Tag Archives: Savannah

“Little Gracie” Watson at Bonaventure Cemetery-Savannah, Georgia

In the ten years since I relocated back to Georgia, I have visited Bonaventure Cemetery countless times. I will always pay “Little Gracie” Watson a visit unless it is later in the day when the cemetery is filled with tours.

Some would say Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil put Bonaventure on people’s radars. I would argue that Gracie keeps it on the radar. (Yes, there are many sculptural masterpieces who help, too. I only ever see crowds around her. Many of those sculptures designed by Gracie’s sculptor, John Walz.)

1893 photo of the Pulaski Hotel featured in the book Savannah Illustrated: Indelible Photographs

Gracie’s parents, Wales J. and Margaret, managed the Pulaski Hotel. Gracie was known by hotel guests. I have read several references where she died before Easter. Easter in 1889 was on Sunday, April 21. She died the Monday immediately after Easter on April 22.

An image of one of the many mementoes left for Gracie

A few years ago, I wondered what had happened to her parents. Sadly, her parents left Savannah and moved to New York. They are buried in Albany Rural Cemetery with no headstones.

Springfield Terrace School-Savannah, Georgia

Located in the Carver Heights neighborhood, the Springfield Terrace School started educating children in the immediate area in 1926. Influenced by the Rosenwald School design, this is the only surviving example of the one-story schools made popular in the 1920s.

It also was known as the Pearl Lee Smith School and the Oglethorpe Charter Academy.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.

King-Tisdale Cottage-Savannah, Georgia

From the the Museums’s website, “Built in 1896, this Victorian-styled Cottage was home to Sara King and Robert Tisdell, members of Savannah’s vibrant African-American entrepreneurial class. The King-Tisdell Cottage Museum was founded in 1981 by famed Civil Rights Leader, Historian and Preservation advocate, Mr. W.W. Law.”

Ferguson-Bryant House-Savannah, Georgia

In researching this house, the city of Savannah has identified it as historic, but I could not find much information on it. It was built in 1873 and is a rare Second Empire home. Based on archived newspapers and census records, I have found two families associated with the address, the Fergusons and the Bryants. At times, rooms for rent were advertised. If you know any more info, please share.

Image from a Law and Preservation page with the Savannah City Government, https://www.savannahga.gov/1918/Law-and-Preservation-Exhibit