Savannah

There’s something about the Southern live oak. It’s majestic and evocative. Its Spanish moss makes it mysterious, recalling the departed spirits that locals swear haunt these places. Few natural objects bring to mind so many and varied sentiments.

Savannah is a city of live oaks. They are everywhere. The city is truly urban but more like a giant garden. It’s the sort of place where you can walk around every corner and take magnificent pictures.

I’ve visited many Southern cities: New Orleans, Mobile, Charleston, Montgomery, Jackson, among others. None compares to the elegance and perfection of Savannah. Savannah is all that they aspire to be and much more.

The city is the brainchild of Gen. James Oglethorpe, the founder of the colony of Georgia. He carved the city out of the forest and created a beautiful pattern that shapes the city today. It’s a tribute to what the vision of one man can accomplish many generations later.

The layout of the city is based on squares. These are small or large parks around which are built housing, businesses, shops, and churches. Each one has its own character, monuments, and flora and fauna. These are places where people can gather, visit, and reflect.

In Reynolds Square, there is a statue of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. Wesley was converted (or came to a better understanding of justification) on his trip to Georgia. He preached there and left his mark on the growing colony. He said: “My heart’s desire for this place is not that it be a famous or a rich but that it may be a religious colony, and then I am sure that it cannot fail of the blessing of God.”

You can see the religious nature of the city by the fact that nearly every square (at least on Bull Street) has an historic church. I knew of Independent Presbyterian Church through its Pastor, Terry Johnson, who is a member of my denomination. I did not realize that it was right in the heart of old Savannah. It was founded in 1755, but the current building was dedicated in 1819 at a service that President James Madison attended.

There is so much history in this city. We had lunch at the Pirate’s House and had a delicious and cheap lunch buffet. This was a building originally constructed in 1753 as a tavern. The owners of the tavern attempted to grow grapes for wine and mulberry trees for silk. These and many others failed. What did succeed was peaches, and, according to the restaurant, this became the source for peaches throughout the colony.

I feel like I merely scratched the surface of the city. There is so much more to see and learn. Each street, each home, each square summons me to investigate.

But I’m not sure I want to go back. It was a day of perfect weather. I have such a perfect image of the city in my mind. I feel like it was a glimpse of the New Jerusalem. I don’t want to go back and have it spoiled. I may just carry the image in my mind until I reach the New Jerusalem and can more adequately compare the two.