What to See in The Old District of Savannah Georgia

If you are interested in good Southern cooking or historic houses or just history, Savannah, Georgia is the place to visit.  Founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, the city has preserved many of its charming houses and foods. Scattered throughout its historic district are 21 squares, most with a monument in the middle, surrounded by magnolias, grassy areas and brick walkways.  Among those honored are Oglethorpe himself and General Casimir Pulaski, a young Polish officer in the Revolutionary War who was killed at the battle of Savannah.  During the Civil War, reportedly, General William Tecumseh Sherman sparred Savannah during his march to the sea and presented it as a Christmas gift to President Abraham Lincoln. in 1864.

Savannah is the setting for the best selling book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the non fiction account of a mysterious murder in one of the historic houses and the subsequent trials of the accused murderer. Savannah also was the home of the songwriter, Johnny Mercer ("Moon River"), whose life-size statute (all five feet two) is located at the edge of Ellis Square.

Recently, we had occasion to visit Savannah for two days.  We stayed at a small boutique hotel on Ellis Square, the Andaz (14 Barnard Street).  The staff was very courteous and even offered us a glass of wine during check-in.  Our room was small, but quite comfortable, with a king bed and a large bathroom with a shower.

That evening, we had dinner at a restaurant called Fiddler's Crab House, located on River Street.
River Street is a lively street, full of shops and restaurants overlooking Hutchinson Island. The food was outstanding. I had the low country boil, with shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob and red rice. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. My wife had the king crab legs. This was a full plate of luscious crab legs served with red rice.

The next day we took one of the many trolley tours that wind through the historic district. We also bought tickets for tours of four of the historic houses. The two houses that stand out in our minds are the Davenport House and the Owens-Thomas house.  Built in 1820, the Davenport House (324 E. State Street) is reportedly the best preserved urban house built in the Federal style. It was the first of the historic houses preserved beginning in the 1950s when it was scheduled for demolition for a parking lot. The Owens-Thomas house tour includes a visit to the slave quarters in the carriage house where there is an interesting exhibit on slavery. We also visited two houses associated with Savannah resident, Julliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts, including her birthplace.

For lunch, we stopped at the 1790 Restaurant, right around the corner from the Owens-Thomas house. Reminiscent of the taverns in Williamsburg, we had a wonderful lunch, the highlight of which was the freshly made biscuits and honey.  The fried green tomato BLT with sweet potato fries was excellent.  The 1790 is reputedly the most haunted place in Savannah and, if prompted, the waiter will detail the many instances of unnatural activities such as flying sugar bowls and names called in the night.

Another must see is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Located at 222 East Harris Street, it is the oldest Catholic church in Georgia. Although the outside is being renovated, it is open to the public. Inside it is simply spectacular.

Savannah is a lively city with plenty to do. Paula Deen's restaurant is located there as is the famous Elizabeth's, located several miles away. Although we did not make it to either restaurant, we did stop by Paul Deen's cooking store, adjacent to the restaurant, where we bought several signed cook books.