A rather quiet square in the southwest corner of the Historic District canopied by about 20…read morebeautiful Live Oaks - the state tree. It's not uncommon to spot a wedding taking place in Chatham Square or SCAD textile design students studying. Some interesting facts about Chatham Square and surrounding buildings: *Chatham Square was laid out, along with neighboring Monterey Square, in 1847. Chatham Square is one of the last four in the expanding "Oglethorpe Plan" by city and Georgia colony founder General James Oglethorpe. *Chatham Square is named after Englishman William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, who was an early supporter of the Georgia colony. *in the center of the square you'll find a sundial dedicated to African American, Savannah native, Louis Burke Toomer. Additionally, a historical marker placed in his honor highlights Toomer's contributions as a leader, local bank founder and realtor. Toomer established what is now the Carver State Bank. *In 1854, Barnard Street Elementary School, a boys school, was built on the northwest corner of Chatham Square. *General Sherman's Union forces used Barnard Street Elementary as a military hospital during the Civil War. *In 1906, Mediterranean revival style Barnard Street School was constructed on the same site as the old Barnard Street Elementary School. It was designed by Swedish immigrant, architect Gottfrid L. Norman. *The Northwest corner of Chatham Square continues to serve academically. SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) purchased Barnard Street School in 1988. The renovated school is now Pepe Hall and houses SCAD's Textile design school. *Gordon Row, on the southeast corner, was one of Savannah's first housing developments. These Federalist or Regency style homes line the 100 block of Gordon Street and were built in phases between 1852 and 1854. Cost per home was $3,500-$4,000 and marketed to country planters or farmers who wanted a house in town during visits.

Chatham Square is unique in that it's a little out of the way of your main Squares and houses no…read moremonuments or statues. It makes up for that with beautiful floral gardens, large oaks covered in Spanish moss and a lovely sundial. It's a short walk from Liberty Street, full of hotels and restaurants within the historic district. Interesting fact: Chatham Square is one of the least visited squares and was one of the last of Savannah's squares to be laid out. It's named after William Pitt, the first Earl of Chatham, the county Savannah resides in, and oddly enough, Chatham county was also named after William Pitt (but which was named first, I couldn't tell you. What you should look for when you visit: Barnard Street School, which used Chatham Square as their school playground for many years (the building is now part of SCAD). And "Gordon Row", a series of fifteen 4-story homes in a row. Square Review 2:22

My favorite of the two coastal forts we visited on our trip…read more Fort Pulaski is in fine condition minus the damaged walls in certain locations where signs of battle are still visible. The ranger talk was particularly animated and informational. Fascinating that this was Robert E. Lee's first post after graduating from West Point as an assistant engineer, but he left before completion of this Third System fort. He returned as General Lee in 1860 and proclaimed, "Colonel, they will make it very warm for you with shells from that point but they cannot breach at that distance." But, due a new type of rifled cannon, it took only 30 hours for Confederate soldiers to surrender the fort. For the remainder of the war it primarily served as a staging post for soldiers entering and leaving the war as well as a jail. The location on Cockspur Island is rugged beautiful and you can look north towards Hilton Head Island. it is surrounded by a moat and there are many displays in the interior of the fort and you can walk all around the upper parapet to get lovely views of the area. There are several stairways to reach the upper level, but keep children in hand since there are no railings on the top (inside). As an aside, I had never heard of Casimir Pulaski, but he is the father of the American cavalry and everyone in Illinois is well acquainted because they honor him with a school holiday. To quote Lin Manuel Miranda, "Immigrants, they get the job done." There were many human touches still part of the fort, from hand and foot prints in the bricks to graffiti left by soldiers who lived here. Definitely a great spot to visit just outside of Savannah.

Loved our trip to see the fort! It was my favorite experience (apart from the beach) during our…read moretime down at Tybee! If you have any interest in history, go see it! In their visitor center, they have a film that goes through the history of the fort. In the fort they have a gift stop and you can walk through the whole fort at your own leisure. They have tours that occur throughout the day if you'd like a more in depth walk through of the fort. They have walking trails as well. Overall, 10/10.

Any fans of the Civil War will find so many amazing historical locations in Savannah…read more Shermans's Headquarters is one such place. Gorgeous building with amazing surroundings. Check out the history of why the Union left Savannah unscathed.

