The Ballastone Inn offers history, romance and top-drawer Southern hospitality

When we arrived at the Ballastone Inn—Savannah’s first B & B and, arguably, the most romantic accommodation in the city—it was “party central” for a group of talkative, sundress-clad ladies who had just flown in from Chicago for an afternoon bridal shower.

And why not? The Ballastone, we soon discovered, is the perfect place for a social event celebrating romance—or for an intimate weekend getaway. Its central location in Savannah’s historic district means guests are just steps away from Savannah’s best museums, parks, promenades and restaurants.

The Italianate mansion, built in 1838, has had various identities over the years: a private home, an apartment building, a boarding house, the administrative headquarters for the Girl Scouts of America, even a bordello.

Eventually, in the 1980s, the house was restored to its antebellum glory, opening as Savannah’s first bed and breakfast inn. In recent times, it has been featured on Good Morning America as one of the finest inns in America and honored by Andrew Harper as Hideaway of the Year. Savannah residents have also voted it The Most Romantic Inn in the city.

Current owner Jennifer Salandi has built on the inn’s historic charm as well as its distinctive, upscale amenities. These include beautiful wood floors, designer wall coverings, and Queen Anne and Victorian furnishings. Her large suites have generous sitting areas, gas-log fireplaces, four-poster beds and modern baths.

The Ballastone has a total of 16 guest rooms, with names like Rhett’s Retreat, Scarlett’s Retreat, Scarborough Fair and China Trade—each with its own decorative theme. Scattered throughout are Civil War prints and memorabilia, ship models, steamer trunks, wedding chests, old clocks, rotary telephones, large wing chairs and vintage lamps.

Downstairs, the blue-and-white front parlor is open for relaxing and socializing any hour of the day. A passageway leads to an adjacent antique bar and lounge where wine, port, sherry and hors d’oeuvres are served. On the other side of the foyer is the tearoom, where complimentary afternoon tea, served from an antique silver tea service, is accompanied by scones with Devonshire cream and strawberry butter, orange brownies and chocolatecovered palmiers.

These rooms, and a leafy courtyard, are open for a breakfast that includes steel cut Irish oatmeal, cinnamon French toast, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, mixed fruit, yogurt and an irresistible blueberry cake—all beautifully presented by Chef Ozzie George. (Ozzie’s husband, Earl, gives informative walking tours of the historic district.)

Getting into our suite, Mulberry Tulips, was easy; the Ballastone offers off-street parking and an elevator, rare amenities for a Savannah B & B. After unpacking, we relaxed over afternoon tea with fellow guests, who enthusiastically recommended their favorite historic sites, restaurants and haunted pub tours.

Historic Setting

It didn’t take long to understand why Savannah lures visitors. Or why, over 150 years ago, General Sherman was so enchanted by the city that, rather than torch it during his earth-scorching “march to the sea,” he gave it to President Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas present.

Here are antebellum mansions shaded by massive oak trees, 18th-century cotton warehouses, graceful church spires, centuriesold tabby walls (made of oyster shells, lime and sand) and streets whose cobblestones had once been ballast in 18th-century merchant ships.

Savannah’s Georgian, Regency and Greek Revival-style architecture features stately columns, porticos accessed by tall marble steps, and secret gardens tucked behind ornate wrought-iron gates. Many of the city’s 22 park-like squares are embellished with monuments that pay homage to war heroes, religious leaders, presidents and signers of the Declaration of Independence.

At the center of Forsyth Park, with its wide, shaded promenades, is an imposing, twotiered, cast iron fountain, created in 1858 and modeled after the twin fountains at Place de la Concorde in Paris. Only three such fountains exist. The other two are in Lima, Peru, and New York City’s Central Park

But Savannah has even more to boast about. It was America’s first planned city. It has the largest historic district of any U.S. city (over two square miles), the largest cathedral south of the Mason-Dixie Line, the largest port in the South Atlantic region and more decorative ironwork than any other city in the U.S.

