The Herb House is a historic building located in downtown Savannah, Georgia, United States. Some sources claim it to be built in the 18th century (1733 or 1734),[1] which would have made it the oldest extant building in the state of Georgia;[2][3] however, its construction in local handmade brick[4] puts this in doubt. Other sources give a construction year of 1853,[5] which is the first year it appears on a map. The building is now part of the restaurant Pirates' House, the buildings for which both pre- (1794) and post-date (1871) it.[5]
History
The Herb House was built on a ten-acre plot of land located on the east side of James Oglethorpe's original plan of the city of Savannah. The plot was assigned to become a botanical garden that modeled the Chelsea Botanical Garden in London, England. The garden, which was located beyond the bounds of today's buildings,[6] was dedicated to Oglethorpe's trustees, becoming known as the Trustees' Garden.
The Herb House was built on the plot of land around 1853 to house the gardener who worked there. This building was deemed the Herb House. A hay loft, where the gardener slept, was on the second floor of the building. The front of the first floor was used for tools and gardening supplies,[6] while the rear was stables.[7]
Renovation and ownership
In 1948, Pirates' House and the surrounding land was acquired by The Savannah Gas Company. The building soon caught the interest of Mary Hillyer, wife Hansell Hillyer,[8] the president of the company. She renewed the house museum into the restaurant of the present day.[9]
^Savannah in History: A Guide to More Than 75 Sites in Historical Context, Rodney Carlisle and Loretta Carlisle (Globe Pequot, 2019), p. 7 ISBN9781683340287
