My Week in Buildings (Southern Edition)

Spent a lovely week exploring the beautiful historic cities of Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina. (With a stop at Tybee Island in between, to enjoy the ocean.)

In Savannah, I heard the story of the seven women who decided in the 1950s to begin the Historic Savannah Foundation, beginning with $22,500 to buy a house in danger of being razed for a parking lot. I wonder if they were taken seriously back then, or if people considered this a hobby? The historic district owes its preservation — and definitely its thriving tourist industry — to the leadership of these women, and those who continued their vision.

 

Entryway to the Isaiah Davenport House, now a museum. 

 

Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Savannah – dedicated 1853

 

The Olde Pink House, built in 1771 for cotton merchant James Habersham. Now a restaurant and hotel.

 

Childhood home of author Flannery O’Connor. The house dates from the 1850s. O’Connor was born in 1925. There’s a Little Free Library in front of the house.

 

Tybee Island Lighthouse, opened 1736, modified in the 1800s.

In Charleston, we heard stories of the pirates hanged on the Battery in the 1700s and admired the antebellum homes that line the park. But our visit focused more on the remnants of the Civil War. These buildings stand as a reminder, so we can look back through many years and from another culture to try to understand those times.

Drayton Hall, built 1750s. The family owned slaves.

“Leave ’em Rest” — African-American Cemetery at Drayton.

The Slave Mart in Charleston, in use from 1859 to about 1863. It’s now a museum about the lives and cultures of those enslaved. 

 

The ruins of Fort Sumter. 

Here are a few links to more information:

Historic Savannah Foundation

Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Savannah (virtual tour)

Flannery O’Connor (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Drayton Hall

Slave Mart (National Park Service link)

Fort Sumter (National Park Service link)

 

South Campus Chiller Plant

I’ve been noticing this building for ages. Honestly, I didn’t really like it for a while. But today, walking past it in the bright sunshine, something clicked. I found myself sort of entranced with it.

South Campus Chiller Building — Ohio State University

South Campus Chiller – Ohio State University

South Campus Chiller: dichroic glass box

The building is a plant that provides chilled water for the Ohio State University medical complex. The fins and boxes on the exterior filter sunlight, so the colors change with the sun. They’re made of dichroic glass.

Here’s more information about the building via New York Architects.