Afoot in Savannah
Apr. 7th, 2025 06:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerGeorgia Travelog #4
Savannah, GA - Sunday, 6 Apr 2025, 2pm
Today we headed into downtown Savannah for a bit of self-guided sightseeing. Our plan wasn't rigorous; it was as simple as "Here are two places related to rock collections Hawk wants to see; we'll walk around and see other things nearby." It turned out to be a fortuitous plan as Savannah is studded with small urban parks showcasing its history.
One thing interesting about Savannah is how its public presentation of its history compares to that of Charleston, South Carolina. Both are port cities established ~300 years ago that were important trade hubs from colonial times through the start of the US as an independent nation. But whereas Charleston's self-accounting of its history focuses on the Civil War— and the city's role in declaring war against the United States and the rule of law under the Constitution to preserve the brutal institution of slavery— Savannah's historical exhibits in its parks show its role in the Revolutionary War.
In addition to the typical "George Washington slept here" kind of markers relating to the Revolutionary era, we found displays like the one above, a monument to Haitian soldiers of African descent who fought on the side of independence. The inscription on the monument shown above indicates that the young drummer in the Battle of Savannah in 1779 represents Henri Christophe, who later led Haiti's war of independence against the French, ending in 1803.
It was fun taking a self-guided tour through Savannah. In addition to the many small parks and historical displays I enjoyed seeing the range of architecture. There are renovated old brick buildings dating back to the 1800s as well as early modern era skyscrapers from about 100 years ago. The latter are interesting because while they only rise 10-15 floors high versus the 50, 60, or 100 or more storeys common today, they include stonework and other architectural details that make them visually appealing. As I quipped to my niece, A., who's a student at Savannah College of Art and Design, "Architecture is art you can live in."
Savannah, GA - Sunday, 6 Apr 2025, 2pm
Today we headed into downtown Savannah for a bit of self-guided sightseeing. Our plan wasn't rigorous; it was as simple as "Here are two places related to rock collections Hawk wants to see; we'll walk around and see other things nearby." It turned out to be a fortuitous plan as Savannah is studded with small urban parks showcasing its history.
One thing interesting about Savannah is how its public presentation of its history compares to that of Charleston, South Carolina. Both are port cities established ~300 years ago that were important trade hubs from colonial times through the start of the US as an independent nation. But whereas Charleston's self-accounting of its history focuses on the Civil War— and the city's role in declaring war against the United States and the rule of law under the Constitution to preserve the brutal institution of slavery— Savannah's historical exhibits in its parks show its role in the Revolutionary War.
In addition to the typical "George Washington slept here" kind of markers relating to the Revolutionary era, we found displays like the one above, a monument to Haitian soldiers of African descent who fought on the side of independence. The inscription on the monument shown above indicates that the young drummer in the Battle of Savannah in 1779 represents Henri Christophe, who later led Haiti's war of independence against the French, ending in 1803.
It was fun taking a self-guided tour through Savannah. In addition to the many small parks and historical displays I enjoyed seeing the range of architecture. There are renovated old brick buildings dating back to the 1800s as well as early modern era skyscrapers from about 100 years ago. The latter are interesting because while they only rise 10-15 floors high versus the 50, 60, or 100 or more storeys common today, they include stonework and other architectural details that make them visually appealing. As I quipped to my niece, A., who's a student at Savannah College of Art and Design, "Architecture is art you can live in."
