The Olde Pink House
| The Olde Pink House | |
|---|---|
 The Olde Pink House, pictured in 2017. The portion in view is the original construction, minus the portico, which was added in the 1920s; the section just visible to the right was added around the same time | |
 | |
| Former names | Habersham House |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Location | Savannah, Georgia, United States |
| Address | 23 Abercorn Street |
| Coordinates | 32°04′47″N 81°05′23″W / 32.079672°N 81.089792°W |
| Construction started | 1771 |
| Completed | 1789 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Floor area | ~16,000 sq. ft[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | unknown (original); Mark P. Finlay Architects (2006 expansion)[2] |
The Olde Pink House is a restaurant and tavern in Savannah, Georgia. Located on Abercorn Street, and in the northwestern trust lot of Reynolds Square, the building dates from 1789. It is bound by East Bryan Street to the north, Abercorn Street to the east and East Saint Julian Street to the south.
History
The building was originally known, when it was built in 1789, as Habersham House, after its owner, James Habersham, Jr. (1745–1799), one of Savannah's most important early cotton factors and founding-family members. Habersham lived there until his death in 1799.[3][4] The lot was originally a land grant from the British Crown. It survived the Savannah fire of 1796[5] that destroyed 229 buildings in the city.[6]
In 1812, the home became Planters Bank, the first bank in Georgia, and housed the monies of all the colonists.[3]
The home was opened to military generals after Sherman, general of the Union Army in the Civil War, presented the city of Savannah as a Christmas gift to President Abraham Lincoln. Zebulon York, general of the Confederate States Army, had made his headquarters in the mansion in 1865.[3]
After the war, the house changed hands several times, becoming an attorney's office, bookstore and Alida Harper Fowlkes's (1908–1985) Georgian Tea Room.[3]
In the 1920s, a portico was added to the building's main façade, while an extension was built on the northern (East Bryan Street) side.[7]
In 1992, the William Balish family purchased the house and restored it to its original grandeur.[3] It opened as a restaurant in 1977.[8] In 2006, Arches Bar, on the southern (East Saint Julian Street) side of the building, was added during an expansion project.[9] There is also a cellar tavern, Planters Tavern.
In December 2018, a fire broke out in the upstairs ballroom, causing damage that resulted in the building closing for four months.[6][10]
Gallery
-
Arches Bar, located on the first floor on the building's southern side, was part of a 2006 expansionArches Bar, located on the first floor on the building's southern side, was part of a 2006 expansion
References
- ^ "Savannah’s Olde Pink House damaged, but not done after fire, says management" - SavannahNow.com, December 28, 2018
- ^ Olde Pink House - MarkFinlay.com
- ^ a b c d e The Olde Pink House history - www.theoldepinkhouse.com
- ^ The Olde Pink House: James Habersham’s real resting place - SavannahNow.com, October 23, 2008
- ^ Jedidiah Morse (1797), "Savannah", American Gazetteer, Boston: S. Hall, and Thomas & Andrews
{{citation}}: External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Savannah restaurants rally to help employees after Olde Pink House fire" - SavannahNow.com, December 27, 2018
- ^ "200 Years of William Jay Architecture" - Telfair Museums, August 23, 2019
- ^ "The Olde Pink House re-opens" - WSAV3, April 8, 2019
- ^ "The Olde Pink House Restaurant resumes construction of addition" - SavannahNow.com, July 12, 2006
- ^ "Savannah’s Olde Pink House announces reopening plan" - SavannahNow.com, January 26, 2019