Sorrel–Weed House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sorrel–Weed House |
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| Former names | Sorrel House |
| General information | |
| Location | 6 West Harris Street, Madison Square, Savannah, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 32°04′27″N 81°05′39″W / 32.07412°N 81.09405°W |
| Construction started | 1835 |
| Completed | 1840 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Charles B. Cluskey |
The Sorrel–Weed House is a famous old building and museum in Savannah, Georgia. You can find it at 6 West Harris Street. This house is a great example of Greek Revival and Regency architecture styles. It was one of the first two homes in Georgia to be named a State Landmark in 1954.
At 16,000 square feet, it is one of the biggest houses in Savannah. The Sorrel–Weed House first opened to the public in 1940. This was thanks to a group called the Society for the Preservation of Savannah Landmarks. This group later became the Historic Savannah Foundation.
The house opened again to visitors in 2005. Today, you can take tours during the day to learn about its history. In the evenings, you can even go on special "ghost tours" inside the house! The Sorrel–Weed House Museum runs all these tours. It sits right on the corner of Bull Street and Harris Street.
The Sorrel–Weed House was the childhood home of Moxley Sorrel. He became a Brigadier General and fought for the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. He worked closely with General James Longstreet. After the war, Moxley Sorrel wrote a book about his experiences.
General Robert E. Lee visited the house several times. He and Francis Sorrel, Moxley's father, were good friends. Lee visited in 1861, 1862, and again in 1870, not long before he passed away.
A local businessman, A.J. Cohen, Sr., bought the house in 1941. His family lived there for over 50 years. His son, A.J. Cohen, Jr., added a brick section to the house. He opened a women's clothing store called Lady Jane, which was very popular. The store closed in 1991. Stephen Bader bought the house in 1996 and removed the brick addition.
You might have seen the Sorrel–Weed House in a famous movie! The very first scene of the 1994 film Forrest Gump was filmed from its rooftop. This scene shows a feather floating through the sky over Savannah. It then shows the rooftops of other buildings around Madison Square, as seen from the top of the Sorrel–Weed House. The house is a popular spot for tourists because of this movie connection.
The house is also famous for its spooky stories. It has been investigated by several TV shows that look for ghosts.
- In 2005, the show Ghost Hunters visited for a Halloween special.
- HGTV's "If Walls Could Talk" featured the house in 2006.
- The Ghost Adventures crew investigated it in 2014.
- The Travel Channel's "The Most Terrifying Places in America" included the house in 2010.
- It was also on the Paula Deen Network in 2015.
The Sorrel–Weed House is part of the Savannah Historic District.
The House's Story
The Sorrel–Weed House was designed by a well-known architect named Charles B. Cluskey. He moved to Savannah in 1829. Charles Cluskey also designed the old Governor's Mansion in Milledgeville, Georgia.
The house was built for Francis Sorrel (1793–1870). He was a rich shipping merchant and a respected person in Savannah. His son, Gilbert Moxley Sorrel, became one of the youngest generals in the Confederate army.
In 1859, another important Savannah businessman, Henry D. Weed, agreed to buy the house. He officially owned it in 1862. The Weed family lived in the house until 1914.
The Sorrel–Weed House is known as one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah. Many people believe it has ghosts. The house's haunted reputation has been mentioned in many places:
- The Wall Street Journal wrote about it in 2009.
- USAToday's "10best" website listed it as a top Halloween travel spot.
- Disney's Babble website called it the fifth-most haunted place in the U.S. in 2013.
- Condé Nast magazine said Savannah is one of the best cities to visit for Halloween, partly because of the Sorrel–Weed House's spooky fame.
Building Style
The Sorrel–Weed House shows a mix of Greek Revival and English Regency architecture styles. It has grand columns and balanced designs, typical of these styles.
Experts have studied the house's design closely. For example, Willie Graham, an architecture expert from Colonial Williamsburg, drew detailed plans of the house. He confirmed that some parts of the house, like a Victorian stairway, were added later by the Weed family. The original stairway was similar to how it looks today after being rebuilt in 1999.
The original stairway was designed to look like the one in the Owens-Thomas House in Savannah. This house was designed by another famous architect, William Jay. Both architects used a clever design trick in their foyers (entryways). They used two columns to separate the public space where guests waited from the private family areas.
See also
