Apr 25, 20222 min read

4/25/2022 Day 2 Of Exploring Savannah, Georgia & Beyond...

Today's adventure started at one of Savannah's most beautiful cemetery.

In fact, it’s generally considered to be one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the entirety of the United States—quite a feat!

Now operated by Savannah’s Department of Cemeteries and 100-acres in total, Bonaventure once belonged to the Tattnall and Mullryne families of the late eighteenth century. The plantation consisted of 9,920-acres, an enormous plot of land that today would comprise most of the Savannah Region.

However, drama ensued from here. You see, Tattnall and Mullryne were Loyalists, and once the Revolutionary War erupted, the state of Georgia (like many other newly installed states) stripped all Loyalist supporters of their land. Tattnall and Mullryne were no different.

What followed then was a long-term back-and-forth saga in which Tattnall and Mullryne were booted out and John Habersham purchased Bonaventure. The plantation’s name was decided upon by the original owners, who perhaps saw good fate in naming a working plantation “Bonaventure,” which means “good fortune” in Italian. It’s tough to say whether either Tattnall or Mullryne saw any good fortune in having their land be stolen away, but Tattnall’s son was able to repurchase the estate from Habersham in 1788.

Good fortune, indeed.

Until 1846, Bonaventure remained within the Tattnall family, before being sold to Peter Wiltberger. It was Wiltberger who agreed to care for the family plot on the plantation, and who would ultimately lay out the beginning foundation for Bonaventure to become the large-scale graveyard that it is today.

It is so huge it was almost an impossible to take photos that give it justice. These following photos are a meager attempt...

Next it was on over to Tybee Island...

Tybee Island, historically known as “Georgia's Playground” and was incorporated in 1887. The island is the northernmost barrier island in Georgia and is approximately 15 miles east of Savannah.