St. Stephens Episcopal Church - Milledgeville, Georgia

St. Stephens Episcopal Church

Built in 1843, Milledgeville's historic St. Stephens Episcopal Church is a unique landmark of General William Tecumseh Sherman's devastating March to the Sea.

A prominent feature of Statehouse Square, St. Stephens was built in the days when Milledgeville was still the capital city of Georgia. The church stands almost in the shadow of the state's beautiful Old Capitol building and its walls once sheltered the worship of some of Georgia's most prominent citizens.

Episcopal churches in the South were major centers of secession sentiment during the years leading up to the Civil War. From the highest level down to the parish churches, Episcopalians heard strong messages from their leaders urging them to support Southern independence.

A Survivor of the March to the Sea

For this reason, Northern troops often desecrated Episcopal churches as they marched through the Southern states. This was the case at St. Stephens.

As Sherman's troops marched into Milledgeville on November 11, 1864, they quickly took note of St. Stephens Church. The pews were burned for firewood. The sanctuary was used as a stable for horses. Molasses was even poured down the pipes of the organ. The greatest damage, however, came as the Federals marched out of Savannah to continue their March to the Sea. The Confederate armories were set fire and a massive explosion caused by the combination of fire and munitions rocked Statehouse Square. The roof of the church was demolished by the blast.

Like most other Southern churches, however, St. Stephens Episcopal Church survived the war, rebuilt the roof in a new style, and remains active today.

To learn more about this historic Georgia church, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ststephens.

Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia - A 19th Century Dream is Realized

Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia

When the planners of Savannah's antebellum city expansion conceived the idea of a large public park, the visualized it as a place around which neighborhoods would grow as well as culmination of color and beauty for the city's Bull Street Corridor.

More than 150 years later, their vision has been realized in the form of Forsyth Park. A magnificent 30-acre greenspace created in the years before the Civil War, the park is one of the most magnificent to be found in any city in the world. Its beautiful fountain, which can be seen as you approach along Bull Street from Monterey Square, has flowed since 1858 and is patterned after a similar feature in Paris. Shrouded by beautiful oak trees, it is one of the most photographed spots in the historic city.

Forsyth Park in Savannah

The history of this ground actually began long before the creation of the park by early city planners. General Oglethorpe himself reserved this ground when he created Savannah and its 24 magnificent squares. During the American Revolution, French troops camped here and their siege trenches began in what is now the northern end of the park.

By the time Sherman came in 1864, Forsyth Park was a developing reality. His men also camped here and thankfully spared Savannah from the flames they visited on Atlanta, Columbia and other locations they visited.

Today, Forsyth Park is everything its 19th century planners dreamed and more. A magnificent setting, it is popular with residents and visitors alike. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/forsythpark.

Savannah, Georgia - Capital City of the Coastal Empire

Forsyth Park in Savannah

The stunningly beautiful city of Savannah has been a jewel of the Coastal Empire region of Georgia since 1733.
Founded by General James Oglethorpe when he arrived from England to establish the new colony of Georgia, Savannah was built on the Yamacraw Bluff, the first high ground up from the mouth of the Savannah River. Envisioning a city that would one day rival in beauty any in Europe, Oglethorpe developed a plan for the new settlement to grow around a grid of 24 public squares.

Twenty-two of these squares remain today and offer such beauty and peace in the midst of the busy city that it is hard to imagine why more towns did not follow Savannah's example.

Sidewalk Scene in Savannah

A focal point for the popular guided tours of the city, the Savannah Historic District is one of the most beautiful in the world. Beautifully restored homes surround the squares, which are themselves beautifully landscaped with flowers, ancient oaks, benchs, walkways and monuments. General Nathaniel Greene, a famed patriot of the American Revolution, rests beneath a monument on one of the squares, while other monuments commemorate the heroes and critical moments of Savannah's history.

Gracefully dominating the Bull Street Corridor is the city's famed Forsyth Park. The fountain, which provides a stunning vista as you move along Bull Street from Monterey Square, was placed back in 1858 and has been admired by residents and visitors alike for more than 150 years. French soldiers camped on this ground during the Revolutionary War's bloody Siege of Savannah. Sherman's soldiers also camped here after arriving in Savannah at the end of his devastating March to the Sea.

These are but a few of the attractions of Savannah, which is graced by hundreds of historic homes, structures and points of interest. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/savannah.