Georgia Natural Wonder #106 - Savannah – Chatham Co. - Victorian/Modern (Part 7). 841

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Georgia Natural Wonder #106 - Savannah – Chatham County - Victorian to Modern (Part 7)

After the Civil War, Chatham County grew in population along with Savannah, which became one of the South's most important ports.

Late 19th Century - Victorian Era

By the early 1870s, Savannah had once again achieved commercial prosperity through its export of inland-grown Georgia cotton. An additional boost to Savannah's economy arrived with the increased export of naval stores. Items such as pitch and turpentine, recovered from South Atlantic yellow pine, were essential in the manufacture and upkeep of wooden ships.



In 1902 the naval stores industry was revolutionized by former University of Georgia chemist Charles Herty. Herty devised a method of collecting the raw sap from yellow pine in nearby Statesboro, Ga., proved that the method was not only more effective than previous methods of extraction but also enabled the trees to live into maturity and be eventually harvested.


Charles Herty (seated, fourth from left) is pictured with staff members at his Savannah Pulp and Paper Laboratory, circa 1933. Herty founded the lab in 1931 to develop techniques for producing newsprint from southern pine trees.

The harvesting of yellow pine further diversified Savannah's economy as a lumber exporter. By this time Savannah, with vast yellow pine forests extending far into Georgia's coastal plain, became the chief exporter of naval stores in the world. From the 1880s until the 1920s Savannah was the world's leading exporter of naval stores products, including pine timber, rosin, and distilled turpentine. By 1905 Savannah's exports, chiefly cotton and naval stores, were greater than the combined exports of all other south Atlantic seaports.


Laborers on a Savannah dock prepare barrels of rosin for shipment, circa 1895. From the 1890s until 1945, the ports at Savannah and Brunswick shipped out most of the world's supply of naval stores.

The Savannah Cotton Exchange was established in 1876 and made its permanent home on Bay Street in 1883. The exchange was established to provide cotton factors, brokers serving planters' interest in the market, a place to congregate and set the market value of cotton exported to larger markets such as New York or London. By the end of the 19th century factorage was on the decline as more planters were selling their products at interior markets, thus merely shipping them from Savannah via the extensive rail connections between the city and the interior.



By 1870 three principal railroads—the Central of Georgia Railway, the Savannah and Charleston and the Savannah and Gulf — connected the city to markets along the coast and the interior. The Central of Georgia, whose principal shareholder was the city of Savannah, established its own docks and canals to the west of the existing Savannah riverfront. This marks the first shift of industrial-commercial activity outside of the central plan of the city.



An additional railroad was built extending from the Drayton Street Depot out to Tybee Island in 1887. The rate, 1 cent per mile or 17.7 cents each way, enabled city dwellers to escape to the ocean and spend their newfound leisure hours at the beach on Tybee Island. This became the first commuter line from Savannah to an outlying area.



Savannah's 1902 Union Station stood on West Broad Street (renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in 1990) about four short blocks south of the Central of Georgia passenger depot. Union Station was demolished in 1962 to make way for I-16 exit ramps.



In 1875 the Savannah Rifle Association established. In 1876, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was dedicated.In 1878, the Congregation Mickve Israel synagogue built.



The delightful 50-block Victorian District is situated just south of the Historic District, and bounded by Martin Luther King Boulevard and East Broad Street, Gwinnett and Anderson Streets. It is a must see for anyone interested in Victorian architecture. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, this area represented the first suburb of Savannah as the city spread out in the late 1800s.



Largely residential, the neighborhood features examples of many architectural styles, and features some of the finest examples of post-Civil War architecture in the Deep South. The predominant style is Victorian, and many of the two-story homes are wood frame with whimsical gingerbread trim, stained-glass windows, and unique architectural details. 



The district, which is not part of the Savannah Historic District, was first listed in 1974 and officially extended in 1982. The total area is bounded to the north by the Savannah Historic District, to the west by a public housing project, to the south by a neighborhood of early- to mid-20th-century residences, and to the east by a mixed-use area of Seaboard Coast Line railroad tracks, industry, commerce, housing, and vacant lots.



