Savannah Cruzers

Savannah Cruzers Golf cart tours through the beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, GA. Walking tours also available.

The oldest known burials in Bonaventure Cemetery actually predate the cemetery itself. Back in the days when Bonaventure...
09/27/2022

The oldest known burials in Bonaventure Cemetery actually predate the cemetery itself. Back in the days when Bonaventure was a plantation owned by the Tattnall family, they reserved an area to be used as a family graveyard. These graves can still be found today, in section E, plot 1, of Bonaventure cemetery. The oldest graves in that plot that we know of belong to Harriet Tattnall, wife of Josiah Tattnall, who died in 1802. Four of her children are also buried in the plot, with death dates going back as far as 1794.

When the land was sold and made to be a cemetery in 1846, the Tattnall family graveyard was turned into the first family plot! However, it may be confusing to an unknowing onlooker, because there are headstones at Bonaventure with death dates long before 1846, even death dates before Harriet and her children. This is because it became popular to have your family members reinterred in Bonaventure cemetery. Many bodies and headstones were moved to Bonaventure from other cemeteries to make this happen.

Photo: An 1876 photograph of the Tattnall plot.

Source: Library of Congress

09/20/2022

You will see contemplation benches throughout Bonaventure in private family plots. Some are dilapidated and in a state of ruins. But that's part of their appeal. Please be respectful and stay on the pathways where we are all allowed. These benches are for the families..
#912

The Marshall House in Savannah, Georgia has an interesting history. This large hotel was founded by Mary Marshall in 185...
09/15/2022

The Marshall House in Savannah, Georgia has an interesting history. This large hotel was founded by Mary Marshall in 1851. Mary was a Savannah business woman who saw a need for more housing as Savannah grew in popularity. Although it was a hotel, some people lived at the Marshall House full time. Now, it is the oldest operating hotel in the city.

Throughout the Marshall House’s history, it has served as an emergency hospital three times. Twice during Savannah’s yellow fever epidemics of the 1800s, and in 1864, it became a hospital for Union troops during the Civil War. The hotel was closed in 1895, and reopened in 1899 with brand new electricity and plumbing.

Another interesting fact is that Joel Chandler Harris, author of the Uncle Remus stories, lived at the Marshall House during the reconstruction era. It is unknown if he wrote any books while staying there, but many believe that he did.

In 1957, the Marshall House was closed because it was not up to code with fire safety rules. The upper floors were abandoned and the bottom level was used as a variety of different businesses. It was like this for many years until it was renovated and restored in the late 1990s, opening its doors to guests once again. With a colorful history like this, it’s no wonder that many people believe the Marshall House is haunted.

Photo: Savannah Postcard Collection, MS 016, Jen Library Archives and Special Collections, the Savannah College of Art and Design

On January 17, 1920, the 18th amendment was passed, which federally prohibited the sale of alcohol in America. However, ...
09/14/2022

On January 17, 1920, the 18th amendment was passed, which federally prohibited the sale of alcohol in America. However, Georgia being a conservative state had been implementing a prohibition since 1908. These bans caused problems nationwide, so what was Savannah doing during this time?

Savannah has always been known as a town that loved drinking, despite hard liquor being banned in the early days of the colony. The prohibition hit this town hard, with many businesses suffering. Savannah was actually so opposed to the prohibition, that it threatened to succeed from Georgia and become the state of Savannah. Of course, locals found a way to work around the ban, and it wasn’t long before Savannah was one of the hot spots for bootlegging in the south.

People utilized Savannah’s marshes to create liquor, where the geography was easy to hide the stills. These “moonshiners” would bring their alcohol to boats situated 3 miles off the coast of Georgia - officially international waters. The alcohol would wait on these boats in large containers where men called “rum runners” would meet the boats, grab some alcohol, and utilize the inter coastal waterway as a safe path inland, where they would sell it to businesses and private parties - but not before sometimes smuggling the liquor through secret underground tunnels. The winding rivers and complicated terrain of the inter coastal waterway allowed the rum runners safety - only locals knew the best paths, and the government would have a hard time tracking them. This procedure was how most locals got their alcohol during the prohibition.

