The House
 

The Printmaker’s Inn is a prime example of Italianate architecture of the Victorian Era in Savannah.  Intricate corbels and dental molding adorn the outside, while the inside boasts original ceiling medallions, crown molding and beautiful heart pine wood floors. 

Built for William Nichols in 1884, the house is rich in history. William was the oldest son of George Nichols, the head printer in Savannah during the Civil War.  William continued the family tradition to become a prominent printer in Savannah as well, hence the name The Printmaker’s Inn.  The house was, for a time, owned by Nat King Cole, and has also served as a local community center for underprivileged youth in Savannah. 

 

Savannah

Founded in 1733 by James Edward Oglethorpe.  It is the oldest city in Georgia and was once the British colonial capital as well as the state capital.  By the time of the Revolutionary War Savannah was the southernmost port of the thirteen colonies.  The British took control of the city in 1778 and did not leave the city until the wars end in 1782 despite a major battle that took place in 1779 where the famous Casimir Pulaski, a Polish nobleman, Soldier and Hero, died in an attempt to help the Continental Army retake Savannah.  Savannah was extremely prosperous throughout the early part of the 19th century due to the production and exportation of goods such as cotton and rice.  It was the sixth most populous city in the Confederacy and was thus a prime target for General Sherman in his March to the Sea.  In December of 1864, Sherman gave Savannah to President Lincoln as a Christmas present and kept the city in tact.  After the Civil War, Savannah fell on harder times.  In the 1920s and 30s many of the historic buildings in town were being demolished.  In 1955 the demolition of the original City Market (1870) and the attempted demo of the Davenport House (1821) prompted 7 women to start the Historic Savannah Foundation.  It was these women that helped keep Savannah largely intact and thus revitalizing the city and helping it become the great travel destination it is today.