The original area formed in 1974 covers 45 city blocks and is bordered by Gwinnett, Price, Anderson, and Montgomery Streets.The 1982 extension is bounded by Gwinnett, Abercorn, and 31st Streets, and includes a Carnegie library, a park, and more residential structures.
Admire the architecture on your own or as part of a tour in this 50-block neighborhood, known as Savannah’s first suburb. See fine examples of Victorian homes dating to the 1800s. Prominent features on the two-story frame homes include turrets, towers, bay windows, decorative trim and whimsical colors.



The Gingerbread house, also lesser known as The Asendorf House, is 108 years old, was built in 1899, and is considered one of the most outstanding examples of “Steamboat Gothic gingerbread carpentry” in the US. The house is commonly referred to as the Gingerbread House because of the elaborate gingerbread arches and spindles on the front porch and side balcony. It is also one of the most photographed homes in Savannah, and has been featured in many films and publications.



Inside, there’s a conservatory, three fireplaces, a wooden staircase, and extensive wood trim. The house is also filled with antique furnishings from the original period, and has a gorgeous, private courtyard with a gazebo and small waterfall. Today, the house is available for booking as a venue for weddings, private parties, receptions, and other events.



The Armstrong house is a 100 year old, four story mansion built in a beautifully restored Italian Renaissance style. With sprawling porches and a large grand entrance, it’s not to be missed. The house was originally owned by the Armstrong family, and has had three other owners since then. In 1935, it became the site of Armstrong Junior College, until the college moved to a larger location, and was bought by Jim Williams who converted it into a high-end antique shop. Currently, Bouhan, Williams, & Levy, one of the most prestigious law firms in all of Georgia have occupied the building since 1970.



The Juliette Gordon Low House is the birthplace of the founder of the USA Girl Scouts. She began the organization in 1912, and now it has over 50 million past and present members. The house is owned and operated by Girl Scouts of the USA since it was saved from demolition in the 1950s, and now exists as a National Girl Scout Program Center and a house museum for the general public.



This beautiful house, and the legacy of Juliette Gordon Low, has made her birthplace one of the most visited historic house museums not only in Georgia, but also in the nation.



After being spared destruction from Sherman's forces, Savannah struggled through the chaotic years of Reconstruction. The city's population swelled with the influx of thousands of freed slaves following the Civil War. The majority of Savannah's new black citizens lived in squalid conditions and were subjected to exorbitant rents and prices for goods by resentful whites. Two separate social cultures evolved for blacks and whites, and distinct racial lines were drawn, particularly in education. Teachers from the North came to Savannah to provide education for blacks, but progress was slow; it was not until 1878 that a public school for blacks was established. In 1890 Georgia's first public institution for higher learning for blacks, Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth, was established in the city. In 1936 the school became Georgia State College, then Savannah State College in 1950, and Savannah State University in 1996.



As the 19th century progressed, Savannah's population increased slightly and its wealth exponentially, but its ranking among the largest U.S. cities steadily dropped.



The city went from 41st most populous city in 1860 to 62nd in 1880 (the first year Atlanta exceeded Savannah as Georgia's largest city). Savannah was the 86th largest city in 1910, and by 1930 it was no longer ranked in the top 100 most populous U.S. cities.

Heavy industry and manufacturing

Diversification in Savannah's economy arrived as heavy industry and manufacturing entered into the region during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Union Camp, a division of the American Pulp and Paper Company, was established around the turn of the 20th century, locating its mill upriver from the historic core of the city.



Contributing to the trend of upriver industrial development, the Kehoe Iron Works was established in 1883 by Irish immigrant William Kehoe.



Oh man! His house is a spectacular B & B now.



As working-class residents began to move into neighborhoods adjacent to the new industries, the population of the densely packed historic core of the city began to dissipate. Additionally, building continued to the south, as the city experienced a 65 percent increase in population between 1900 and 1920 (54,244 in 1900 to 83,252 in 1920).



On August 27, 1893, a major hurricane which came to be known as the Sea Islands Hurricane struck the United States near Savannah, Georgia. It was one of three deadly hurricanes during the 1893 Atlantic hurricane season; the storm killed an estimated 1,000–2,000 people, mostly from storm surge.


4th deadliest hurricane in American history.

Twentieth Century

In 1900,  J.P. Wheless and T.H. McMillan started the Savannah Blowpipe Company in Savannah. It is now known as Great Dane Trailers, a Chicago, Illinois based manufacturer of truck dry van, refrigerated van and flatbed semi-trailers. It is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial truck trailers.



This giant pup is in front of the Great Dane Plant in Savannah, GA. The company has posted a plaque in front of the dog with these inspiring words...

"The symbol of our company since 1931, the Great Dane dog is the most elegant and distinguished of the giant type dog. A true Great Dane breed is spirited and courageous, yet always friendly and dependable. These special attributes coupled with majestic, powerful strides make the Great Dane an exceptionally unique breed. Originally bred in Germany for hunting and demanding work in European coal mines, the Great Dane possesses an integral heroic quality, and we are proud to have it represent the foundations on which our trailers are built; strength, endurance and dependability."



The expansion of streetcar suburbs south of Victory Drive after World War I (1917-18) signaled Savannah's first significant growth outward from the city's historic and Victorian districts.



The recent River Street Car has been discontinued.



In the 1920s the southern cotton industry was devastated by the boll weevil, and Savannah port activities turned to new industries to fill the void. The boll weevil outbreak of the 1920s dealt a devastating blow to the cotton market of Savannah and the South in general. The naval stores industry also fell into decline by World War II as iron had largely replaced wood in the manufacture of ships. Savannah's economy continued to shift as more heavy industry was added upriver.



In 1926, Municipal Stadium built.



The Scottish Rite Temple has stood in downtown Savannah for more than 85 years, and exists today as a monument to Masonry. In the late 1800’s a group of Masons saw the need for a building to house various Blue Lodges and appendant bodies which had no permanent home for over 100 years. On May 2, 1896, the Masonic Temple Association began and rose a quarter of a million dollars for the land and the temple. In the fall of 1912, the contract was awarded for the building and the corner stone was laid June 30, 1913, by Robert L. Colding, Grand Master of Masons in Georgia.However, eventually the rising cost of construction was too overwhelming, and three Scottish Rite Masons obtained a loan to finish construction finally in 1923.



Savannah became a national leader in the paper-pulp and food-processing industries with the opening of large-scale operations at Union Bag (which merged with Camp Paper in 1956)



and the Savannah Sugar Refinery (Dixie Crystals) in the 1930s.



Fire killed 14 at Imperial Sugar in 2009.



During World War II, Savannah manufacturing aided the war effort through the construction of Liberty ships, further shifting the population out of the historic core of the city. Savannah's port facilities also played a prominent role in World War II (1941-45). It was one of the nation's most active Atlantic shipyards for the construction of Liberty Ship transports for the U.S. war effort.



In the late 1940s, the Georgia Ports Authority acquired acreage on the Savannah waterfront at Garden City, and port operations began a period of rapid expansion.



The development of Hunter Army Airfield within the city, along with the sprawling training base at nearby Fort Stewart, enhanced Savannah's growing reputation as a military town.



These bases, with the shipping facilities of the port, enabled Savannah to play an important logistical role in the successful projection of U.S. military power during the Persian Gulf War (1990-91).



In 1953, the Talmadge Memorial Bridge built to Hutchinson Island (Georgia).



The new and improved bridge built 1991.



In the 1950s and 1960s, Savannah played a central role in the civil rights movement. The Savannah effort developed around a strategy of nonviolent protest implemented by local African American citizens. Ralph Mark Gilbert, a leader in the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the 1940s and 1950s, is regarded as the father of the Savannah civil rights campaign. Gilbert launched a massive voter-registration drive for Savannah's black residents and led the way in 1947 for the integration of local law enforcement—the Savannah police department was one of the first in the Deep South to hire African American officers.



Another important Savannah civil rights leader was W. W. Law, a longtime activist and visionary who headed the local NAACP branch. The Savannah civil rights effort during this period was a training ground for key NAACP leaders, including Hosea Williams, Earl T. Shinhoster, Mercedes Arnold, and Carolyn Q. Coleman.



By the early 1960s, the city had attained most of its present area of sixty-five square miles with the development of the suburban midtown and southside commercial and residential sections—areas that remain under development in the twenty-first century.



Neighborhoods

Savannah is a city of diverse neighborhoods. More than 100 distinct neighborhoods can be identified in six principal areas of the city: Downtown (Landmark Historic District and Victorian District), Midtown, Southside, Eastside, Westside, and Southwest/West Chatham (recently annexed suburban neighborhoods).

Historic districts

Besides the Savannah Historic District, one of the nation's largest, four other historic districts have been formally demarcated:

    Victorian District
    Cuyler-Brownsville District
    Thomas Square Historic District
    Pin Point Historic District

One of the oldest African-American neighborhoods in Savannah, Cuyler-Brownsville is significant for its early grid pattern of streets designed shortly after the Civil War. The district also holds excellent examples of single and multiple family residences, attached rowhouses, detached commercial buildings and community landmark buildings.



Residential interior plans reflect those constructed in an urban setting from the 1880′s to the 1930′s, including shotgun, hall parlor, bungalow, central hallway, and Georgian cottage. Decorative styles in this neighborhood embrace Folk Victorian, Craftsman, Neo-Classical, Colonial Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne.



The Thomas Square Streetcar Historic District is a collection of historic intact residential, commercial, and community landmark buildings located in a neighborhood just south of the Savannah Victorian Historic District and northwest of the Ardsley Park/Chatham Crescent Historic District. The development of the district during the mid-to-late 19th century is associated with the African-Americans living in Savannah. The electrification of the streetcar in 1888 played a significant role in the development of the district. Similar to the types, the styles are interspersed along the streets as well as found uniformly. One of the more distinctive residences located within the neighborhood is the Gibbes-Sprague House, a Georgian plan house built ca. 1900 in the Beaux Arts style.


Now known as Elizabeth's On 37th restaurant.

Pin Point is an unincorporated community in Chatham County, Georgia, United States; it is located 11 miles southeast of Savannah. The town is best known as the birthplace of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on June 23, 1948. A rural settlement founded by freed slaves after the American Civil War, Pin Point is a small, predominantly African American community that has a well-established group of Gullah speakers.


Pin Point.

Industry

The Port of Savannah is a bustling container-cargo center with a thriving international trade. Savannah is regularly ranked among the top five busiest container-shipping ports and the top ten busiest seaports in the United States, with continually expanding berthing, storage, and loading facilities. A record 10.1 million tons of cargo were processed by the port in the 2001 fiscal year.



Savannah continues to be a national leader in the processing of paper pulp and related products through International Paper Corporation (formerly Union Camp) and is also the home of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, one of the world's leading manufacturers of corporate aircraft.





Modern Chatham County is an important industrial and transportation center. Major companies like International Paper and Kerr-McGee have plants in the county. The Savannah–Hilton Head International Airport serves both coastal Georgia and South Carolina and is home to Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation.



Education

During the twentieth century, several new colleges opened their doors in Savannah. In 1929 the Opportunity School, known today as Savannah Technical College, was established by the Savannah Chamber of Commerce and the city's public school system. Armstrong State University, which was founded in 1935 as a junior college, is today a growing unit of the University System of Georgia and offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) was founded in 1979 and by 2004 had become the largest school of art and design in the United States. Students and faculty from SCAD have been instrumental in many of the historic preservation efforts around the city.



Savannah's biggest attraction is the Tourism Industry. We will take a deep dive on that later this week, as we wrap up our multi-part tangent on Chatham County and Savannah. Neat learning new stuff (Gulf Stream / Great Dane). Gonna have to tour around the Victorian District. Today's GNW girl would love to bike around Savannah's Historic district with you.