Savannah was also famous for speakeasies. Speakeasies are establishments that secretly functioned as bars. Many of these establishments would also be restaurants and pharmacies, and some would have secret cellars where liquor was hidden. The Distillery Ale House in Savannah was one of these speakeasies, and The Crystal Beer Parlor may have been too. The Crystal Beer Parlor, then known as The Crystal Reataurant, was the first establishment to sell alcohol once it was made legal again, nearly immediately. This could be because they never actually stopped having alcohol in the building.

Photo: New Georgia Encyclopedia

Orleans Square, one of Savannah’s 22 squares, was created in 1815. It was named after the Battle of New Orleans in 1812....
09/12/2022

Orleans Square, one of Savannah’s 22 squares, was created in 1815. It was named after the Battle of New Orleans in 1812. You can find this square at the crossing of West McDonough and Barnard street. Interesting things to see around the square include the Harper Fowlkes House, a mansion built in 1842 that is now a museum. The John Ash house is also located there. Built in 1817, it is the oldest building around the square. The center of the square has a German Memorial Fountain, erected in 1989 to honor the German immigrants who were vital in the early days of Savannah. Orleans square is also located conveniently close to the Civic Center.

Photo: Library of Congress

Did you know the first emancipation proclamation happened by a Savannah area General? David Hunter was a Union General d...
09/11/2022

Did you know the first emancipation proclamation happened by a Savannah area General? David Hunter was a Union General during the Civil War. He spent time at Ft Pulaski, close to Savannah, where he assisted runaway slaves. He had some military power over Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, and on May 9, 1862, he took it upon himself to declare martial law and call for the immediate unauthorized emancipation of enslaved people in those states. Sadly, it did not work as planned. Ten days later, President Lincoln voided Hunter’s proclamation. However, it wasn’t long before Lincoln released his own Emancipation Proclamation, and many believe David Hunter’s act of justice pushed Lincoln to publicly do so. Prior to Hunter’s brave act, Lincoln was planning a “gradual emancipation”.

Photos: iowaculture.gov

Have you ever heard people say that Savannah is built on graves? Well, that is actually true. One such example is Calhou...
09/07/2022

Have you ever heard people say that Savannah is built on graves? Well, that is actually true. One such example is Calhoun Square in Savannah.

In the past, the city of Savannah required that all enslaved people be buried in designated burial grounds. One of those was the location that is now Calhoun Square. There are estimated to be about 1,000 unmarked graves of enslaved people buried in the general area of Calhoun Square.

Most of this was believed to be rumor and local legend until it was confirmed in the early 2000s, when city construction unearthed human remains.

It was always known that there had been a designated cemetery in that area, but in the 1850s when Laurel Grove Cemetery was opened, the other graveyards closed and were turned into other things. People were responsible for moving their family members into Laurel Grove and it is likely that many, if not most, could not afford for their family members' graves to be moved. The Savannah of the past proceeded to build over these people’s graves, and very few records were kept in regards to these individuals.



Photo: Wikipedia

Everyone has heard the story of the Mercer Williams house as it relates to the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and E...
09/05/2022

Everyone has heard the story of the Mercer Williams house as it relates to the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but the house actually has a history dating back to the 1860s.

It was originally owned and designed for Confederate General Hugh Mercer in 1860, but construction was never finished due to the Civil War. In 1868, it was purchased and finished building by John Wilder. Interestingly, and to many people's surprise, none of the Mercer family ever lived in the house.

In the early 1900s, the home was used as a temple for the Savannah Shriners. When Jim Williams purchased and restored the house in 1969, it had been vacant for years.

Photo: Mercer Williams House Museum

Victorians were known for their acceptance of death and their unique ways of dealing with it. With as many as 57% of chi...
09/05/2022

Victorians were known for their acceptance of death and their unique ways of dealing with it. With as many as 57% of children not making it to the age of 5, and a lifespan only averaging 45 years, death was a much more common and integral part of society. Humans were forced to deal with this harsh reality a lot more frequently. Most deaths also happened at home as opposed to hospitals, so the average person was far more comfortable with this stage of life than modern day humans.

