6/17/2018

Weekly Update 6/17/2018

I started this week with a visit to Magnolia Plantation with Barbara. She had found a Groupon discount for us to get into the plantation, and walk the lovely flower gardens, and also the Audubon swamp garden. The Rev John Drayton was the owner of Magnolia Plantation before, during, and after the Civil War. He redesigned the famous garden, then America’s oldest formal garden, from its original French style to its present style of English informality. The flowers are colorful and lovely, and many old trees and green shrubs also contribute to the beauty of the gardens. The swamp area was interesting, and we did get to see an alligator, but not too close.

Jane and I are beginning to check some things off my Summer 2018 bucket list. We visited the Beach Institute, which is currently showing a display of only a few of the thousands of portrait photographs collected by W W Law. City Hall Archives owns the huge collection (as well as Mr Law’s vast music collection) and created an exhibit of just a few of the prints. The portraits span more than 50 years of Savannah history.

Thursday, I attended a lecture at TLC reviewing the Bill Bryson Book, At Home. He is a favorite author of mine, and, although I had finished reading only half of the book, I enjoyed the review. The author lived for a time in a Victorian parsonage built in 1851 in Norfolk, England. He takes the reader through the house, one room at a time, and writes about the evolution of that room (and anything else that comes to his mind while writing). He has a wonderful wit, and that added to the enjoyment of discovering such things as the difference between a kitchen, scullery and larder, and a history of rodents throughout European history. 

That same afternoon, the Savannah Victorian Society offered a tour of the recently renovated Kehoe Iron Works. I wanted to see how the converted foundry and machine shop had been re-designed to be an entertainment venue. The answer is – magnificently! The Kehoe family emigrated from Ireland, landing in Savannah in February 1852, and William Kehoe began working in the foundry of James Monahan. Several years later, he purchased the foundry. The Kehoe Iron Works provided materials for many southern railroads, steam ship lines as well as agricultural equipment across the lower US. It closed about 1920, and was taken over by Savannah Gas Company. It was designated a brownfield in the 1980s and sat vacant until Charles Morris purchased the old ironworks with plans to bringing it back to life.  

Saturday was another long day for me. I was wakened by my alarm at 7 am to be up and ready to meet Helen and Connie to take a boat ride around Wilmington Island. The day was just perfect – not too hot to be out on the water, a nice breeze, and sunny. The tour was sponsored by the Ships of the Sea Museum, and the purpose was to highlight the natural beauty of the area. We saw many marshes, beautiful (and expensive) homes with private docks, barrier islands, as well as dolphins, egrets, and even some shrimp, fish and a big horseshoe crab that were caught in a trap by our boat driver. I had to be at BC in the afternoon, but Connie, Helen and I met up again and drove nearly out to Tybee Island to have dinner together.  

Sunday, in addition to opening and closing BC, I went to birthday party! Sylvia had a party for her husband, Charles, and I was invited. The cake was wonderful!