunnel that led to the river a passage to captivity for many an unfortunate sailor sailor never refuses a free drink so down the hatch it goes well that sailor would wake up the next day with a headache and a new job to do in reality the cellar had a much less mysterious function it was a place where tavern keepers stored barrels of rum but no one is claiming the stories are actually based in fact i guess it's it's one of those things where people come here they want to believe so it really doesn't matter whether pirates ever frequented this place or not even if you manage to see and do everything downtown savannah has to offer there's still plenty of history to be found in the surrounding area the mighty eighth air force museum located near the savannah hilton head international airport on interstate 95 is chock full of historic airplanes artifacts and exhibits all telling the story of the army air corps bombers who helped turn the tide in europe during world war ii the original 8th air force got its start in savannah in the early days of the war and at certain times you can watch as volunteers work to restore a vintage b-17 bomber nicknamed the city of savannah there are also static displays of cold war era warplanes outside the museum as well as a memorial garden and a chapel dedicated to these brave members of america's greatest generation take i-95 south to the exit for highway 204 to find the savannah ogichi canal museum and nature center located at one end of a 19th century industrial canal that once linked the savannah and ogichi rivers this multifaceted attraction includes hiking trails and incredible scenery people ask whether it is a mainly a historic site whether it's mainly a natural site and it's almost as if it is evenly balanced it would be hard to say which is the most important in the marshlands on savannah's eastern edge you'll find wormslow state historic site one of georgia's original 18th century rice plantations the site offers access to the tabby ruins of the original plantation house recreated colonial homes in lean twos the old jones family cemetery and trails along the scenic marsh just down the street from wormslow are more historic treasures including bethesda academy the oldest continually operating orphanage in america it was founded in 1740 by reverend george whitefield and has served more than 12 000 boys in the ensuing three centuries the 22 000 square foot william h ford senior museum and visitor center features interactive exhibits photographs and artifacts that tell bethesda's story as you walk through the museum sort of in the serpentine fashion back and forth you're going to go through every era of the history of bethesda from 1740 all the way to the present make sure to visit the whitfield chapel as well nestled beneath majestic live oaks this early 20th century house of worship attracts 20 000 people each year on the edge of moon river just around the corner from bethesda stands the pinpoint heritage museum housed in the former a.s varnam sun oyster and crab factory this museum tells the story of the historic pinpoint community founded more than a century ago by the children of freed slaves here you'll find artifacts and exhibits explaining the lives and work of these proud people who are deeply connected to the surrounding water the visitors will experience a cultural treasure well they get to see the history from how it was back in the 1920s when a.s varn first opened that oyster factory to how it might ended in 1986. if historic cemeteries are your favorite places to visit you cannot miss bonaventure located along highway 80 in the tiny village of thunderbolt nestled against savannah on the wilmington river here you'll find a one-of-a-kind combination of stunning statuary and natural beauty i have run into many people who tell me that this is the most beautiful cemetery in the world and i have encountered people out here on the site who have made me believe that this is a very powerful place laurel grove cemetery located on the western edge of savannah's historic district is a veritable city of the dead packed with palatial tombs and burial markers of every description there's also a huge area set aside for confederate soldiers who fell at the battle of gettysburg the gettysburg field contains over 700 burials besides that we have bunches of confederate generals here there are eight confederate generals and one union general old fort jackson located just east of downtown on the savannah river has guarded the entrance to the city for more than two centuries operated by the non-profit coastal heritage society fort jackson offers periodic cannon firings and spectacular sunsets on the river it's a 202 year old brick fortification the oldest standing brick fort in the state of georgia in fact it's one of the few national historic landmarks in the city the fort's brick interior now houses exhibits featuring civil war weaponry and also artifacts uncovered by archaeologists on the site in richmond hill just south of savannah you'll find the restored earthen fortification named fort mcallister where determined confederate defenders held off the union navy for years until general sherman's troops attacked from the land in december 1864. there were seven major naval assaults and the largest caliber projectiles used during the civil war were test-fired here at fort mcallister now visitors may stroll the fort's grass-covered defenses and explore a first-class museum inside the visitors center it's hard to top the experience of seeing the pockmarked masonry walls of fort pulaski national monument which you'll find on your way from savannah to the beach at tybee island this massive brick fortification which robert e lee helped construct as a young u.s army engineer in the 1830s was state of the art when the civil war began still it didn't take the union army's new rifled cannon long to reduce the fort's defenses and force its commander to surrender in 1862 it must have been horrifying because as these shells began to hit they were sinking 18 to 20 inches into the wall the whole corner of the fort was totally reverberating to the point that it shook some of the cannons off their carriages inside i mean it must have been raining death for those men inside the little cockspur island lighthouse which stood directly in the line of fire during the battle survived unscathed and is now a favorite destination for kayakers who paddle out at low tide the brother of waving girl florence mardis was the lighthouse keeper here for many years tybee island savannah's beach is a destination in itself known as savannah's family vacation spot for generations tybee is a great place to get sand between your toes enjoy a great meal and take in some history the current tybee island lighthouse is towered over the northern end of the island for more than 150 years there have been a total of four lighthouses on tavi island over its history two were washed away by coastal erosion the third set safely back away from the shore was on this location visitors are invited to climb the 178-step spiral staircase and enjoy the view from the top the five-acre light station around the base of the tower is the most intact in the nation featuring all of its original keepers houses and other support structures now you can't go to tybee island without at least sampling some of the local crab and shrimp that make georgia famous around the world and then this is your platter for one [Music] the crab shack on chimney creek is one of the island's most popular seafood spots here you can sit by the water as you slowly work your way through a massive tray of cooked crustaceans mmm that is heaven there's even a pool of young alligators a crew of pet cats and a collection of tropical birds to see here [Applause] the crab shack sure has grown since tybee islanders jack and belinda flanagan started the restaurant at the site of their charter fishing operation back in 1990. just decided one day well we'll start serving food on friday and saturday and it just grew to what you see here now and on a good day we'll serve 2 500 3 000 people come on tybee island is the perfect place to spend the day just outside savannah [Music] you

Channel: Michael Jordan

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Id: cwSSr-UydtQ

Length: 67min 4sec (4024 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 27 2020