Olde Pink House Restaurant, Savannah, Georgia
History of Savannah's Habersham House Turned Restaurant & Bar
Oct 18, 2008
Some Sunday evening this winter, visitors to Savannah may find themselves sitting by the fire listening to jazz pianist and singer Gail Thurmond at Planters Tavern at the Olde Pink House.
On a cool Savannah evening, such a visitor might happen to notice one of the bar regulars, James Habersham, Jr., sitting next to him sipping an aged Madeira; if so, he might want to take a closer look. Mr. Habersham, the original owner of the house, has been dead for more than two centuries.
History of Habersham
It will be clear right away that it’s Habersham – his portrait hangs in the foyer entrance to the restaurant upstairs. Legend has it that the other side of the fireplace once held a twin wine cellar where Habersham hanged himself. The twin cellar has long been bricked up.
Habersham, who was a member of the Liberty Boys during the American Revolution and whose family trafficked in Madeira wine, had the Georgian mansion built in 1771.
Origin of Habersham House Ghost Stories
The Habersham House, as it was then known, was one of the few to survive a series of Savannah fires in the early 19th century; nevertheless, Habersham’s choice of architect turned out to be an unfortunate one.
Although the architect’s name has long since passed into the halls of obscurity, he did leave a legacy: His affair with Habersham’s wife is said to have been the catalyst for Habersham’s 1799 suicide.
Why the Olde Pink House is Pink
There’s also the little matter of the house’s pink color, although in all fairness this can’t be blamed on the architect – it’s the result of the original red brick bleeding out.
Also original to the house are the Georgia pine floors and antique furnishings, including one of the hapless Habersham’s favorite chairs.
Savannah visitors who dine at the elegant restaurant between now and March will enjoy specialties such as she-crab soup or flounder with apricot shallot sauce, and they may well see Savannah’s most frequently spotted ghost. Almost all the employees of the tavern and the restaurant claim to have made his acquaintance.
The Olde Pink House Restaurant and Planters Tavern, 23 Abercorn Street, Reynolds Square; 912-232-4286.
