Hostess Savannah

02/18/2025

The first constable force in Savannah that wasn't strictly local militia popped up in the 1790s. This "Guard & Watch" patrol started with 28 men who would patrol the streets of Savannah at night only- starting at twilight and then going home when the local militia played reveille at the onset of sunrise.

It wasn't until 1854 when the first official Police Department was established in Savannah, and the starting pay was $500 a year (about $18,000 a year in today's money... so not a lot).

Savannah's police department was also the first police department in Georgia to integrate - hiring 9 African American officers in 1947.

02/17/2025

The armillary sphere that sits in the center of Troup Square is held up by 6 bronze turtles. It is my humble opinion that these turtles are some of the most fashionable non-real animals in the city.

Often, an unnamed hero will decorate these stoic turtles for the season. They normally sport scarfs and Santa hats in December, bunny ears around Easter, witch's hats in October, and this past weekend, they were all dressed up for Valentine's Day!

The next time you head over to Troup Square, check out these turtles to see if their fabulous phantom stylist has struck again!

02/16/2025

Right next to Propes Hall, which I highlighted yesterday, is a trendy little Gastropub named the Fitzroy that features Australian cuisine! Run by the same group that owns Collins Quarter, the building that houses has its own unique history.

You may see some subtle nods to the sport of boxing in some of the Fitzroy's interior design, and that's because this building was known to have hosted boxing matches in the 1800s! It was also home to Churchill's Pub in the 1990s before a fire forced Churchill's to move to another building on Bay Street, but the bar scenes of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil were filmed in this building when it was Churchill's!

02/15/2025

The one thing I wanted to do when I started this account and this podcast was to be as authentic and transparent as possible. While I have been, for lack of a better term, a researcher, for many, many years, I'm still human, and I make mistakes! When I make these mistakes, I will always come clean to you guys.

In my very first podcast episode that covered Johnson Square, I told you that Savannah's first skyscraper was to the north of the square and is the building that is being turned into the Ritz Carlton. Welp, I goofed, and that was the wrong building, although the REAL first skyscraper is in the same section of the ward.

The beautifully ornate Propes Hall that today is owned by SCAD, was built in 1895 as the home of Citizen's Bank of Savannah. It was the first building in Savannah with an elevator and the first "fireproof" building in the city.

For those who want to know what else I got wrong in the first 5 episodes of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast, I am doing a quick debrief tonight that will be available for paid members of my Patreon, which is linked in my bio.

02/14/2025

One of the many things I love about Savannah is that she is packed with these sweet little details.

If you look close enough, you can see boot scrapers built into the railings of some of our historic homes. This boot scraper is on the steps of the Moses Eastman House that overlooks Chippewa Square. There's also a pretty photogenic boot scraper on the front steps of the Davenport House.

Have you seen any more boot scrapers around the Historic District?!

02/13/2025

My second favorite season is in full swing - Girl Scout Cookie Season!

This unassuming carriage house facing Drayton Street behind the Andrew Low House was the very first headquarters for the Girl Scouts of the United States. Many people think that this is where the very first Girl Scout Meeting was held as well, but they would be mistaken!

The first official meeting consisted of girls from the Nina Pape School, and it was held at the Louisa Porter House across the street, which at the time was a charity home for women and girls.

02/12/2025

Donated by the De Renne family, the fountain that graces the center of Columbia Square once stood in the Wormsloe Historic Site. The De Rennes are descendants of Noble Jones, who was one of Savannah's original colonists and who was the original owner of Wormsloe Plantation.

The color of the fountain is also significant, as that is a specific local color called "Swamp Root" green - I hear Shrek painted his bedroom that color!

02/11/2025

Have you visited Daffin Park in Midtown Savannah? Think Forsyth Park on steroids!

Named after Philip Daffin, who was the president of the local railroad and chairman of Savannah's first Park & Tree Commission, this nearly 80-acre park was established in 1907. The park's architect, John Nolen, set out to make sure the space was designed with "human interaction was in mind."

Well, he succeeded, as there is so much to do at Daffin! A community swimming pool, playground, dog park, multiple sports fields and courts, a walking/running path, plenty of green space, and even Grayson Stadium - the home field of our beloved Savannah Bananas - are all features of this giant park!

02/10/2025

So incredibly humbled to even be considered!

If you feel so inclined, please vote for for Savannah's Best Influencer and Hostess: A Savannah Podcast for Savannah's Best Podcast! Also, as mentioned below, I'm lucky enough to be part of an incredible tour company, Savannah True History Tours, that is also nominated in 4 categories!

You can vote daily until March 17th if you're really invested in our success! Thanks, friends!

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02/09/2025

Savannah's beauty is in the details...

The incredible iron fences, railings, balconies, and other decorative iron pieces you'll see as you stroll through the city have history all their own. There were quite a few iron foundries that popped up in the area in the 1800s to include the Kehoe Iron Works, Phoenix Iron Works, and the Bourke's Iron Works. However, before the Civil War, a few nearby plantations had their own foundries, too. The Hermitage plantation, whose enslaved persons made tons and tons of the iconic Savannah Grey Bricks, also make a lot of the early iron pieces, like the fence and gate in front of the Harper-Fowlkes House. Motifs like magnolia pods and ears of corn were popular embellishments.

Wait, Sarah, what about this week's podcast episode?!

