Ft. Pulaski is on Cockspur Island, East of the historic downtown Savannah. It was built by orders of President Madison as the primary defense for the Savannah River, Ft. Pulaski (named after the Polish hero of the revolutionary War, who lost his life at the Battle of Savannah), was considered state of the art for military defenses. Seven and half foot masonry walls were able to withstand anything the enemy could throw at that time. Before the US Government could occupy the fort, Georgian militia moved in and then handed the fort over to the Confederacy after Georgia seceded six months later. The union had a new invention, the rifle canon. It took only thirty hours to breach the walls using this new form of artillery. Canon balls are still imbedded in the walls. The cannon balls breached the walls. The next volley would have hit the powder magazine. The commandant raised the white flag.
The fort is an architectural marvel. The walls are freestanding with masonry arches as the foundation and the roof. The attached pictures do not do justice to the beauty of the fort. The important lesson to be learned from visiting this magnificent fortress is that nothing built by man is indestructible. For every defense, a new offensive weapon is developed to penetrate. This pertains, not only to military matters, but also to matters of human nature. Just think the effect of love and kindness has over the long haul against any psychological defense. Robert E. Lee designed the outlieing battleworks for the fort.
Further East is Tybee Island. The island features the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia. The island also has more parking meters per capita than anywhere else. If their primary industry is tourism, they have a peculiar way of welcoming them, even in stormy weather.
Walking around the fort and driving during a rainstorm, stirs up the appetite. Where does one eat when on the Atlantic coast? At a crab shack, of course. We found one, aptly named the Crab Shack, which was crowded. Our appetites overruled our desire to stay dry. When the rain diminished a little, we slogged through the ankle deep puddles to the restaurant. We had to wait for a table. But the wait was well worth the time. The food was copious, tasty, and relatively inexpensive. The atmosphere was akin to Jimmy Buffet's Margarittaville.
It was also the perfect time to visit historic Savannah: the end of the Music Festival, the beginning the St. Patrick's Day celebrations, and the fortieth anniversary of the restoration of the Davenport House.
CAT, the regional transportation authority, offers a free shuttle service throughout the historical district. Trolleys operate every twenty minutes Mon-Sat and every forty minutes on Sunday. It is a great way to get an overview of the city. You also get to meet a wide variety of tourists, homeless, and just regular folks.
The historic district is laid out around a system of squares and boulevards. Each square, 21 in totality, (used to be 28 in the original plans) start a few blocks from at the riverfront and are situated five abreast and five deep. The squares are surrounded by homes, public buildings, and churches. Separating each group of squares is a tree lined boulevard with one way streets running in either direction. The traffic flows remarkable well through this part of the city. The squares, now parks, were originally pasture lands where the livestock could feed. Today the visitor has a feeling of open spaces in an urban environment.
Many of the houses have been restored recently. Davenport House c. 1820 was having a birthday party with free tours. The house is now owned by the Savannah Foundation and was its first renovation project. General W. T. Sherman saved the city from destruction, but it was almost accomplished by developers one hundred years later.
Other houses of note are the Gordon-Low house, the home of Juliette Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts of America, the Andrew Low house (her birthplace), Flannery O'Connor's childhood home, and the Green-Meldrim House, where Sherman resided during his occupation.
Not to be missed is Bay Street, Factors Walk, and River Street. Along here are the old Cotton Exchange, now a Masonic Lodge, City Hall and the old customs house. On River Street, a cobble stoned street with a railroad track running down the center, are restaurants and souvenir shops. On the upper level, which fronts Bay Street are various professional offices.
A restaurant of note, which serves very good food, without resorting to a high tab is B. Matthew's Bakery-Eatery at 325 E. Bay Street. Situated in an actual bakery, they offer soup, sandwiches, quiches and various salads on an eat-in or take-out variety. We had soup, quiche, and an excellent Apple-Pecan Chicken Salad. The bakery is across from Ermmet Park, which has a Celtic Cross and the statue of the waving girl who welcomed every ship which came up the river. [Bay Street Factors Walk]
Within the historical district is Colonial Park Cemetery, where many Revolutionary War heroes are interred. Historical markers dot many of the gravesites describing the lives of the individuals.
Historic Downtown takes more than one day to explore. There are many places we want to visit in great depth in the future.
Visited Fort Jackson, another masonry fort erected to protect Savannah. The city spires are visible from the fort. Established by Thomas Jefferson, it saw duty in the war of 1812 and the Civil War. The walls were never breached. The fall of Savannah came from the West with Sherman's March to the Sea. The fort was evacuated and then fell into disuse. Just off shore, in the middle of the river lies the remains of The SS Georgia, an ironclad vessel, which was scuttled in order to keep out of the Union's hands. The Fort has frequent reenactments of the various wars in which the fort participated.
Drove around Forsyth Park on the West Side of the Historical District. We were surprised to see so many young people playing a form of Frisbee Football. We found out later that they were students of the Savannah College of Arts and Design (SCADS), which has purchased most of the large buildings of downtown Savannah. The college is a major presence in the city.
Tried to find Bonaventure Cemetery, the old cemetery of the city. The maps misdirected us and we were forced to ask for directions. Thank goodness for a young man waiting for a bus. He knew where the cemetery was and told us where to turn. The cemetery itself was interesting and included many graves of soldiers who died in defense of Savannah. Unlike The Colonial Park Cemetery in the Historic District, this one did not have historical markers.
A short distance from there is the Chatham County Garden Center and Botanical Gardens. Being early spring, not much was in bloom. Perhaps during the summer or early fall more flowers will be visible.
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