Located on Madison Square is the historic Gothic Revival Green-Meldrim House which was built…read morebetween 1853 and 1861. The architect for the house was John S. Norris who also designed the Savannah Customs House. The house was constructed for Mr. Charles Green who came from England to Savannah in 1833. Mr. Greene made his fortune in cotton and ships. In December of 1864, General Sherman used this house as his headquarters at Mr. Green's invitation. General Sherman came to Savannah with the Federal Army to occupy Savannah during his famous March to the Sea during the Civil War. Sherman was successful in taking over the city and sent President Lincoln a telegram that when down in history when he offered Savannah to him as a Christmas gift, bringing the Civil War to an end. Sherman occupied the house until the end of the war. In 1976, the house was designated a National Landmark by the United States Department of Interior. After Mr. Greene died, his son Edward moved to France with the furnishings from the house and sold it to Judge Peter W. Meldrim. On December 30, 1943, Judge Meldrim sold the house to the parish of St. John's after which they restored it. After Edwards youngest son, the writer Julien Green passed, the church was able to buy the furniture in France and have it returned to the house. Today St. John's Episcopal Church gives tours pf the house and they use it for meetings. St. John's maintains a church next door. There is a historical marker in front of the house detailing it's storied history. The houses fascinating story and magnificent architecture makes it a great stop during a tour of Savannah.

This square is located on Abercorn, between Taylor and Gordon Streets. It was named in honor of…read moreJohn C. Calhoun, a United States Senator from South Carolina who was known as the great orator of the south. He served as Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and the Vice President under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. This was one of the final three squares to be completed in 1851. This square is unique in that it is the only square in the City of Savannah with all of its original buildings still intact. Many of the home along the the square were built in the 1850's and 1860's in the Greek Revival style. One of the historic buildings that overlooks the square is the Massie Common School House. It was designed in the Greek Revival style by John Norris and served as Georgia's first school. General William Sherman took over the school in December of 1864 and used it as a hospital. Another historic building along the square is the Gothic Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church founded in 1868. Construction of the church began in 1875. The first phase of construction was completed in 1875 and the second floor was finished 12 years later. There are stories of this square being haunted because this square was a slave burial ground containing 1,000 graves. In 2004 a skull was discovered by utility workers outside the Massie Heritage Interpretation Center on the square's southeastern side. Slaves in the 18th century were buried in the area that is now the square when the land was on the outskirts of Savannah's city limits. Many of the bodies were moved to Laurel Grove Cemetery South but apparently they still missed a few. Points of interest near Calhoun Square includes Clary's Cafe two blocks north, famous for it's breakfast and Savannah's biggest park, Forsyth Park, is three blocks southwest from the square. Today you can sit on a bench and reflect on the history of this part of the city beneath the trees that cast their shade over this hallowed ground.

The mature Live Oak tree canopy, limbs dripping with Spanish Moss, make Calhoun Square the perfect…read moresetting for its ghost stories! Those believing in the supernatural make this Square a must see. Additionally, Calhoun Square was one of the last three squares to be laid out in 1855. James Oglethorpe's 1733 city plan was still an ongoing vision one hundred and twenty two (122) years later with its construction. John C. Calhoun, an accomplished South Carolina statesman, Vice President to John Quincy Adams and Secretary of War for the United Stares of America, was the namesake of Calhoun Square. This is an intriguing Square with original buildings surrounding the square and ghost stories involving its history. Originally, in Savannah's infancy, the property that is now Calhoun Square was beyond the city limits. At that time, this property was the resting place of approximately "1,000 slaves", according to Wikipedia Squares of Savannah. The bodies were later moved to Laurel Grove Cemetery South. However, some remains were obviously missed as utility workers found a skull in 2004 that testing revealed dated back to the 1800s. For this reason, many Ghost tours make Calhoun Square a spot to investigate, and hopefully encounter, paranormal activity. Savannah is touted as one of America's most haunted cities in the USA, and Calhoun Square is one of many intriguing ghostly places to visit due to the burial ground history. Additionally, several of the homes and Massie School facing Calhoun Square are supposedly haunted. Some interesting facts regarding the surrounding buildings: *Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church stands grandly on the southwest corner of Calhoun Square. This gothic style church was named after and a tribute to the brothers and founders of Methodism, Charles and John Wesley. First services were held in 1868. *Greek Revival style Massie School is located on the southeast corner of Calhoun Square and was Savannah's and the state of Georgia's first public school. It's namesake Peter Massie, a Scotsman, gave Savannah $5,000 to build a school for "children of the poor". Massie School opened in 1856 and educated students until 1974. *The Greek Revival style home at 432 Abercorn Street in the southeast corner of Calhoun Square has an interesting past of death, and some say the most haunted in Savannah. The home was built for civil war veteran and cotton merchant, General Benjamin J. Wilson. The family of five children moved in in 1869. His wife died sometime after of Yellow Fever, and legend has it her ghost still wonders the home. *Stories of Prohibition bootlegging and murder make up some of the history of the Espy home, built in 1900, at 421 Abercorn Street and facing the northwest corner of Calhoun Square. This home belonged to federal judge, Carl Espy, who lived a double life as a respected judge and had a thriving, secretive bootleg business. Supposedly his granddaughter tragically died in the home, and his son was found murdered here, as well.

