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Its brick walls, burled wood accents, and dim atmosphere evoke 19th century revelry, likely not so different from when city leaders and planners would discuss business over cards and whiskey. With its pink stucco facade and white ornamental ironwork, the mansion emanates the elegance of 18th century life when it was first erected in 1771 for James Habersham Jr. The legacy of James Habersham is still honored through the surviving Habersham house, now the Olde Pink House restaurant. Over 250 years later, the mansion remains one of the premier illustrations of Georgian architecture in Savannah. The ornate brick and pink stucco edifice with its symmetrical layout exemplified the Georgian style then fashionable throughout the colonies.
The Olde Pink House to host Kentucky Derby party benefiting Park Place Outreach - Yahoo! Voices
The Olde Pink House to host Kentucky Derby party benefiting Park Place Outreach.
Posted: Thu, 04 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, THE MANSION WAS TURNED INTO A BANK
Arched windows flanked by columns, iron-railed balconies, and a signature white ornamental iron fence cast in Savannah all exuded an air of refinement. In exploring the history of the Olde Pink House, we peel back the layers of this Southern icon to reveal its origins, illustrious inhabitants, and evolving identity across centuries at the heart of Savannah. The Olde Pink House (also known as The Pink House and, formerly, Habersham House) is a restaurant and tavern in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located on Abercorn Street, in the northwestern trust lot of Reynolds Square, the building dates from 1771.[4] It is bounded by East Bryan Street to the north, Abercorn Street to the east and East Saint Julian Street to the south.
IT'S CONSIDERED ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF GEORGIAN-STYLE ARCHITECTURE
Built in 1777 for James Habersham Jr., the Olde Pink House was originally a mansion whose red bricks would bleed into the white plaster, turning the home pink. Today, it is a restaurant and tavern serving Savannah tourists from around the world. The appropriately-named Olde Pink House is easy to find, with its iconic shade of pink, right across from Reynolds Square. Adjacent to our historic Savannah hotel is The Olde Pink House, one of Savannah’s most popular restaurants. The food draws from regional tradition, but underneath the surface of fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits lies a storied landmark that has watched over Savannah from Reynolds Square for nearly 250 years.
SAVANNAH'S FAVORITE ADDRESS FOR LOWCOUNTRY CUISINE
The kitchen’s expertise with these Satisfying coastal classics comes through in every bite. Yet preparation still remains faithful to the way grandmothers and great-grandmothers cooked throughout Savannah’s history. The Strongs filled the dining rooms with fine antiques and opened the restored cellar as a tavern. Their passion revealed the mansion's beauty once more, while retaining its 18th and 19th century character. The banking offices situated upstairs in the former bedrooms, while the ornate dining and drawing rooms of the Clay family became the public-facing spaces for bank transactions. The mansion's parlors and bedrooms now served as guest lodging, losing the elegance of their previous incarnations.
Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia
But the Clays upheld the home's refined atmosphere, using its grand spaces as the backdrop for some of Savannah's most memorable early 19th century social events. Through meticulous restoration and devotion to regional cuisine, the restaurant has revived this aristocratic dwelling, allowing modern diners and history aficionados alike to step inside Savannah’s gilded past. The attire for the Olde Pink House should be jeans, flip flops and a collared shirt, or if you would like to dress up, you may. My favorite place to sit at the Olde Pink House Tavern is on either side of the restaurant where you will find a fireplace to enjoy your meal. They also have a crab stuffed grouper that has been taken off of the menu, but with a request to your waiter, they will be happy to make it for you. From the mansion, tea parlor and haunted restaurant, the Olde Pink House has accrued a long and varied history, making it one of Savannah’s premier landmarks in the city.
Among the city’s most iconic historical treasures is the Olde Pink House restaurant, which has borne witness to Savannah society since 1771 within the elegant confines of an 18th century mansion. Haunted or not, the Olde Pink House is a place of history, cuisine and possibly ghosts. The kitchen fries the green tomatoes to perfection so diners can experience this Southern staple at its finest.
