History of Savannah Mural

Located at:

1565 N Main St, Savannah, NY 13146

Located on the west side of the Savannah bank building which is on the south side of the street.

 

The 7-by-32-foot Savannah mural depicts several stages of the town’s history and pays tribute to its wildlife.

The first panel shows a flamboyant scene of visitors discovering the marshes where the natives have established their community. The longhouse in the background was popular for this area as they were stable, long term shelter that would house an entire clan of Indians. In the foreground you can see where the natives discovered one of the areas migratory birds. When the gourds were hung in the air, the Purple Martins found them as a safe harbour of their own and began nesting in them. The second portion of the mural are the mucklands themselves. This location is along route 31 in Savannah. Savannah is well known for its mucklands which made farming a viable source of food and economic contribution. The mucklands grow various vegetables, like potatoes and is even the growing area of peppermint that was harvested for the Hotchkiss Oil Company in Lyons. In the background you can see the freight train running, which at the time was the fastest mode of transporting goods from one area to another. The last panel of the mural is the aquarium view of Savannah’s wet areas. Several fish, beavers and turtles can be seen in their natural habitat as they all peacefully co-exist in their surroundings and a nod to the Savannah Montezuma Audubon Center, which opened several years ago north of the hamlet .

 

Artwork by Jennifer Gillette, Bev Owen, Wayne Williams, Jane Mott, Patty Owen, Michael Buell, James Zeger, Richard Jacobsen, Frank Scalise, Milo Whitcomb and other volunteers

June 2010