We really like Savannah! It is quite lovely – tree-lined streets,
beautiful & stately homes, clean and sweet-smelling (there’s something in
bloom on every street). We did a bit of research prior to coming here so we’d
have some idea what to do (and eat – Brad did that research), but also stopped
at the Visitor’s Center for some local information (and a good map of the
area). We got some good information, but the most exciting thing to pass along
was the was the first time Suzanne’s used a restroom that had a fireplace in
it! It was quite the topic of conversation as women entered/exited the
restroom.
First, an overview of Savannah – Savannah
was spared by General Sherman during the Civil War and offered to President
Lincoln as a Christmas present. The founders of Savannah planned the city to include a “town
square” every few blocks, the center of which is a garden. Each “square”
included a church, meeting hall, homes and shops. The Historic District is a
one-mile by one-mile square that encompasses a dozen-or-so of these “town
squares” and quite easy to walk or take one of the many trolley tours.
We
called today our “religious” day as we spent time touring both the First AfricanBaptist Church
and Mickve IsraelTemple, the longest-standing Jewish
congregation in the United
States (and the third oldest temple).
First we went to the First African Baptist Church
where we paid $7 each for a tour. The
tour guide was very good at explaining the history of the church and its people
- what fascinated us both about the First African Baptist Church
the most, was that it was part of the underground railroad. In fact, the
“bottom” floor had holes that were the air holes for slaves as they would spend
a day or two under the church, then walk out the tunnel that took them to the
(then) 12’ Savannah River. The air holes
were made in a particular pattern, so
when asked about the holes, they could say that they were a pattern found in
African Churches and was tradition.
We enjoyed the beautiful Forsyth Park for a bit ~
then made our way to the Mickve Israel Temple, paid our $5 per
person donation and took another interesting tour. The temple looked more like
a Catholic Church with ornate architecture and stained glass, and we all
assumed it had once been a church. However we were all wrong as it simply was
built during a time when building ornate building was the thing to do. Two
things really interested us at the temple:
That the Jews in Savannah supported the Confederacy and
even had fund-raisers for them. Most everyone in our tour thought that the
Jews would have supported freeing the slaves, being a persecuted group themselves for
thousands of year, but in fact, Savannah
was the only place at that time where Jews could worship freely and
without restrictions, so they supported those that supported them. We also thought that this was cool - this is the oldest torah in the United States~
We were hot and tired by the
end of our tours, so we headed back to the truck (good parking can be found at
the Visitor’s Center – first hour free; $1/hour thereafter) and headed home. All-in-all
a lovely, education day in Savannah!
Easy and affordable - no matter where you are!
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