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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.
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The room we were seated in was so dark we couldn’t read our menu without our flashlights on our phones. An almost-identical house was built in 1928[20] at 102 East Gaston Street,[21] just beyond the northeastern corner of Forsyth Park.
The Olde Pink House: A historic, fine dining experience
Through painstaking technique and time-honored family wisdom, the Olde Pink House kitchen channels history onto every plate. The Olde Pink House transports modern patrons back through centuries of memories made within those walls. If only the walls could speak of Habersham's grand parties, the Clays' lively gatherings, or the bustle of Victorian bank tellers - all long gone but not forgotten. 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.
— THE OLDE PINK HOUSE —
Stepping into the Olde Pink House today, patrons can embark on a culinary journey through Savannah's regional fare thanks to the restaurant’s meticulous attention to heritage Southern cuisine. 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. 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 mansion's parlors and bedrooms now served as guest lodging, losing the elegance of their previous incarnations.
Gallery: 4th annual Olde Pink House Kentucky Derby Party Benefitting Park Place Outreach - WSAV-TV
Gallery: 4th annual Olde Pink House Kentucky Derby Party Benefitting Park Place Outreach.
Posted: Sun, 07 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
This stellar event, an annual highlight for the capital, wasn’t just a celebration of the critical work done by journalists but also a glittering convergence of high-profile celebrities and distinguished guests. When renovations were complete, the Habersham-Clay house had emerged as the Olde Pink House restaurant. By the early 20th century, the aging but still-stately former Habersham mansion had passed through many uses and owners.
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The mansion followed this trajectory when purchased in the 1870s by a consortium establishing a bank. Their tenure left an indelible mark during an important transitional period as Savannah evolved from provincial colony to refined American city. The house glittered with candlelight while well-dressed gentlemen and ladies conversed over cards or music.
The Best Restaurants In Savannah, Georgia
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. At a time when Savannah society was flourishing, the Clay family used the house to host elegant soirees and entertainments befitting their station. 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. When guests savor the cuisine, they take part in the continuing story of Southern food that fills this landmark with legacy. Exceptional local flavors thus converge within the historic rooms where Georgia's leaders once dined centuries ago.
4th Annual Olde Pink House Kentucky Derby Party Benefitting Park Place Outreach - Connect Savannah.com
4th Annual Olde Pink House Kentucky Derby Party Benefitting Park Place Outreach.
Posted: Sat, 06 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Dishes like the creamy shrimp and grits or silky she-crab soup allow diners to savor two of the Lowcountry’s quintessential flavors. 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. 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.
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. The Olde Pink House’s pink color isn’t a new development – it’s been part of the restaurant’s signature décor for almost 100 years. But the story behind the color is more elaborate than just a standard paint job, so the story can't be explained without diving into the restaurant's history. 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. Crisp fried green tomatoes offer another taste of regional delicacies transformed by the Olde Pink House into appetizing works of art.
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. 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. 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.
The war had taken its toll on Savannah, so operating the old house as a hotel provided much needed accommodations. 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. For over two centuries, the mansion has welcomed Savannah's elite through its doors, from the lavish parties of Habersham's era to the distinguished gentlemen's club operated out of the house in the 19th century. Standing stately in Reynolds Square, the Olde Pink House restaurant inhabits one of Savannah's finest examples of Georgian-style architecture.
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