On a recent trip to Savannah, one of my favorite things to do has been to learn the history of the…read moremonuments and squares that are all over this beautiful city. This monument has a very interesting story, both about the man it is dedicated to and who might possibly be buried at its base. The Pulaski Monument is located in the center of Monterey Square in Savannah. The monument is dedicated to one of our country's favorite military figures, Brigadier General Count Casimir Pulaski. Kazimierz Pułaski (1745-1779) was born into a noble family in Warsaw, Poland. He developed a passion for politics and came to the notice of the Continental Army while fighting against Russia. He was then issued an invitation to come to the colonies to aid them in their fight for independence. During the Revolutionary War he fought with honor at the battle of Brandywine despite not having fully enlisted and he became famous for organizing the American calvary. Pulaski was fatally injured at the Siege of Savannah. During the war, the British captured Savannah. Pulaski launched an attempt to take it back but was forced to retreat. As he attempted to inspect the battlefield he was mortally wounded by grape shot. To this day Pulaski remains a popular figure in American history and many parks and monuments throughout the country are named for him. After the war Savannah wanted to honor two war heroes, Pulaski and Nathanael Greene but the cost was prohibitive to the young nation saddled with war debt. Prior to 1823, both men were honored with an obelisk in Johnson Square. The monument to Pulaski was originally slated for Chippewa Square where a cornerstone was laid in 1823, but there wasn't enough money to build it and the location was changed to Monterey Square where a new cornerstone was laid in 1853. Russian born, New York artist Robert Eberhard Launitz created the 55 foot Italian marble monument. About the monument he designed, Mr. Launitz has said, "The monument is surmounted by a statue of Liberty, embracing with her left arm the banner of the Stars and Stripes, while in her right hand is extended the Laurel Wreath. The love of liberty brought Pulaski to America; for love of liberty he fought, and for liberty he lost his life. Thus, I thought that Liberty should crown his monument, and share with him the homage of the free." Once the Pulaski monument was built the obelisk in Johnson Square became the Nathanael Greene monument. A 241 year old mystery haunts Savannah involving Pulaski's final resting place. Some people believe General Pulaski was buried at the base of his monument while others are not so sure. After Pulaski was mortally injured at the Siege of Savannah, he was taken by boat up the coast to Charlestown. Some records say he was buried at sea while others say he made it to the Bowen Plantation where he was buried in an unmarked grave. In 1854 the body was dug up and interred at the base of the memorial despite that it might not actually be Pulaski. After eight years of testing and tracking down Pulaski's relatives in Poland, DNA testing has failed to settle the matter conclusively. Perhaps the general is not at rest as people have reported that this square is haunted by the sound of dying Revolutionary War soldiers.

