The first half of this story of the first black regiment that fought in the Civil War is set in the Boston area but it was filmed in Savannah, Georgia. The battle scenes were also shot mostly in Georgia. The film received three Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor for Denzel Washington.
The battle of Antietam Creek – McDonough, Georgia where the Kroger shopping center and Wesley Lakes subdivision on Jonesboro Road are located now. Additional scenes were shot at Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park, 5815 Battle Field Trail, Sanderson, Florida.
Robert Gould Shaw’s (Matthew Broderick) family home – Mercer-Williams House, 429 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia. The construction of the house began in 1860 for General Hugh Mercer (great-grandfather of the songwriter Johnny Mercer) but it was interrupted by the Civil War. It was completed around 1868 by the new owner, John R. Wilder. Despite the house name, no one from the Mercer family actually lived there. In 1969, preservationist and antique dealer Jim Williams bought the house, fully restored it, and made it his residence. This is where Williams fatally shot Danny Hansford in 1981. This incident and the subsequent trials served as the basis of John Berendt’s best-selling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Clint Eastwood’s 1997 film. The house is currently owned by Dorothy Williams Kingery, Jim Williams' sister, and is open to the public for tours though photography is not allowed inside.
The recruitment speech – West Jones Street, Savannah, Georgia. The first screenshot shows the block between Barnard and Tattnall Streets, the second screenshot is the block to the east of Barnard.
Readville Camp, Massachusetts – Georgia State Railroad Museum, 655 Louisville Road, Savannah, Georgia. This is the largest and the most intact pre-Civil War railroad repair complex in the United States. For over 100 years, it served as a major repair facility for the Central of Georgia Railway. The Central of Georgia Railroad and Canal Company was chartered in 1833, and reached its peak in the early 1920s when it was the largest employer in Savannah. Later, with the advent of diesel locomotives, the Savannah repair shops went into decline and closed in 1963. In 1989, the Coastal Heritage Society stepped in to save the facility from neglect. Later it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. The current exhibition includes old locomotives and railcars, model train layouts, and a fully operational turntable.
The quartermaster’s office – Tender Frame Shop and Master Mechanic’s Office, Georgia State Railroad Museum, 655 Louisville Road, Savannah, Georgia.
The street parade where the 54th Regiment makes its first appearance in uniform – River Street, Savannah, Georgia. A series of false fronts were constructed on the northern side of the street to imitate Boston townhouses.
The regiment arrives in the South:
29a Island Drive, Savannah, Georgia. Established as a retreat in the 19th century for Savannah’s upper crust, Isle of Hope provided a refuge from the heat and the diseases then rampant in the city during the summer period. Originally owned by Henry Parker, the land was divided into lots in the 1850s and 1860s. These were sold to wealthy Savannah families who built their summer houses on the banks of the Skidaway River. A small African American settlement in the district dates from after the Civil War when freed slaves from Wormsloe Plantation settled in the town. In 1871 a railroad connected Savannah with Isle of Hope and by the early 20th century, it had become a suburb of Savannah with year-round residents. The historic district encompasses the area between the Skidaway River and the line of Parkersburg Road and Cormus Drive. Many of the houses date from its resort period, with larger historic properties on the riverfront Bluff Drive and smaller cottages on inland lots.
13 West Bluff Drive, Savannah, Georgia. The white-and-blue house has since been rebuilt or remodeled, and no longer looks the same.
9 West Bluff Drive, Savannah, Georgia.
Beaufort, South Carolina – Myrtle Grove, Richmond Hill, Georgia. Built in 1849, the historic plantation home has belonged to the Meeks family for four generations and has appeared in numerous films over the last thirty years.
The sacking and burning of Darien – it was reportedly filmed on a farm west of Savannah, off highway I-16. Still searching for the exact location.
The battle of James Island – near Girl Scout Camp, Rose Dhu Island, Savannah, Georgia.
Shaw talking with Trip (Denzel Washington) after the battle – north end of Jekyll Island, Georgia.
The assault on Fort Wagner – Glory Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia. The fort was built for the filming.
No comments:
Post a Comment