James Oglethorpe was an English lord with a strong sense of social justice. He longed to solve the problem of Britain’s poor, particularly those who occupied debtor’s prison. He wanted to help find them a new home, a new way of life with some good purpose. To that end he helped fund and load a ship with the first colonists who landed on the shores here, founding the colony of Georgia in 1733. He lay out the design of the town which centres around spaced parkland, surrounded by easy-to-negotiate streets. A patchwork of them.
The core of this plan survives today in Savannah and receives accolades from urban planners world wide. The town plan is very appealing in its greenness and its one way street system. As well, it effectively draws people into the streets and the parks from nearby homes and public buildings that surround them. Unlike so many cities in North America the folk, here, spend time outdoors. The spaces lend themselves to it.
The parks have been planted with live oaks. How these become so thickly laden with Spanish moss is mysterious, but wherever you see live oaks in Savannah there, too, masses of Spanish moss clings. Quite gorgeous. Folk inhabit these green spaces. They are drawn to the fountains and statues at their centre. The street buskers come out in force just to entertain. Locals bring their hammocks and chat in the sun.
One of the prettier squares is Monterey Square. Here stands Johnny Mercer’s grandparent’s house, which became the house that Jim Williams’ owned. Where Jim’s gay lover, Danny Hansford was shot, with one of Jim’s favourite antique pistols. The house is heavily photographed. Many houses in this square are exceptional, but, even those in need of repair, are remarkably beautiful. Another square has the home that General Sherman occupied during the Civil War. Across the way is the church from where his Chaplain gave a Sunday service. So much history at every turn.
So it is easy to forget in all this sublime sunshine that Savannah has big problems, rooted deep. Lady Astor, in the past, noted that Savannah is “very much like a beautiful woman with a dirty face”. This comment stung, and was the prompt and the calayst that caused the local historic societies to step in and rescue many old buildings that had long been falling into ruin down on the waterfront and throughout the historic downtown. Many were lost. Beautiful old buildings had already been torn down and replaced with ugly charmless modern blocky structures. Many, though, under threat of demolition were able to be saved. They bought them, renovated and sold them, using the profit to buy others, thereby doubling their efforts. This has done much to rescue many of the old downtown buildings, though there are still unsightly patches.
But even places like this row of fifteen low cost rental brick houses is utterly charming off one of the tinier squares in Savannah. It is likely occupied by many of the students from SCAD, the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, a non-profit private university that operates in the heart of Savannah. Their mission, too, if they occupy historic buildings in town is to preserve them. Their students, like the tourists, pop up all over town as SCAD operates from so many different buildings around the city, adding colour and charm. We ate at one of the SCAD luncheon places, an historic London red double-decker bus cafe, called Arts, and had the best salads of curried chickpeas, quinoa and roasted beets on our trip. Albeit, in plastic, still.
Another part of town, Ardsley Park, has also sprung up using parks, trees and clever urban street design as part of its street appeal to buyers who may not want to live a little further from the historic heart. Its parks and palmetto decked streets are all very appealing. But, these, typically, are homes for the rich, or for those who can afford them.
Many in Savannah have no home at all. And this is likely Savannah's biggest problem. Thousands upon thousands of homeless folk occupy different parts of the city. So many that the city council, in recent years, has chosen to spend millions of dollars attempting to do something about them. They have even offered free bus tickets home to many of the homeless who have settled in Savannah but who do not come from here. Some take up the offer and move home. Others sell their tickets for drugs or alcohol.
Many of the homeless occupy tent camps in various places around the city. Some are under bridges. Some find dry spots in the woods. The city has relocated many from the streets of downtown into free housing, subsidising them. Justifying their actions on the grounds that these folk are human, that they deserve a safe place to live. A chance.
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