Established on July 31, 1789 by Congress, the U.S. Custom Service is the oldest federal agency. At…read morethe time of it's creation the new nation was on the brink of bankruptcy after the Revolutionary War and in order to survive George Washington agreed to the collection of taxes on imported goods in order to raise money. That same year a customs house was established in Savannah to collect the taxes on imported goods, regulate importers and exporters, and to prevent smuggling and revenue fraud. The custom house that sits here is actually Savannah's third building to serve that purpose. After the second custom house burned down in 1837 the federal government purchased this plot of land across from in 1845 across from City Hall that used to contain a wood frame house used by Georgia founder James Edward Oglethorpe. The cornerstone for the custom house was laid on July 20, 1848 and the building was designed by New York Architect, John S. Norris in a Greek Revival style. It was constructed entirely of stone in order to make it fire proof and the building was completed in 1852 making it the oldest federal building in Georgia. In the 1850's a vigorous slave trade took place outside the back door of the building where humans waited in cages before their turn on the auction block even though it was in violation of the law. A U.S. Post Office was in the basement of the building, the Customs Service was on the first floor, and the federal courts occupied the second story. It was in this court room that the famous trial of America's last slave ship, the Wanderer took place. In 1861 the Georgia State Convention adopted the Order of Secession and control of the building was taken over by the Confederacy. The Civil War ensued and General Sherman returned the building to the Union four years later when he seized Savannah during his March to the Sea. The building was added to U.S. Register of National Historic Places in 1974. Today Savannah is home to one of the largest ports in the country and the building is occupied solely by Customs and Border Protection. Besides being tasked with collecting taxes, they are also in charge of keeping terrorists and weapons out of the country and facilitating lawful international trade. Equipment used today consists of x-rays, radiation, portal monitors, and density meters. Both people and cargo are examined as they enter the port which is vital to U.S. safety. The United States Customs House was steps away from my hotel during a recent visit to Savannah. Unfortunately I was on a tight time line and although I passed by many times it was closed and I was unable to go inside. If you can work it out for your trip, the inside is open to the public and contains displays that include old tools used to test cargo coming into the port and confiscated items. It is definitely someplace I look forward to visiting when I return.

The US Customs House in Savannah was designed by noted architect John Norris and was completed in…read more1852. It replaced an older and less-imposing customs house and has served as functioning customs house since it opened and still serves in this capacity today. The building's use of stone from foundation to roof is not only grand and bespeaks the importance of this building, but also was a reaction to the problem of fires in the crowded city and Norris was known to employ stone as a fireproofing method in many of his public commissions when there was ample money for such. The iron fence surrounding the building includes a tobacco leaf motif that is also found in the columns and elsewhere on the building and is a reference to the crucial importance of tobacco as an export crop at the Port of Savannah at the time the Customs House was built. When completed, the main post office for Savannah was in the basement and the customs service on the second floor while courtrooms for the local Federal district were upstairs. Colonel John H. Deveaux, the first African-American director of a Customs Service office served here following the Civil War and the building is filled with a lot of other interesting local history. As far as I know, anyone can come inside and admire the impressive architecture (the central staircase inside the building is a real showpiece) and while I was there on official business, I noticed they had several exhibits on contraband that Customs officials had discovered on ships in port--the display included antique weapons, ivory, and it seems like some sort of African masks. I hope the building is open for the public or tours are possible, because it's one of the best examples of Norris' archtecture and holds a real wealth of history. It's also interesting to see such a fine building still in use as it was first intended.

I really liked this statue, even though this story is amazingly sad. Luckily it was a stop on our…read moretrolley. We actually got off the trolley at one end of River Street and walked all the way to this end (which is about where this is). I would highly recommend stopping by and reading about this amazing story.

We smoked a nice cigar by the statue. It's right on the water. Such a sad story, she waited too…read morelong for that guy!

This area is full of shops, restaurants, cafes, galleries, boutiques, inns and hotels. A good part…read moreof these businesses are located in restored passageways and nineteenth-century cotton warehouses. Everyone seems to enjoy this area when visiting Savannah. But what is Factor's Walk...and how did it get its name? Why is it here? Factor means to "sell" or "factorize". In these same buildings that now house various businesses...men used to bale, factor and sell cotton. The iron bridges and walkways led to the office entrances...often on the 3rd, 4th & 5th floors of the buildings. Here, brokers worked on sales and managed exports. "Factors" determined the amount(s) of cotton that would be sold to any merchant. Factors Walk was named after these cotton factors. Although the cotton trade is no longer here, it is still very much a business district...just in a different way. Today it is more of a promenade for all to enjoy instead of just doing business. The walkways & bridges are beautiful and remain nearly the same. There are historic steps that are rather steep still in existence as well that lead below to the river front...use them at your own risk. The architecture in this entire area is amazing...and cost nothing to take it all in except a little time...and this is time that I highly recommend.

Great place to visit , great view a good spot to take great pics . Historic steps is beautiful…read moreloved it . The only thing I hated was a lot of mosquitoes but other than that it was a great place to walk by and get to know