THE RESTAURANT IS KNOWN FOR ITS CLASSIC SOUTHERN DISHES LIKE SHRIMP & GRITS
It's tucked away and may not be brought to your attention by the Olde Pink House staff. You will need to request to sit in the Tavern which does not accept reservations. At the Tavern, you'll find a nightly piano player playing tunes of today and yesterday. Servants smoothly attended to every guest's needs and Mary Clay ensured the food and wine were of the finest quality. News of the Clays' parties often appeared in Savannah's society pages, further elevating the family's social status.
During Clay's tenure as mayor of Savannah from 1805 to 1806, he and his family took up residence in the mansion. As Savannah progressed into the 19th century, the stately Habersham house passed into the hands of prominent political leader Joseph Clay. Between the food, decor, and architecture, the senses pick up on the echoes of Georgian and antebellum life that still linger within the Olde Pink House.
A Taste of History - savannahmagazine
A Taste of History.
Posted: Thu, 24 Jun 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
This year, the dinner was graced by the luminous presence of stars such as Scarlett Johansson, Molly Ringwald, Lynda Carter and Chris Pine, who brought Hollywood glamour to the politically charged atmosphere of Washington. You'll find the portions to be large, the pricing to be fair, and the service to be great. The Olde Pink House is a large restaurant that recently underwent a massive renovation. The room we were seated in was so dark we couldn’t read our menu without our flashlights on our phones. Savannah may be home to Paula Deen and good ole Southern comfort food, but our city has a variety of...
Just as in 1771, the Olde Pink House remains a destination for those who seek to experience Georgian Savannah's splendor. Today, diners can still experience that refined grace as they step inside the Olde Pink House restaurant and enjoy Southern cuisine in spaces that have hosted Savannah society since the city's settlement. Upstairs you'll find a formal dining room, a large ballroom, and a small bar area to enjoy your time with family and friends. On the side of the restaurant, you'll find sidewalk seating as well as another bar.
At a time when Savannah society was flourishing, the Clay family used the house to host elegant soirees and entertainments befitting their station. Exceptional local flavors thus converge within the historic rooms where Georgia's leaders once dined centuries ago. Dishes like the creamy shrimp and grits or silky she-crab soup allow diners to savor two of the Lowcountry’s quintessential flavors. Today diners bask in that historic ambiance carefully recaptured by the Strongs. With a vision to revive the mansion to its former elegance, the Strongs commissioned meticulous restorations of the original floorplan, doors, windows, and interior details.
With their low ceilings, fireplaces, and limited seating, they resemble the type of formal but cozy spaces where Georgia's early aristocracy would have entertained friends for elaborate dinners. The basement Planters Tavern transports guests back to 1855, when it first opened as an underground bar and billiards hall frequented by Savannah's gentlemen. Patrons dine immersed in the architecture and atmosphere of 18th century Savannah brought to life by one of its earliest leading citizens. When completed, the Habersham house stood among the grandest residences in Savannah.
The striking pink facade also rendered the mansion instantly recognizable in the local landscape, with the color chosen as a proud nod to Habersham's English heritage. We specialize in memorable dining experiences ranging from a quaint table for 2 in the Planters Tavern "Wine Vault", to a party of 400 guests reserving the entire mansion. When guests savor the cuisine, they take part in the continuing story of Southern food that fills this landmark with legacy. Crisp fried green tomatoes offer another taste of regional delicacies transformed by the Olde Pink House into appetizing works of art. The menu draws deeply from traditions and recipes perfected in local kitchens across generations. During this period, the mansion was less a family home or even hotel—it now bustled daily with patrons conducting business transactions and employees obediently working in their offices.
The Habersham-Clay mansion led a utilitarian existence for many decades following Savannah's antebellum era. As the Civil War plunged the nation into chaos, the grand house transitioned into more practical uses aligned with tumultuous times. Joseph's wife Mary was known as a consummate hostess who masterfully planned lavish dinners, musical evenings, and holiday balls in the mansion's spaces. Guests delighted in dancing the evening away in the grand first floor ballroom or discussing politics and business in the dining room over sumptuous meals.
This practical chapter, though far removed from the structure's original purpose, became an important part of the historic mansion's story and connection to Savannah's past. Their tenure left an indelible mark during an important transitional period as Savannah evolved from provincial colony to refined American city. Footsteps, voices, and moving objects remind visitors that while the Olde Pink House offers a glimpse into the past, some aspects of its bygone eras may continue to inhabit the present day.
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