To ensure the Hostess: A Savannah Podcast journey lasts throughout the year, after every 5th episode, I will be taking a 3 week break. This will allow me to have some time to write, record, and edit future episodes and protect myself from the ever dreaded burnout. But don't worry, I'll be adding some fun content during this time for my Patreon subscribers and, of course, will continue bringing Savannah history tidbits to y'all every day through this account. It also gives you some time to catch up!

Love you guys!

02/08/2025

432 Abercorn Street has a TON of ghost stories attached to her, though most of them are completely fabricated.

No, a little girl did not die from a heatstroke after being tied to a chair behind the bay window. No, there was not a triple homicide that happened here. And no, a SCAD student did not mysteriously go missing after staying here in the 90s.

Listen to this week's episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast to hear me disect these tall tales of this beautiful home.

02/07/2025

The Gastonian is a quaint Historic Inn located just south of Taylor Square on Gaston Street. Consisting of two beautiful mansions constructed in 1868, guests will feel right at home in one of the Inn's 15 historic guest rooms or 2 large suites.

And if you're a foodie, you'll be taken very good care of here, with gourmet breakfast options with silver tray service, a wine and hors d'oeuvres happy hour, and select coffee and homemade desserts available each evening!

These two mansions also have a really rich history. Listen to this week's episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast to hear all about 's story!

02/06/2025

Who else is ready for the flowers to start blooming?!

Over on Taylor Square, you'll find the Massie Heritage Center - a museum dedicated to telling Savannah's story from a unique perspective.

But before this facility was a museum, this building was Savannah's first public school! Peter Massie, bequeathed $5,000 in 1841 "for the education of the poor children of Savannah." This donation was invested "until a large enough sum could be accumulated to build a school," which finished construction in 1856.

The Massie Heritage Center is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-4pm, and admission is
$10 per adult. However, the Massie Heritage Center is participating in Super Museum Sunday this upcoming weekend and, along with many other Savannah museums, will be open for FREE on Sunday, Feb 9th, from 12-4!

02/05/2025

I don't know about you, but I'm trying to take my self-care very seriously this year, and I'm delighted to share this awesome new aesthetics team (who just happens to be this week's sponsor) with all of you!

Wildflower Aesthetics of Savannah is run by two fabulous military spouses - one of which is a proud veteran herself! They are passionate about helping their clients find a path to healthy, radiant skin in a relaxing and soothing environment and they take the time to educate to ensure you feel confident in your own skin long after leaving their office. They do much more than just facials, though! They also offer lash and brow services, microneedling, high frequency treatments, and more. They even do house calls! Check out their website for a full list of services.

Today is the day to start taking care of yourself - let help! Book an appointment now!

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast, message me for details!

02/03/2025

Susie King Taylor - freed woman, nurse, teacher, and author.

Susie King Taylor was an enslaved child in Savannah in the 1850s, but she attended secret schools in the city that educated black children. If caught, those who ran these clandestine schools would face a harsh punishment. As a bright young girl, she learned to read and write quickly.

During the Civil War, Susie's uncle smuggled her to a Union gunboat that was in the water near Fort Pulaski - gaining her freedom. At 14 years old, she attached herself to the 1st SC Volunteer Infantry Black Regiment - composed of Gullah-Geechee recruits and escaped slaves. She started as a laundress, but also trained as a nurse. Once leadership learned she was educated, Susie was put to work teaching the soldiers of the regiment how to both read and write.

In 2024, the former Calhoun Square was renamed after this incredible woman.

Learn more about Susie's life on this week's episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast!

02/02/2025

Black History Month is a time to reflect on both the struggles and successes of the African American community. I implore you to go out and support black-owned businesses and even go on one of our city's award winning Black-history tours through ! Education is power, ya'll!

This month's photo scavenger hunt focuses on just a few locations in Savannah's Historic District that highlight Black-history, so if you're out and about in Savannah over the next month, here's a chance to explore, see the city from a new perspective, and maybe win a curated gift box filled with treasures from local black-owned businesses and makers.

Here's the details:

🖤 Follow Hostess Savannah on Facebook and/or Instagram
🖤 Upload 10 separate pictures (in one post) matching this month's photo scavenger hunt list and tag us so we know you completed it
🖤 Photos must be yours and taken in and around Savannah, GA
🖤 Do NOT engage in any illegal or unsafe activities while taking these pictures
🖤 All participants who upload their photos by 9pm on February 23rd will be entered into a drawing
🖤 The winning name will be pulled randomly on Feb 24th - their prize will be mailed or dropped off within a week

Also, please be sure to tag any businesses who make an appearance in any of your pictures!

Have fun!

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

This scavenger hunt is in no way affiliated, endorsed, sponsored, or administered by Meta.

02/01/2025

Sometimes, I just want to climb Sgt Jasper's monument and yell for everyone walking down Bull Street to look up past the trees to take in the beauty of the Scottish-Rite building because it's something you can't miss! But, until my intrusive thoughts win out, this is your reminder to take it in the next time you're in Madison Square.

There's more blue lapis on the exterior of this building than on any other building in North America. Don't you think she's gorgeous?

Learn all about the history of this stunner in the latest episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast.

01/30/2025

This unique building just north of Madison Square holds one of my favorite cocktail bars in Savannah, ! But the stop-you-in-your-tracks architecture of the building poses lots of questions to its original purpose.

What if I were to tell you that this beautiful building was first constructed to hold horses?

Learn all about it on this week's episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast!