Gorgeous Homes in Savannah Georgia

We spent four days in Savannah, Georgia touring around the Historic District, an area 2.5 miles square, the largest such district in the U.S. (geez, I sound like a travel brochure). It's really a lovely area with all unique architecture.

Savannah is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was founded to create a buffer between the Spanish in Florida and Charleston, SC further north. It became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Savannah is today an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport, the fourth largest container port in the country, behind LA, Long Beach and NY.

Here are some of the homes we described...I'll let their beauty speak for themselves. (Warning: there's a LOT of photos below). Enjoy them.

Oh, You'll notice the stairs on most of the homes go up at least 10 feet from the street level. That's because of the lack of clean roads in the past days. Horses, animals, mud,...all of that was both smelly and dirty. The steps gave you an opportunity to get a bit cleaner before entering the house and the smell was not so bad being up a few feet. The ones with entrances from their gardens only went up a few feet.

Notice all the iron work on the front fence? The more iron you displayed, the more rich you were thought to be. Guess who came up with that? The local iron factory owner!!

We toured the inside of four of the buildings, one of which had a display of the different types of architecture used in the buildings, Italian, Grecian, etc. (see note at very bottom of this post.)

This is the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, a beautiful church, in side and out. My photos inside did not come out so great so I grabbed some from the web.

We went to the first public school house in Georgia and, naturally, I got in trouble....

Here's our site...LONG pull-throughs.

This is the steeple from the Presbyterian Church that was used to show the feather flowing down to Forest Gump.

Scene used in the Clint Eastwood-directed movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Notice the iron fish decorating the water drain spout?

Our tour bus....you could get on and off at 16 stops.

Typical Historic District tree lined street.

 

Drawing of old Savannah with it's 24 original squares.

Here is the layout of the Historic District with it's 22 squares. Two have been demolished.

Savannah is a great touring and walking city. We enjoyed it much.

Steve and Kim

Savannah’s Architectural Styles

In a study published by the Savannah Historic Foundation, one of the most admired preservation groups in the country, more than 40 percent of 2,500 buildings inventoried in Savannah had architectural or historical significance. Most restoration has been accomplished by individuals – one building at a time. With the addition of the Savannah College of Art and Design in the late 1970s, historic preservation and restoration flourished. From the simple Colonial style to the intricate Medieval-influenced cathedrals, to the gingerbread accents of the Victorian period; examples of most, if not all, of the nation’s18th and 19th century prevailing architectural styles can be found in Savannah.

Federal
The Federal style is depicted by prominent square or rectangular exteriors with slender curved iron stair railings and Palladian or Venetian windows. Savannah example: The Davenport House

Georgian
The Georgian style is depicted by symmetrical square facades with hipped roofs. Chimneys are built on the ends and quoins often adorn the corners. Savannah example: The Olde Pink House Restaurant

Gothic Revival
The Gothic Revival style is depicted by crafted details on pinnacles, chimneys and large welcoming entry hallways. Often used on churches of the period. Savannah example: Temple Mickve Israel

Greek Revival
The Greek Revival style is depicted by gabled portico or temple facade of one or two stories with columns of the Greek Doric or Iconic orders. Construction is post and beam, and roofs are designed with slopes and may be disguised behind heavy cornices and parapets. Savannah example: First Baptist Church

Italianate
The Italianate style was inspired by the farm houses of northern Italy and is depicted by low garbled roofs with wide overhanging eaves supported by decorative brackets, and entrance towers and roundhead windows with hood moldings. Most examples also feature cast-iron fronts and detailed entrances. Savannah example: Mercer House

Regency
The Regency style is depicted by triangular pediments, semi-circular stairs, articulated window openings, ionic columns and classical alcove entrance ways. Savannah example: Telfair Museum of Art

Romanesque Revival
The Romanesque Revival style is depicted by arch and dome construction, Corinthian column capitols and roof balustrades. Savannah example: The Cotton Exchange

Second French Empire
The Second French Empire style emphasizes picturesque vertical accents on building tops like chimneys and corner pinnacles. Also featured are turrets and domes reminiscent of French Renaissance architecture in the seventeenth century. Savannah example: Hamilton-Turner House

http://www.savannah.com/savannahs-architectural-styles/