We spent two short days in Savannah, GA. What beautiful southern charm and history fills this city. This time to Savannah we set out to see a few things new.
When James Oglethorpe founded Savannah as the Capital of his newly chartered colony of Georgia he was into the number four. Four squares were to be built and four Utopian ideals were to be up held- No rum, no slavery, no lawyers and no Papists. Georgia was the buffer between the colonies and Spanish Florida and Oglethorpe was afraid Catholics would be Spanish spies. In 1748, the ban on Catholics was lifted (the liquor ban was lifted in 1742). The Haitian Revolution in the late 1700's brought many Haitians not only to Louisiana but also to the Savannah area and most of them were Catholic. They along with the French are credited with starting the first Catholic Parish in Savannah, laying the first cornerstone for Catholics in Savannah in 1799. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist has a history of struggle that includes major hurricane damage in the mid 1800's and a devastating fire in 1898. The present Cathedral was rebuilt and dedicated in October 1900. The inside is beautiful and the numerous stained glass windows, all from Austria are spectacular.
The Pink house was built in 1771 for James Habersham Jr., an early cotton factor in Savannah. It is one of the few buildings that survived the fire of 1796. It now operates as a restaurant and tavern.
We had lunch at Mrs. Wilkes. A fun place, family style with close to 15 at each table. Worth an hour wait in line? Maybe when the weather is cooler. But we were still glad we went. Young Sema Wilkes started this boarding house in 1943. Her granddaughter, who we met, is still running the place today. Always fun to enjoy a bit of history, especially while enjoying a good meal.
Day two we went to Wormsloe and Tybee Island.
Wormsloe is the oldest standing structure in Savannah. As you enter Wormsloe you traverse in your vehicle through over 400 Live Oak trees (1.5 miles long) that canopy the road. These trees were planted in the 1890's to commemorate the birth of of a son. The Oak grove is incredibly picturesque. Along a short trail is the Tabby ruins. Wormsloe Plantation was originally established by Noble Jones in 1736. It is located on the Isle of Hope in GA.
We also headed out to Tybee Island. The dunes have been protected ( a good thing) and almost every ave. to the beach has a very long suspended walkway to get to the beach. There is a huge beach area and it is always fun to see the kids rollicking on the shore.
We also visited the Lighthouse on Tybee Island. This is the first lighthouse constructed in Georgia. It was done so at the direction of Orglethorpe. The bottom 60 feet of the lighthouse date back to 1773 and the top 94 feet was added in 1867. The walls of the tower at the base are an impressive 12 feet thick. They claim that its light can be seen 18 miles out to sea. This lighthouse is one of a few colonial era lighthouses still in operation today.
Across the street from the light house is the Fort Screven Battery. It is quite large. From 1897 - 1947 this battery was an integral part of Georgia's coastal defense.
We are headed tomorrow to Charlotte, NC. While this was a short stay, Savannah is always a beautiful place to visit and we highly recommend this city on your travels.
When James Oglethorpe founded Savannah as the Capital of his newly chartered colony of Georgia he was into the number four. Four squares were to be built and four Utopian ideals were to be up held- No rum, no slavery, no lawyers and no Papists. Georgia was the buffer between the colonies and Spanish Florida and Oglethorpe was afraid Catholics would be Spanish spies. In 1748, the ban on Catholics was lifted (the liquor ban was lifted in 1742). The Haitian Revolution in the late 1700's brought many Haitians not only to Louisiana but also to the Savannah area and most of them were Catholic. They along with the French are credited with starting the first Catholic Parish in Savannah, laying the first cornerstone for Catholics in Savannah in 1799. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist has a history of struggle that includes major hurricane damage in the mid 1800's and a devastating fire in 1898. The present Cathedral was rebuilt and dedicated in October 1900. The inside is beautiful and the numerous stained glass windows, all from Austria are spectacular.
The Pink house was built in 1771 for James Habersham Jr., an early cotton factor in Savannah. It is one of the few buildings that survived the fire of 1796. It now operates as a restaurant and tavern.
We had lunch at Mrs. Wilkes. A fun place, family style with close to 15 at each table. Worth an hour wait in line? Maybe when the weather is cooler. But we were still glad we went. Young Sema Wilkes started this boarding house in 1943. Her granddaughter, who we met, is still running the place today. Always fun to enjoy a bit of history, especially while enjoying a good meal.
Day two we went to Wormsloe and Tybee Island.
Wormsloe is the oldest standing structure in Savannah. As you enter Wormsloe you traverse in your vehicle through over 400 Live Oak trees (1.5 miles long) that canopy the road. These trees were planted in the 1890's to commemorate the birth of of a son. The Oak grove is incredibly picturesque. Along a short trail is the Tabby ruins. Wormsloe Plantation was originally established by Noble Jones in 1736. It is located on the Isle of Hope in GA.
We also headed out to Tybee Island. The dunes have been protected ( a good thing) and almost every ave. to the beach has a very long suspended walkway to get to the beach. There is a huge beach area and it is always fun to see the kids rollicking on the shore.
We also visited the Lighthouse on Tybee Island. This is the first lighthouse constructed in Georgia. It was done so at the direction of Orglethorpe. The bottom 60 feet of the lighthouse date back to 1773 and the top 94 feet was added in 1867. The walls of the tower at the base are an impressive 12 feet thick. They claim that its light can be seen 18 miles out to sea. This lighthouse is one of a few colonial era lighthouses still in operation today.
Across the street from the light house is the Fort Screven Battery. It is quite large. From 1897 - 1947 this battery was an integral part of Georgia's coastal defense.
We are headed tomorrow to Charlotte, NC. While this was a short stay, Savannah is always a beautiful place to visit and we highly recommend this city on your travels.
       What a beautiful organ!     
Tabby Ruins, Wormsloe, GA
   
Battery on Tybee Island
Tybee island Lighthouse. It was the first on the Georgia Coast
erected in 1736, later restored.
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