OurCoast.com :: Attractions

Courtesy Best Read Guide

On the eastern end of River Street, there is the statue of a woman in a simple dress. The sculptor has portrayed her in the act of waving a piece of cloth. The cloth, flows diagonally over her, and on clear days it catches and reflects the sun's rays which, logically, might attract the notice of passing sailors as they cruise to and from Savannah's port. Beside the woman stands the figure of a dog. Both gaze across the water as if watching for something or someone. The woman's face is enigmatic. One cannot tell whether she is happy or if her heart aches with loss. This lady is the Waving Girl, and her story is one of Savannah's favorite legends.

The Waving Girl, known to her friends as Florence Martus, was born and raised on Elba, a nearby coastal island of which her father was the lighthouse keeper. Her brother assumed charge of the lighthouse, and Florence stayed on the island for much of her life. Her life was simple and quiet, and she began to communicate with passing sailors by waving a white handkerchief as they passed to and from Savannah. When the ships came in the night, Florence hoisted a lantern, and sailors from around the world took notice and returned her greetings with their own. She also was a lifesaver: When a nearby river-dredge caught fire, Florence and her brother struck out into the river in their skiff, rescuing thirty men imperiled by flames. Over the years, Florence became a beacon of Savannah, a joyful welcome or a fond farewell, and many seamen gratefully returned her salutations.

A part of her legend has arisen from speculation that Florence fell in love with a sailor who came to port in Savannah, a man who promised to return for her but who vanished into the ocean's vast horizon. The veracity of the legend is in doubt, but it casts a romantic light over Florence and gives new meaning to her vigil (as well as to the sculptor's interpretation of her). However, every ship that passed, though it did not carry her beloved, did bring dozens of sailors thrilled by her attention, and scores put pen to paper and wrote letters to Florence, though they did not know her name. By that time, though, her legend had spread, and the postman knew where to bring the messages addressed to "The Waving Girl."

Florence's vigil ended more than four decades after it had begun when she moved with her brother to nearby Bona Bella. Yet she was not soon forgotten. Savannah threw her a grand party for her 70th birthday.

Citizens and sailors flocked to her party to shake her hand, kiss her cheek and tell her how much she meant to the city and to the seamen of the world.