Savannah's Historical Signifance Contributes to its Vitality

Scenic, historic, and haunted, the city of Savannah is not only the oldest city in Georgia, but the first planned city in the whole United States, established in 1733. Aside from its obvious significance to the country, Savannah's historical significance is vital to helping it remain the thriving landmark that it is today.

Planned by General James Oglethorpe, Savannah was built around a grid of twenty-four squares, twenty-one of which still exist. Since its birth it has been victim to many disasters--hurricanes, two major fires, and a yellow fever epidemic. But, despite all hardships, Savannah always managed to recover and rebuild itself and has remained preserved to this day.

Thanks to its history, Savannah has been a National Historic Landmark since 1966 and attracts millions of tourists every year. A tour of Savannah will take one down streets shaded by moss-covered live oaks. Monuments and tombs are erected in many of the squares, and visitors gather around them daily to read plaques and bits of history without being forced to spend the entire day in one of Savannah's multiple museums.

Even Savannah's former hardships contribute to its success today. After being burned down twice, the buildings of Savannah, many of which are historic enhance the beauty of the city and are constantly being preserved and restored. For example, the Massie Heritage Center--formerly the Massie School--on Calhoun Square functioned for over a hundred years. Even after its closing in 1974 it was reopened as a museum and still teaches lessons to visiting classes. In addition to sites such as this, mansions and beautiful homes adorn Savannah's Victorian, Starland, and other districts.

Though Savannah is bustling with life, it also thrives on death. Rumors, ghost stories, and graveyards attract the interest of residents and visitors. Many claim to live in haunted houses and most are familiar with stories such as that of the "Waving Girl," Florence Martus; her ghost can allegedly be seen waving a white cloth, as she did religiously to wave in ships on the Savannah River after falling in love with a sailor during her youth.

Forsyth Park, Savannah's first park of its size, is rumored to hide the tomb of several yellow fever victims beneath it, as well as the tunnels that were used to transport them when the epidemic became too overwhelming to handle. Centrally located Colonial Park Cemetery--Savannah's oldest cemetery--and picturesque Bonaventure Cemetery are popular attractions, as well as additional testaments to the role death plays as one of the city's tourist attractions.

Overall, Savannah's history continues to attract tourists for a number of different reasons; Girl Scouts and their parents visit the birthplace of their organization's founder, historians visit to see the number of historical sites and graves, and families visit to have a good time exploring the city and, perhaps visiting its beach and lighthouse. No matter the time of year, Savannah is a beautiful place to visit and learn about for any traveler.