After you lost a loved one, you were expected to go into a period of mourning. Depending on who you are and the relationship to the deceased, you could expect to be in mourning for up to two years. As you can imagine, with the death rates in the 1800s, people stayed in mourning a lot. Women in mourning wore all black clothing, veils over their faces, and special ornamentation known as mourning jewelry.

Mourning jewelry takes many forms - from a locket with a photo of your loved one, to an engraved bracelet. Perhaps the strangest form of mourning jewelry though, is Victorian hair art. People would take locks of their loved ones' hair and have everything from necklaces to rings, bracelets, even wall art made out of it! Today this would be considered macabre, but for people of the past, it was a beautiful way to commemorate a lost loved one and hold them close.

Carl Ludwig Brandt (1831-1905) was a German born artist who, in 1883, became the first director of the Telfair Museum of...
09/03/2022

Carl Ludwig Brandt (1831-1905) was a German born artist who, in 1883, became the first director of the Telfair Museum of Arts and Sciences.

When Mary Telfair died and requested a good portion of her money be used to turn her family home into a museum, Carl Brandt helped make that dream a reality. In fact, some of his work, including murals, adorn the walls of the museum.

Aside from his work for the Telfair Museum, he was also a member of the National Academy of Design. He studied at the Academy of Art in Copenhagen prior to that, and was an accomplished artist all around. He was especially known for his landscapes and portraits.

When Carl passed away at the age of 73, he was buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. After years of inclimate weather, his headstone was in need of repair. Recently, his plot was restored thanks to the Bonaventure Historical Society.



Photo: Telfair Museums

During the Industrial Revolution, Savannah became a bustling seaport, specializing in the distribution of cotton. In fac...
08/16/2022

During the Industrial Revolution, Savannah became a bustling seaport, specializing in the distribution of cotton. In fact, at one point in time, Savannah’s port was the second ranking cotton port in the world and referred to as the “Wall Street of the South”. To accommodate this, in 1887 the Old Cotton Exchange was built. It served as the center of commerce for cotton.

The building was designed by a nationally renowned architect, William Gibbons Preston. It features a beautiful arched doorway complete with elaborately carved designs. There are even Roman style sculptures featured around the top of the building. Today, it is occupied by the Freemason's Solomon's Lodge No. 1.

Photo: Georgia Historical Society

The second deadliest battle of the Revolutionary War took place here in Savannah. The Siege of Savannah took place in 17...
08/15/2022

The second deadliest battle of the Revolutionary War took place here in Savannah. The Siege of Savannah took place in 1779. It was an attempt by French and Continental (American) troops to overtake Savannah, which had fallen under British rule during the war.

The land that is now Bonaventure Cemetery played a vital role in this battle. During the Siege of Savannah, the land, which at the time was a plantation, was overtaken by French and Haitian soldiers. After the violent battle that took place, the area was used as a hospital, and it can be inferred that many soldiers were buried somewhere on the grounds.

Photo: Attack on Savannah, by A.I. Keller

In the early days of Bonaventure Cemetery, it was quite common for families to use their purchased plots for other purpo...
08/10/2022

In the early days of Bonaventure Cemetery, it was quite common for families to use their purchased plots for other purposes than funerals. When the cemetery was first opened in 1846, of course there were far less graves and much more grassy green spaces. It was not uncommon for families to come out to the cemetery for picnics, to walk their dogs, to garden, and even to play croquet. It may seem odd to some to have family bonding time at a cemetery, but for those living in the Victorian Era, it was a fairly normal thing to do. The Victorians viewed death and mourning through a unique lense, and cemeteries were treated more like public parks. In fact, sidewalks for leisurely strolls were included in the original design for Bonaventure. Part of the reason they put up elaborate monuments and intricate gardens within the cemetery was to impress those passing by and show off the family wealth. Victorian cemeteries were meant to be enjoyed by the living, just as much as they were meant to commemorate the dead.

Photo: Library of Congress

The Unitarian Church located on Troup Square has an interesting history. It was built in 1851 and originally located in ...
08/09/2022

The Unitarian Church located on Troup Square has an interesting history. It was built in 1851 and originally located in Oglethorpe Square. The church was actually moved to Troup square in 1860. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the church is that James Lord Pierpont, the man who wrote “Jingle Bells” actually worked there as a music director in the 1850s.

