Savannah Squares

Walking through historic Savannah leads you effortlessly from colonization to independence to civil war. Yesterday’s heartbreaks and triumphs are on display at each of the old city’s 24 squares. Today’s hip cultural scene seamlessly weaves itself into the fabric of history. The Savannah College of Art and Design, hipster coffee bars, brewpubs, gastropubs accompany preserved and restored homes from the 18th and 19th centuries. 

There are many ways to get to know Savannah, but on a beautiful sunny Fall day, we could not resist a self guided walking tour. With all of the praise about the city design from UNESCO to the American Society of Civil Engineers, we could not resist exploring the city squares and the grid system on foot. Starting at Johnson square, the oldest in the city, all the way to those built in the 19th century. Each square had ancient trees practically dripping Spanish moss, plants and benches. Some of the squares have fountains, some have monuments, but all have local people enjoying them as a place to gather, or simply to rest a bit. 

We passed through Washington and Franklin squares, with their homage to our national heroes, and a sculpture honoring the Haitians who volunteered with Pulaski in the Revolutionary war. What? Who is this Polish guy and what the heck were Haitians doing fighting here? Well, the Polish guy is quite important in Poland, and in the US, and died fighting for our freedom. I don’t know what the heck the Haitians were doing here, but one of them, memorialized in sculpture was 12 years old and went on to be the King of Haiti. It is incredible what you can learn from walking and reading .....

These old cities, with their massive sculptures of stone and metal, have stories to tell. Many of those stories could outdo the reality shows of today. Wright square, formerly Percival Square, has quite the controversy. Originally, there was a culturally appropriate burial site and recognition of Chief Tomochichi, a supporter and colleague of General Oglethorpe. Later, supporters of a Savannah born hero, Gorgon, decided to tear that down to build a sculpture honoring Gordon. Well, this infuriated many, including Gorgon’s wife. She insisted on constructing a memorial to Tomochichi at her cost, but the local quarry refused to charge her. When she expressed her dissatisfaction, because she was able to pay, they charged her 50 cents...

Savannah. When you have feasted on her secrets, you will be ready to feast on some of her finest local flavors from seafood to pub food, and all in between. If you manage to not fall in love with this gracious city, you are made of stronger stuff than I am.