The Sorrel Weed House, or the Francis Sorrel House, is a historic facility located in Savannah, Georgia. It represents one of the finest examples of Greek Revival and Regency architecture in Savannah and was one of the first two homes in the state of Georgia to be made a state landmark in 1954. At 16,000 square feet, it is also one of the largest houses in the city. The Sorrel Weed House is open for historic Savannah tours.
The opening scene of the 1994 film Forrest Gump was filmed from the rooftop of the Sorrel-Weed house and is a popular tourist stop. The scene, which begins with a floating feather through the Savannah sky, pans the rooftops of other buildings occupying Madison Square as seen from the very top of the Sorrel Weed home. The scene is then spliced to a scene of another church located on Chippewa square, where ultimately, Forrest is seen sitting on a bench.
The house was investigated by TAPS during a special 2005 Halloween special episode of Ghost Hunters. The house was also featured on HGTV's "If Walls Could Talk" in March 2006. It was also investigated by the Ghost Adventures crew in 2014.
History
The house was designed by Charles Cluskey in 1835, the home was completed in 1838. Cluskey also designed the old governors mansion in Milledgeville, Georgia. The house was built for Francis Sorrel (1793-1870), a wealthy shipping merchant and esteemed citizen of Savannah. One of his sons was General Gilbert Moxley Sorrel (1838-1901), one of the youngest Generals in the Confederate army. In 1859, a purchase agreement was made by the prominent Savannah businessman, Henry D. Weed; he took possession of the house in 1862 and it remained in the Weed family until 1914.
The Sorrel Weed House has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah. People claim to see figures in the windows and hear disembodied voices inside the house. The connecting carriage house behind the main house was said to have housed a female African-American slave who was murdered by a member of the family.
Architectural style
The National Trust Guide to Historic Places makes architectural comparisons between the Sorrel Weed House, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and William Jay's Owens Thomas House in Savannah. Although clearly a Greek Revival house, the earlier Regency influences are prominent.
External links
- Sorrel Weed House - official site
- Ghosts in Sorrel Weed House - Ghost Activity
Interesting Informations
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