For 91 Days in Savannah

Anecdotes and advice from three months living in the city

For 91 Days, the southern jewel of Savannah, Georgia, was our winter home. From beautiful squares to historic houses, unforgettable restaurants and an eccentric cast of characters that could be (and actually is) straight out of a novel, we tried to capture everything that makes Savannah so special.

Spanish Moss: Neither Spanish nor Moss

I clearly remember the first time we entered Savannah, and turned onto 37th Street, where we would be living for three months. Huge oak trees canopied the street and random rays of sunlight squeezed past the Spanish moss, which hung apathetically off branches like the embodiment of sorrow. Years from now, when I shut my eyes and think "Savannah," Spanish moss washed in sunlight will be what I see.

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Orleans Square

Orleans Square, on Barnard Street, might as well be called Parking Lot Square. It's one of the spaces which has been most negatively impacted by the development boom of the mid-20th century.

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Crawford Square

Laid out in 1841, Crawford is the only of Savannah's squares with recreational equipment: a basketball court, won by the neighborhood after a 1946 tournament. Found on Houston Street, the square was named after native son William Harris Crawford, who was Secretary of the Treasury and who unsuccessfully ran for President in 1824.

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Troup Square

Built in 1851, Troup is one of Savannah's smaller squares. It was named after George Troup, a former governor known his strident support of slavery and anti-Indian policies.

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Old Fort Jackson

In 1808, with relations between Britain and our fledgling country quickly deteriorating, President Thomas Jefferson ordered the construction of Old Fort Jackson to protect the important port city of Savannah.

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Franklin Square

The only square on Montgomery Street to survive into the present day is Franklin Square. Like the lost squares of Liberty and Elbert, Franklin Square had been a victim of urbanization, but was fortunately restored in the 1980s.

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