A Savannah Neighborhood: Starland District

Old Starland Dairy Picture

​The Starland District is about to take off in exponential ways. It is becoming a unique and popular area with good food and the arts. But it has not always been on the cusp of being a hot new neighborhood. Since its beginnings in the early twentieth century it has had as most neighborhoods its ups and downs but today it has under gone a significant resurgence.

In 1888 two streetcar lines were built extending from downtown Savannah into what would be known as the Starland District today. At first development in the area was slow going. But in 1909 farmers from the Pooler area were frustrated with their ability to break into the downtown Savannah dairy market. In an effort, to combine their efforts they created a cooperative venture and milk processing plant. The plant covered two blocks and was called the Starland Dairy. They used a red star as their logo. Their milk was delivered by horse and milk carts into the 1950s. The milk bottles with the red star logo on their sides are now collector’s items.

The Starland Dairy became the needed anchor to start the growth of the new neighborhood. One of those businesses was David’s Supermarket in 1936. It was the first self-serviced grocery in Savannah. The grocery store would be opened for seventy-two years. Other dairies were started throughout the neighborhood. Businesses of all types started to serve the district. The neighborhood flourished until the middle of the twentieth century. One of its other distinctions was one of the areas that was used for auto races, like the International Grand Prize Automobile Race.
 
At this time as in many downtown districts throughout the United States people moved from the Starland Neighborhood into the quickly developing suburbs. This slow attrition of people from the neighborhood began to effect the businesses and leaving vacant homes throughout the district.

In the late 1980’s the Starland Dairy closed after several downsizes. The neighborhood was for all practical purposes dead or at least dying. As the twentieth century approached it remained a desolate place. The building with the RedStar once full of industry was empty and abandoned
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In 2000 the resurrection of the Starland District began. Two Savannah College of Art and Design students from the historical preservation department John Deaderick and Greg Jacobs purchased the old abandoned Starland factory on Bull Street between West 40th and West 41st Streets. The plan was to restore/create a Starland District by creating a new art and design district. The new district would center around the two blocks of the restored Starland Dairy. Their logo for the new Starland District would be the red star the dairy had used.

This would be the beginnings of a new and popular district. They started one of Savannah’s favorite places to go to lunch the Starland Café. The district is now coming of age with significant Savannah favorites. In 2001 the Back in the Day Bakery opened and quickly earned national recognition for its owners Cheryl Day and Griff Day. In 2015 it was nominated for the James Beard Award.

From these two businesses have emerged Two Tides Brewery (a recent addition),Wormhole Bar, Sulfur Studios, House of Strut a vintage clothing store, Graveface a vinyl record store, Starlandia a used art supply store, and others. Most recently and probably a critical mass opening of Starland Yard. It is self-described as ‘SAVANNAH'S 25TH SQUARE. OFFERING A VARIETY OF FOOD TRUCK OPTIONS, VITTORIA PIZZERIA BY RENOWNED CHEF KYLE JACOVINO, and a FULLY STOCKED BAR.’ It also has games for family and friends to play and is pet-friendly. Most of its space is outdoors with some inside seating.

Being developed is a “live, work, play” community, Foram Group’s $40 million Starland Village development between 37th and 39th streets. The new development will consist of two five-story apartment complexes, an office building with a rooftop restaurant, new 900-person capacity event venue inside a former church, and other features. One can only assume with this new development the neighborhood will be totally vitalized.

The dream of two SCAD students who started a plan at the beginning of the 21st Century to see an old historic district revitalized is being achieved. Only time will tell if the Starland District will maintain its identity as the quirky art district but as we know from this story a neighborhood Dairy can become a catalyst that can create and shape a district for decades.
 
 

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Starland Dairy Picture

The New Starland Yard made of shipping carts

Apartments at Starland District at location of old Starland Dairy