Low Land and the High Road Website is the companion to the book, Low Land and the High Road, which focuses on day-to-day life in western Savannah neighborhoods from the late nineteenth century to the present. The City of Savannah's Department of Cultural Affairs prepared this website and published the companion book as a means of preserving and sharing the voices of these communities and ensuring that the connections between past and present are not lost.

Both of the website and the book are based on years of extensive research, a process which uncovered a variety of sources, including the recollections and memorabilia of the residents, archival documents, newspapers, and photographs, were used to create a visually-rich social history. The project team has endeavored to present this information in an easily accessible and logically structured format.

This history is best told thematically, featuring the critical components that shape a community, such as schools, employment, housing, civil rights, churches, and leisure activities. In the early twentieth century, the proximity of steady work at riverfront industries attracted many white and black families to settle in these neighborhoods. Residents built modest homes, gradually adding rooms as time and money allowed. For each component, you will find a narrative, a gallery of images, and a resident interview with transcribed comments and a video clip. The website is structured in seven sections with each part corresponding to a chapter of the book.

BACKGROUND
Originally Hudson Hill, West Savannah, and Woodville existed on the outskirts of Savannah. Separated from the downtown shopping district by two to three miles, the neighborhoods depended on small businesses to satisfy many of their needs. Churches and schools encouraged residents to identify with their communities and social networks, especially before the 1960s, reflected neighborhood ties. Even after annexation by the City of Savannah, residents were rooted in neighborhood life.

Although children attended segregated schools and church membership tended to divide along racial lines, Hudson Hill, West Savannah, and Woodville were harmonious interracial communities. The civil rights era was a watershed for the community. Bussing integrated the public schools, which sent some neighborhood children across town. White families moved away during the 1960s, leaving the neighborhoods almost entirely African American.

As jobs fell victim to economic downturns in recent years, unemployment, dilapidated housing, and rising crime placed the neighborhoods at risk. However, the City of Savannah's revitalization plan for West Savannah promises great change and new hope for all three neighborhoods.

Explore/Multimedia
(click on image to view photo gallery)

Voices and Faces from the Westside

An interview with Former Mayor Floyd Adams, Jr.