Lewis Bird House, 1838, Savannah

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Lewis Bird House in Savannah.

The Bird-Baldwin House, as this Federal style landmark is also known, is considered the oldest house in Savannah south of Liberty Street. Construction of the left side began in 1838 and the stuccoed right side was completed in 1860. The house was built for attorney Lewis Bird (1810-1838), a native of Effingham County, but he and his entire family were killed on 14 June 1838 in the explosion of the Steamship Pulaski off the coast of North Carolina and never occupied the house. Bird’s mother, Sarah Zant Bird (c. 1777-1854), sold it to his law partner, a Mr. Baldwin.

Bird-Baldwin House in Savannah's National Historic Landmark District.

The house was seized and occupied by General William T. Sherman’s staff in December 1864 during the Union Army’s occupation of Savannah.

Savannah National Historic Landmark District, National Register of Historic Places

Sorrel-Weed House, 1840, Savannah

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The Sorrel-Weed House in Savannah, Georgia.

The Old Sorrel-Weed House, also known as the Francis Sorrel House, was an early symbol for historic preservation in Savannah. It was designed and built between 1835-1840 in the Greek Revival style, with strong Regency influences, by Charles Cluskey for Mathurin Francois “Francis” Sorrel (1793-1870). Sorrel was an immigrant of French descent, born in the Dominican Republic. He was a longtime enslaver and transporter of enslaved people and a guardian of several free women of color. He married into the wealthy Moxley family of Virginia, first to Lucinda J. Moxley (1805-1827) in 1822. After her death from yellow fever, he married one of her sisters, Matilda Aminta Douglass Moxley (1806-1860). Their son, Gilbert Moxley Sorrel (1838-1901), was a Brigadier General for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Robert E. Lee was a good friend of Francis Sorrel’s, dating back to the 1830s, and was a guest in the home during late 1861 and early 1862.

The home was sold to prominent Savannah merchant Henry Davis Weed (1803-1875) in 1862 and his family retained ownership until 1914.

Savannah retailer A. J. Cohen, Sr., bought the home in 1941 and it remained in the family until the early 1990s. The first scene of Forrest Gump was filmed from the rooftop of the Sorrel-Weed House, and numerous ghost hunter programs have filmed here, as well. It is considered one of the most haunted places in Savannah. It is now a house museum.

Savannah National Historic Landmark District, National Register of Historic Places

Gable Front Cottage, Burroughs

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A small white house with blue trim and a falling roof, surrounded by lush greenery, in Burroughs, Georgia.

Burroughs was a community of formerly enslaved people in southwestern Chatham County who, in the 1870’s and 1880’s, were given the opportunity to buy the land they were living on from their former enslavers. Today, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church and New Ogeechee Missionary Baptist Church are the tangible links to that past. Simple vernacular housing, such as the example pictured here, were once common in the community, but are rapidly vanishing.

St. Bartholomew’s Day School, 1897, Burroughs

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St Bartholomew's Day School, a historic black school in Burroughs, near Savannah, Georgia.

The St. Barholomew’s Day School was constructed in 1897. It was operated by the St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church until 1916, at which time Chatham County rented the building and took over its operation. It was closed as a school in 1951 and has since served as the parish hall.

National Register of Historic Places

Live Oak at Middle Place, Ossabaw Island

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A moss-draped Live Oak at Middle Place, site of the Genesis Project, on Ossabaw Island, Georgia.

This is a relatively young tree, by Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) standards, but it’s a treasured memory of my visit to the island. It’s located on the site of Middle Place Plantation, which was home to the Genesis Project.

Angel Oak, Ossabaw Island

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This tree, known to most visitors to Ossabaw Island and not much beyond, is called the “Angel Oak”, for its shape, which mimics raised arms or wings. It can be presumed that it was damaged or deformed early in its growth, but from this damage came a beautiful living work of art.

Sicilian Donkeys: Ossabaw Island’s Beloved Invaders

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Free-ranging miniature Sicilian Donkeys in front of the Boarding House on Ossabaw Island, Georgia.

The free-roaming miniature Sicilian Donkeys that have become a symbol of Ossabaw Island were introduced by Sandy West as a gift for her son in 1965.

A miniature Sicilian Donkey on Ossabaw Island.

With no natural predators on the island, the donkey herd grew to over a hundred individuals by the late 1990s.

Miniature Sicilian Donkey in the tabby smokehouse on Ossabaw Island, Georgia.

In the year 2000, a state management plan declared the donkeys an invasive species and the majority of the herd was relocated through adoption to locations on the mainland.

A pair of Ossabaw Island's miniature Sicilian Donkeys inside a barn.


Today, only about eight donkeys remain on the island. They have been sterilized to prevent future expansion of the herd, but the survivors are loved by all who are lucky enough to visit Ossabaw. They are usually very curious and greet visitors soon after their arrival. They often seek shade in the old tabby smokehouse.

Two miniature Sicilian Donkeys on Ossabaw Island.

You can help support the herd by adopting one of the donkeys, through the Ossabaw Island Foundation.

Burroughs-Jackson House, Circa 1870, Isle of Hope

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Burroughs-Jackson House in Isle of Hope, Georgia.

This house, which likely has several other names, was built circa 1870 when the property was under the trusteeship of George Noble. The Isle of Hope Historical Association does not indicate that Noble ever lived here. The first known residents were the Burroughs family, in the late 1800s. The next owner was Miss Mamie Jackson, who lived here for 36 years. Numerous owners have followed. It is one of the best loved houses in the neighborhood and is always well maintained. It was used as a set location for the 1974 movie, The Last of the Belles and the 1994 move, Camilla.

Isle of Hope Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Liberty Hall, Circa 1875, Isle of Hope

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A charming two-story house with a metal roof, featuring a front porch with white railings, surrounded by green shrubs and trees.

The Isle of Hope Historical Association notes that this property, on the site of an old horse car station, was purchased by Alexander Perry Solomon (1857-1933) in 1875 from Dr. Stephen F. Dupon (1822-1893). When Solomon built the house he named it Liberty Hall. The Solomon family were prominent Jewish merchants and wholesale grocers in Savannah. Alexander was a director of Liberty National Bank and Trust Company, and helped organize the Metropolitan Savings and Loan Company, which later merged with Citizens Loan Company to become Citizens Bank. He was also the president of the Tybee Artesian Water, Ice, and Lighting Company.

The original facade of the house featured a projected second floor porch. Later owners added the front steps, reconfigured the porch, and added the dormers.

Note: This replaces and updates a post originally published on 13 March 2019.

Isle of Hope Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Barbee House, Circa 1900, Isle of Hope

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Barbee House at Isle of Hope in Savannah, Georgia.

This Italianate-inspired Victorian is located across from the Isle of Hope Marina. It was once owned by Alexander M. Barbee, of Barbee’s Pavilion fame, and later by his daughter, Gertrude Barbee Brady and her husband, Bill Brady. Mr. Brady owned Brady’s Boat Works, which eventually became the Isle of Hope Marina.

Isle of Hope Historic District, National Register of Historic Places