Description: Walking from the museum by the Tourist Information Center to go past the Civic Center and towards River Street, we saw the Juliette Low Birthplace beckoning to us from the corner of a lovely square.
As a girl, I proudly wore the Brownie beanie, diligently worked for merit badges as a Junior, and then finally crossed the bridge to Cadets before leaving the program. So OF COURSE I thought it was a good idea to pay homage to the lady who had started it all. My mother and I ponied up the $8 per adult ticket for the tour.
First, let's talk Juliette Gordon Low. Her friends and family always called her "Daisy." She was born into a prominent Southern family that had founded the railroad line that truly opened up economic prosperity for the region. Yet her mother was a fiery Yankee from Chicago who had gone to school with Sherman in her youth. (Sherman would be entertained in the very house where Juliette was born when he captured Savannah, though Juliette's father was a proud officer for the Confederate Army.) As a young woman, Juliette met and married a rake from England...though a very wealthy rake. Her husband was a womanizer who died early, thus leaving Juliette with some money. Still feeling like a failure in love (her husband's will left a sizable chunk o' change to the OTHER woman!), the new widow discovered her life's purpose when the founder of Boy Scouts asked her to help him with England's "Girl Guides." Juliette saw such value in the program, she brought it home to her own country and made her niece the very first registered Girl Scout in the United States.
Now let's talk about the tour of the house.
We had a delightful guide with an educated, distincly Georgian drawl take us through the home. Girl Scouts aside, I enjoyed the opportunity to view this fine example of regency architecture. The period furnishings were wonderful, including the hefty dining room chairs Juliette's father had specially made to support the weight of a rotund President Taft when he made a visit to the home. The best thing about the tour, however, was hearing the story of one of America's great families. With ties to both the North and the South, the histories of Juliette's many prominent relatives are interesting to hear about in their own right. No wonder Juliette herself grew to be a strong and accomplished woman!
Even if you weren't a Girl Scout, you'll find something worth hearing during a tour of this historic place. I'd highly suggest it to anyone visiting Savannah.
Phone: (912) 233-4501
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