Hostess Savannah

Hostess Savannah Uncovering the history, the haunts, and the hospitality of America's Hostess City, Savannah, GA.

Hostess: A Savannah Podcast streaming now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Patreon!

When you tour the second floor of the Andrew Low House, make sure you look closely at the table in Juliette Gordon Low's...
06/03/2026

When you tour the second floor of the Andrew Low House, make sure you look closely at the table in Juliette Gordon Low's bedroom. Sitting right there is a lovely sculpture called the "Lady of the Fountain." Most people know Juliette as the powerhouse who founded the Girl Scouts, but she was also a very talented, hands-on artist!

​She actually modeled and cast this delicate piece as a topper of a fountain that once sat in Juliette Gordon Low Park over in the Gordonston neighborhood of Savannah.

Because it is so small and today sits right in such a personal space, it gives you a much closer look at her actual artistry than a giant public monument ever could. Seeing it today reminds us that behind her historic civic legacy was a creative, fiercely independent woman who brought her love for fine art right into her daily life. The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum in Savannah also has pieces of her artistry on display!



If you take a stroll through the Historic District right now, you are going to see our squares absolutely exploding with...
06/02/2026

If you take a stroll through the Historic District right now, you are going to see our squares absolutely exploding with color. The hydrangeas are putting on their annual show, and honestly, it is one of the best times of the year to be a local!

​These colorful, fluffy blooms actually have a pretty wild backstory. During the Victorian era, they were a major part of the language of flowers. Back then, if someone sent you a blue hydrangea, it was actually a polite insult meaning you were cold-hearted or vain. Thankfully, we don’t look at them that way anymore. (Blue hydrangeas are my absolute favorites, so I'm not sure what that says about me!)

​Another fun bit of history is that the name hydrangea comes from the Greek words for water vessel, which makes sense because these guys are incredibly thirsty. Around here, our acidic coastal soil turns a lot of them those stunning shades of blue and purple, but you'll see pink, white, and green variants all around, too. They are the perfect backdrop for an afternoon stroll through Savannah!

These arches are so architecturally interesting and I often find myself stopping to stare as the shadows move here. What...
06/01/2026

These arches are so architecturally interesting and I often find myself stopping to stare as the shadows move here. What you’re looking at is the south side of the old Central of Georgia Railway station, which today is the Savannah Visitor's Center and history museum.

Back in the mid-1800s, this building was the beating heart of Savannah’s economy and it's actually part of the oldest contiguous antebellum rail facility left standing in the entire country. Think about that for a second. It survived the Civil War, witnessed the rise of industrial America, and is still welcoming visitors to Savannah - albeit in a different way.
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Learn about this building on the Martin Luther King Jr Blvd episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast!

If you watch the giant container ships glide past River Street, you are looking at one of the country's economic powerho...
05/30/2026

If you watch the giant container ships glide past River Street, you are looking at one of the country's economic powerhouses. The Port of Savannah's Garden City Terminal is actually the largest single-operator container facility in North America. No, really!

​It is an absolute logistical monster. The port handles over five million cargo containers a year, making it one of the busiest ports in the nation. To move all that weight, they utilize North America's largest fleet of ship-to-shore cranes. The biggest ones tower over three hundred feet tall, reaching across massive ships twenty-four containers wide. It is a really cool operation hidden right around the river bend!

Learn more about Savannah's ports in the River Street episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast.

If you’re walking down Bull Street and crossing Oglethorpe Avenue near Collins Quarter, you’re standing right next to on...
05/29/2026

If you’re walking down Bull Street and crossing Oglethorpe Avenue near Collins Quarter, you’re standing right next to one of Savannah’s most sacred, hidden layers of history. Right there in the grassy median sits a granite monument. This marks the location of the original 1733 burial plot that James Oglethorpe granted to Savannah’s Jewish community.

​When forty-two Jewish immigrants arrived just months after Georgia was founded, Oglethorpe defied the colony’s trustees and welcomed them warmly—especially after one of the arrivals, Dr. Samuel Nunes, arrived armed to help the settlement deal with the devastating effects of yellow fever.

​As the city grew and the cemetery filled, it was closed and eventually paved over by the expanding avenue. Today, the names of those early pioneers believed to still rest below the median and the street are cast in bronze on the back of this monument.

Learn more about these early Jewish settlers and this specific monument on the Chippewa Square episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast!

If you live in Savannah, you have definitely heard the name Hunter, as in Hunter Army Airfield. The man behind the name ...
05/28/2026

If you live in Savannah, you have definitely heard the name Hunter, as in Hunter Army Airfield. The man behind the name was one of the most decorated and daring figures in American aviation history.

Major General Frank O’Driscoll Hunter was born right here in Savannah in 1894 and went on to become a World War I flying ace, earning the Distinguished Service Cross with four oak leaf clusters after downing nine enemy aircraft in France.

​He was known for his incredible skill and a nearly indestructible luck, surviving several crashes that would have killed other pilots. When World War II arrived, his tactical prowess took center stage as he commanded the Eighth Air Force Fighter Command in Europe, completely reshaping how American fighter escorts protected bomber formations. When the city dedicated its municipal airfield to him in 1940, it was a rare honor for a living person, but completely earned. He was a homegrown aviation pioneer who helped shape the sky as we know it today.

Next time you’re walking down Bay Street, take a second to look up at the front of City Hall right above the main entran...
05/27/2026

Next time you’re walking down Bay Street, take a second to look up at the front of City Hall right above the main entrance. You’ll see two stone statues of women looking out over the street. Most visitors pass right by without noticing them, but they have been quietly peering down Bull Street since 1905.

​The ladies represent allegorical figures that highlight the spirit of the city at the turn of the twentieth century. One woman symbolizes commerce and industry, a nod to the bustling maritime trade and shipping that built Savannah - hence the ship she is holding. The other represents art!

​The architect originally planned for four giant bronze chariots on the roof, but the city ran out of money. Whomp whomp. I think that these two figures fit this building much better, anyways.

Learn more about Savannah's City Hall in the Johnson Square episode of Hostess: A Savannah Podcast!

If you have ever stood at the entrance of the Green-Meldrim House, you know that the front doors are a magnificent prelu...
05/26/2026

If you have ever stood at the entrance of the Green-Meldrim House, you know that the front doors are a magnificent prelude to the history preserved inside.

​Completed in 1853 for wealthy cotton merchant Charles Green, this National Historic Landmark is one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the country, and I think its grand entrance sets the tone perfectly! The massive twin front doors feature intricate, recessed pointed arches and heavy molding that mirror the ornate cast-iron portico framing them.

​Beyond the craftsmanship, these doors hold a fascinating, layered history. In December 1864, during the Civil War, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman occupied this house as his headquarters after capturing Savannah. It was through these very doors that his famous telegram to President Abraham Lincoln was carried, offering Savannah to him as a Christmas gift.

​Next time you are walking past Madison Square, take a moment to step between the Episcopal Church and this portico and appreciate the sheer artistry and heavy history resting on those door hinges. Or better yet, stop in and take a tour of this lovely home!



Today, in between the hamburgers and time spent on the beach, let's remember the real reason we get the day off of work....
05/25/2026

Today, in between the hamburgers and time spent on the beach, let's remember the real reason we get the day off of work.

Throughout our country's history, many men and women have fought for our flag and our constitution, and many of them have given their lives for it. All of these heroes - whether Sgt William Jasper, General Casimir Pulaski, or 1LT David "MEZr" Schmidt - continue to be remembered and honored today and every day.

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation."
– General Douglas MacArthur

Happy Memorial Day to you all ❤️🤍🩵

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