Additionally, it claims one of the country’s most distinguished colleges of art and design, the oldest public museum and the oldest continually operating theatre in America. Its historic district, planned around so many squares, boasts more green space than any other such district in the U.S. Savannah’s College of Art and Design (SCAD) has restored many of the buildings throughout the historic district and beyond. Founded in 1978, the non-profit private school has become one of the best-known institutions for arts-oriented higher education in the country.

Recent news is that SCAD has, once again, changed the face of downtown with a new contemporary art and design museum.

Uniting the remnants of a railroad depot (the only one if its kind in existence) with 65,000 square feet of new education and exhibition space, the complex includes a 250- seat theatre, multiple galleries, a terrace with an outdoor projection screen, a café and event atrium, the Walter O. Evans Center for African American Studies—and more.

Exploring the Historic District

With just two days to explore Savannah, we tried our best to cover the highlights.

It was mandatory, of course, to explore some of the historic district’s lovely parks. There’s simply nothing more pleasant than lingering in these green spaces on a sunny day, watching the light flicker through mossdraped oaks. The music of trickling fountains, centerpieces of many of the squares, mingle with the clip-clop of house-drawn carriages.

Here locals socialize, exercise and even stage weddings. (It was in one of these parks, Chippewa Square, where Forrest Gump sat on a bench and told his story to anyone who would listen.)

We couldn’t miss a visit to the Telfair Museum, the oldest public museum in the U.S. Originally a Regency-style mansion—built in 1818 for Alexander Telfair, son of a Revolutionary War patriot and former governor of Georgia—the museum opened to the public in 1886.

Today, it comprises three separate buildings showcasing impressive collections of historic American and European paintings, works on paper, sculptures, decorative art, as well as contemporary works. Here we found the original 1936 Bird Girl, a bronze sculpture by Sylvia Shaw Judson. It was immortalized in a photograph on the cover of John Berendt’s famous book about Savannah, Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil.

Savannah does not lack for restaurants. Locals recommend the traditional Southern lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House (open weekdays only).

At this family-style luncheon, diners pass around some 20 dishes piled high with fried and baked chicken, beef stew, collards, sweet potatoes, black beans, succotash and much more. Desserts include old Southern standards like peach cobbler or banana cake.

Savannah offers many options for a romantic dinner. The Olde Pink House, established in 1771, is well known. Located in one of Savannah’s oldest homes, it has functioned as a bank, a tearoom, and was even headquarters for one of Sherman’s generals. The restaurant has preserved its colonial ambience. Upstairs, portraits of Savannah’s founding fathers and mothers watch over small candlelit dining rooms while, in the basement, young professionals live-it up in the beamed, brick-walled Planter’s Tavern. Our favorite dishes were a flaky flounder served with a delicate apricot sauce and a lusty crab-stuffed blackened grouper.

Noble Fare, recommended by our innkeeper, is a hidden gem. Its French-inspired interior, decorated in an arresting scheme of fuchsia, black and white, is at once classic and modern. On one side of the dining room, floor-length fuchsia drapes frame the windows; on the other, gilt mirrors set off an all-black wall.

In this romantic setting, we enjoyed cocoarubbed pork tenderloin and perfectly seared pan-roasted scallops. For dessert, it was impossible to choose between a tempting crème brulée or the sensual chocolate “love” cake, served with custard ice cream and raspberry sauce.

Other recommended restaurants include Elizabeth on 37th St., Sapphire Grill, Alligator Soul and Local 1110.

Finale at the Ballastone

Ballastone’s gourmet breakfast was the perfect ending for our Savannah getaway. Neither of us could resist extra slices of Ozzie’s blueberry cake, which accompanied our eggs and smoked salmon.

Just before leaving the inn, we noticed, on a hidden wall, the framed and signed pictures of several noteworthy former guests: Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Matt Damon and Dick Cavett, among others. Damon had written, “Thank you for making this such a hard place to leave.”

We understood the sentiment. The Ballastone leaves guests anxious to return for another taste of the Old South.

The Ballastone Inn
14 East Oglethorpe Ave.
Savannah, Georgia
800-822-4553 • 912-236-1484
www.ballastone.com