Day 10

​No doughnuts today! No, no, no.  Today we had muffins!  All kinds!
 
Today we started at the Richardson Owens Thomas House, designed by a 24 year old English architect. 

​We had a slight delay as the fire alarm went off for no good reason.  SO we had to wait until the firemen gave us clearance to enter.

​It is amazing what RiVoli Rallies does to a person.  Check out Pat in the window….  She said it wasn’t her, that it was a ghost!

​Getting back to our tour.  This home is one of the finest examples of high-style architecture in Savannah, with its sophisticated plumbing and cast iron balcony. 

The owners of this property, Richardson and Owens, both served as guardians to freed persons of color.  Richardson lost his new home in the financial panic of 1819.  The property reverted to the bank and rented by Mary Maxwell, who ran it as a boardinghouse.  In 1830, Owens purchased the house and it remained in their family for 121 years, until the property was left to the Telfair Museum of Art. ​ 
 
Onto the Wormsloe Plantation, the 1.5 mile oak avenue is one of the most photographed lane/driveway. 

​The Noble Jones’ 1.5 story, 5 room tabby and wood house (ruins pictured below) was constructed between 1739 and 1745.  It was surrounded on 3 sides by a courtyard protected by 8 ft. high tabby walls.  Tabby is a local mixture of sand, oyster shells, lime and fresh water.  The walls provided adequate protection against muskets.

​Noble Jones leased this 500 acre piece of property.  He used indentured servant labor when there was a ban on slavery.  When the Trustees revoked the ban on slavery in 1749, Jones used slave labor in order to make Wormsloe profitable. Jones initially planted several types of crops, including corn, rice, various fruits and vegetables, and possibly indigo.  The Georgia Trustees encouraged the production of silk, so Jones planted mulberry trees and tried unsuccessfully to produce silk at Wormsloe.  Wormsloe never proved profitable. 
 
All of this touring made us hungry, AGAIN, so off to the Mansion on Drayton for lunch.  700 Drayton at The Mansion on Forsyth Park is a unique setting of distinct worldly charm with the warmth and comfort of Historic Savannah. The signature restaurant features eight separate dining rooms.

​Afterwards, we wandered around until we were ready to go home.

​Once back to the campground, we opened our auction to find that almost everyone took on Kay’s challenge while we were at Keller’s Flea Market.

What fun!  UNTIL Bill won an auctioned item, a pregnancy test.

​WHAT???!!!
 
After our catered dinner of pork, meatballs, oxtail, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, broccoli casserole, YEP ALL OF THAT AND PROBABLY MORE, Pat entertained us while Ron and Bill ran all the leftover food to the mission.  Nothing goes to waste at RiVoli Rallies.  The Savannah Mission LOVES us. 
 

​Pat had everyone in stitches.  She certainly missed her calling!
 
The entertainment for the evening was David Pendleton, ventriloquist. 

He was amazing!  He has been in the business of making people laugh his whole life.

​He has performed in many countries and on four continents, as well as across most of our 50 United States.  David has worked in every venue known, and he strives to make each event a personal experience.  He certainly did for us.  RiVoli Rallies has done it again.