If you walk by 1511 Price St. in Savannah’s Historic District, you’re probably not going to think much. The dilapidated, boarded up home gives no hint of its historic significance.
But it was the home of Mother Matilda Beasley, Georgia’s first black nun and founder of the St. Francis Home for Colored Orphans.
Near the end of her life, she sewed everything she could and gave the proceeds from her work to poor blacks.
Chatham county (where Savannah is located) is now restoring the home to its 20th century condition and using it as an education center, per the Savannah Morning News.
It will also relocate the home to the East Broad Street dog park that bears Beasley’s name. (The park is a block away from the Gaston Street Getaway, a 3-bedroom, 3 bath vacation rental).
While it’s not clear whether the home will be a tourist attraction, hopefully it will create greater awareness for the contributions of this fine woman. Restoration is scheduled for completion in November, 2009.
Watch the Cars!
Driving in Downtown Savannah is fairly easy. But, there are also some quirky traffic rules that you should be cognizant of:
- Traffic flows counter-clockwise around the Historic District’s beautiful squares. That means cars turn right to enter a square.
- Cars already traveling around the square have the right of way. Cars entering the square must yield. This doesn’t always happen, so look both ways and don’t expect every driver to understand the concept.
- Cars don’t always stop for pedestrians in walkways. I know, they should. But truthfully Savannah has seen a lot more tourists since “the book” became a bestseller, and everyone has become slightly more impatient on the road. This is especially true in downtown Savannah where tour buses slow the flow down. Don’t get us wrong – we love to show off our town to visitors! And 99% of the drivers will stop and let you by, plus return your friendly wave.
- One-way streets abound in downtown Savannah, and sometimes the signs are hard to see. Price Street outside your front door is one way, and unfortunately this inspires some drivers to go too fast. Please be sure to leave plenty of distance between you and the oncoming traffic as you cross the street. And always look both ways twice, even if it’s a one-way street.
Planning to visit Savannah? Please check out our historic Savannah vacation rental.