6/6 Pink Saturday

It’s Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Be sure to visit Beverly's blog to see a complete list of all the participants in today's Pink Saturday.

The Olde Pink House in Savannah, Georgia was built by James Habersham, Jr. in 1771. Habersham lived there for 31 years. The Olde Pink House is located on Reynolds Square at 23 Abercorn Street and is Georgian in architecture. It is called the Pink House because the native, antique brick bleeds through the plaster walls and changes the color to a warm, glowing pink.

 
The Olde Pink House has a colorful history. Before the Revolutionary War, the home was a meeting place for the Liberty Boys, a group of young men who met in order to free colonial America from British rule. It was here that plans were made during one meeting that led to the capture of the British Governor of Georgia, James Wright.

In 1812, the Olde Pink House became the 1st registered bank in GA. It underwent extensive alterations in order to serve this commercial purpose. A new north wing was added. A bank vault was installed and a one-story Greek portico with 4 Doric columns was attached to the front entrance. It was this bank vault that played a part in the War of 1812. During the War of 1812, the sons of James Habersham, Jr., James III and his two brothers, John and Joseph, captured British gold and stored it in one of two vaults. Later, when Savannah was captured by Union troops, Brigadier General Lewis York used the house as his headquarters.

The Olde Pink House served as many different businesses until 1970 when it was purchased by Herschell McCallan and Jeff Keith and transformed into the Olde Pink House Restaurant for gourmet dining. It is considered one of Savannah's finest restaurants. Today, it has a special room, a restored dining room that visitors can view from behind a locked wrought iron gate, with authentic furniture from 1779. Furnishings include stuff back chairs and hardwood floors.

The cuisine is richly steeped in the traditions of the Low Country and includes sautéed local shrimp with country ham and grits cake, crispy scored flounder with apricot sauce, steak au poivre, black grouper stuffed with blue crab and drenched in white onion and butter sauce, and grilled tenderloin of pork served with collard greens and yams. You can enjoy your meal in the candlelit dining rooms or in the Planters Tavern.

At the Olde Pink House, now called the Olde Pink House Restaurant, you may find what has been called "the most frequently seen ghost in Savannah." The ghost of the Olde Pink House has been seen in the restored dining room, which is behind a locked wrought iron gate. Visitors to the restaurant can see the room from this gate, but can not enter. The ghost reportedly rearranges furniture and lights candles in this room. This activity has been reported even when no one present in the restaurant had a key to the gate.

Also, many people have reported seeing strange, unexplained happenings in the Olde Pink House. At times, groups of people have been seen moving about by candlelight after the restaurant was closed for the evening. Others have reported feeling a strong presence and seeing a gentlemen in old-fashioned attire and a wig. These people say the gentlemen looks like the portrait of Habersham, Jr. hanging in the restaurant. One witness, manager Rick Ellis, reported that one night after the restaurant closed and the lounge was still open on the ground floor that 26 people felt the room get hot and saw a white vapor descending the stairs. One source claims that Habersham hanged himself in the basement of the Olde Pink House and his tragic death led to the haunting.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting my blog and don't forget to visit Beverly’s blog How Sweet the Sound to see more pink!

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