Photo: Walker Evans, Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1935.

Where did the name Savannah come from? Our city isn’t named after the plains in Africa, but something much more local.In...
08/06/2022

Where did the name Savannah come from? Our city isn’t named after the plains in Africa, but something much more local.

In the 1600s, the Shawnee tribe from the northeastern US traveled south and settled in what is now Augusta, Georgia. They called themselves “Saawanwa”. This word is most likely the origin of the word Savannah, and the Savannah River was subsequently named after them. When Oglethorpe settled in Savannah, he took the name from the river that bordered our town. Many people think that the Savannah River is named after our city, but it is actually the other way around! Before our city was called Savannah, our area was referred to as “Yamacraw Bluff”, after the Yamacraw tribe that is native to this area.

Photo: Historical Marker Database

What encompasses Savannah’s Historic District? With a city as beautiful as ours, you can’t tell where the historic distr...
08/06/2022

What encompasses Savannah’s Historic District? With a city as beautiful as ours, you can’t tell where the historic district ends and the regular “city” begins.

Our historic district, which is one of the largest Historic Landmark Districts in the country, is bounded by the Savannah River, Forsyth park, East Broad Street, and Martin Luther King Jr, Blvd. Within that designated area lies the original town plan laid out by James Oglethorpe in 1733. His design became known as the “Oglethorpe Plan”. The historic district has a total of 22 squares, a variety of parks, museums, and countless historic homes.

Photo: thempc.org

For over 60 years now, Savannah’s downtown preservation efforts have been under the care of the Historic Savannah Founda...
08/03/2022

For over 60 years now, Savannah’s downtown preservation efforts have been under the care of the Historic Savannah Foundation. This organization was formed by a group of seven women who had hopes to stop Savannah from destruction.

By the 1950s, Savannah had experienced several decades of decline. With much of it stemming from difficulty bouncing back after the Great Depression, a lot of our historic homes were in danger of being torn down. They were simply dilapidated after years of neglect.

One such building to be saved was the Isaiah Davenport House. In fact, it was the possible demolition of this building that caused concerned citizens to band together and create the Historic Savannah Foundation. They successfully saved the home, and many more to follow. Thanks to their efforts, over 350 historic buildings have been saved from demolition.

Photo: Library of Congress

Did you know that the famous American novelist Flannery O’Connor is from Savannah? She was an unconventional writer know...
08/02/2022

Did you know that the famous American novelist Flannery O’Connor is from Savannah? She was an unconventional writer known for her books such as “Wise Blood” and her short story collections such as “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. Her stories touched on themes like religion and southern culture.

Flannery was born in 1925 to a prominent Catholic family native to Georgia. She spent her childhood in Savannah until her father’s illness caused her family to move to Milledgeville, a small town in Central Georgia where her mother was from. She spent her adolescence and college years there before starting upon her life as a successful author. Sadly, at the age of only 25, she became critically ill with the same autoimmune condition that killed her father. She returned to Milledgeville where she lived on the family farm “Andalusia” from 1951 until her death in 1964.

O’Connor’s childhood home is now a museum located on E. Charlton street in Savannah

Photos: New Georgia Encyclopedia

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330 Bonaventure Road
Savannah, GA
31404

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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Videos

Early Spring in Bonaventure
Early Spring in Bonaventure

Spring is near in Bonaventure cemetery! The birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, and vibrant azaleas adorn nearly every family plot. Azaleas only bloom a few short weeks throughout the year, making now a perfect time to come and enjoy the beauty of Bonaventure! #savannahcruzers #savannahgeorgia #bonaventurecemetery #azaleas #flowers #victorian #gardening #historicpreservation

At first we thought all of the action in this clip might have been a little distracting. You can see a load of dirt being brought in as well as a family coming to explore the cemetery. Later, we realized this shows Bonaventure as a living, working cemetery that is still much visited.

What do you think about this aerial view of Bonaventure? Would you like to see more unique perspectives? Comment your favorite thing about Bonaventure cemetery. . . . . . #historicsavannah #tourism #tourguide #tours #goexplore #goexploresavannah #savannah #sav #912

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