Freeman's Rag
  • Home
  • Short Stories
  • Historical Ruminations
  • The Cranky Man Philosophizes
  • About

Historical Ruminations

Savannah’s and Savannahians contributions to our country are often overlooked by us. Robin Williams, a professor and chair of the Architectural History Department at SCAD, says although Savannah is small it punches out of its weight class. He compared it to a welter weight who can punch and fight in the heavy weight division. The posts in this section will look at some of the ways that this is true.
Picture
Here is Michael Freeman's new book on Savannah. It tells a story not often told of the Creeks and the Native American Creeks who lived in Savannah during its founding. You might  even  say Tomochichi and Mary Musgrove were co-founders of Georgia. 

Trustees Garden and a Pirate's House

7/9/2017

1 Comment

 
PicturePirate's House


In 1734 a house for a gardener for Georgia’s Trustees Gardens was built off Bay Street. It was called the Herb House. The Trustee’s Garden was an experimental garden that Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, started to see what was compatible to growing in Georgia’s environment. The garden never was able to get the longed-for silk and wine industries off the ground. But it did have success in assisting in two of Georgia’s most famous products: cotton and peaches.  That Herb House which stands as part of the Savannah’s famous Pirate’s House is Georgia’s oldest building.
In 1753 the garden was abandoned as the residents had been here long enough to discern what crops from abroad could best grow here. The house was converted into a bar and inn for sailors. It took the name of the Pirate’s House Inn and has, in one form or another, maintained that moniker since then. Sailors from as far away as Singapore took refuge here. The house became somewhat of a no-man’s land for the citizens of Savannah because of the characters and drunken debauchery found there.
It took its place in literary fame in Robert Louis Stevenson’s pirate novel Treasure Island written in 1881. In the beginning of the book the flamboyant pirate Captain Flint died in a pirate’s tavern in Savannah. In story and in reality fame the Pirate’s House had an underground tunnel that went to the river. It is said the tunnel was used in the early years for transporting rum to Savannah, which had a prohibition against alcohol. Another use was to kidnap drunken sailors to serve on ships in need of crews.
In more recent history, part of it was used to house Hard Hearted Hannah’s East a nightclub owned by Savannah’s legendary bassist Ben Tucker. But after a major restoration which earned it the approval of the American Museum Society. The society lists it as a "House Museum". Currently, it has fifteen separate roaming dining rooms on the first floor of a popular restaurant rightfully called The Pirate’s House. It is also said to be haunted by a pirate, and ghost tours mention its ghost quite frequently.
The early days of this infamous place can be captured in the lyrics of the Ella Fitzgerald song below:
 
"Hard Hearted Hannah"
In old Savannah, I said Savannah,
The weather there is nice and warm!
The climates of a Southern brand,
But here's what I don't understand:
They got a gal there, mighty pretty gal there,
Who's colder than an Arctic storm,
Got a heart just like a stone,
Even the ice men leave her alone!

They call her Hard Hearted Hannah,
The vamp of Savannah,
The meanest gal in town;
Leather is tough, but Hannah's heart is tougher,
She's a gal who loves to see men suffer!
To tease 'em, and thrill 'em, to torture and kill 'em,
Is her delight, they say,
I saw her at the seashore with a great big pan,
There was Hannah pouring water on a drowning man!
She's Hard Hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah, GA!

They call her Hard Hearted Hannah,
The vamp of Savannah,
The meanest gal in town;
Talk of your cold, refrigeratin' mamas,
Brother, she's a polar bear's pajamas!
To tease 'em, and thrill 'em, to torture and kill 'em,
Is her delight, they say,
An evening spent with Hannah sittin' on your knees,
Is like travelin' through Alaska in your BVDs.
She's Hard Hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah, GA!

Can you imagine a woman as cold as Hannah?
She's got the right name: The vamp of Savannah.
Any time a woman can take a great big pan
And start pouring water on a drownin' man
She's hard hearted Hannah
The Vamp of Savannah GA

 
​

Picture
Hard Hearted Hannah's Entrance
Picture
The old Gardener's Shed
1 Comment
pest control mice link
5/21/2022 01:00:12 pm

It might be surprising for you to know that there are effective pest control methods that are natural. Since going green is now quite the trend, getting those pests under control in the most natural way possible is just going with the flow. Simply put, you can now opt to get rid of pests in a natural way. Here are a few of the advantages of going natural when it comes to pest control:

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Short Stories
  • Historical Ruminations
  • The Cranky Man Philosophizes
  • About