US-5444101 Cathedral of St John Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, USA

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic church located in Savannah, Georgia, USA. 

French Catholic émigrés established Savannah’s first parish, called the Congrégation de Saint Jean-Baptiste, shortly before the end of the 18th century. They came to Savannah in the aftermath of an uprising in Haiti.

The congregation constructed its first church on Liberty Square in 1779 and in 1811, chose a site on Drayton and Perry Streets for a larger building. Bishop John England of the Diocese of Charleston, which encompassed Savannah, consecrated the new church on April 1, 1839. Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Savannah in July 1850 and the congregation began to plan for a new cathedral on Lafayette Square in 1870 under Savannah's fourth Bishop, However, the brick structure lacked spires which were not added until 1896 when it also received a coating of stucco and whitewash.

On Sunday evening, February 6, 1898, the Cathedral caught fire and was nearly destroyed. Thousands watched as the building burned. Only the outside walls and the two spires remained standing afterwards; the bishop’s residence was spared. 

The congregation quickly rebuilt the church and was able to celebrate Christmas Mass in the new facility in 1899. But again, the structure was not complete and interior decoration took an additional 13 years. Stained glass windows were installed around 1904.  The parish undertook subsequent renovation projects in 1959-1965, which addressed heating, cooling and lighting systems and decoration and in 1984-1985, to reinforce structural foundations and implement changes mandated by the Second Vatican Council.  The cathedral was worked on again in 1998-2000 to install new roofing, and to restore the original interior colour palate and decorations.

This postcard came from Susan (Postcrossing, 25 July 2018).

SW DQ-294 Tybee Island Lighthouse

Since 1736, the Tybee Island Lighthouse has been guiding mariners safe entrance into the Savannah River for over 270 years. It is situated next to the Savannah River Entrance, on the northeast end of Tybee Island, Georgia.

The current lighthouse is the fourth tower at this station, though neither of the its first two predecessors were lit. The first tower was built at the direction of James Oglethorpe and was constructed of wood; erected in 1736, it was felled by a storm in 1741.

The Tybee Island Lighthouse is one of America's most intact having all of its historic support buildings on its five-acre site. Rebuilt several times the current lightstation displays its 1916 day mark with 178 stairs and a First Order Fresnel lens (nine feet tall).

In 1933 the tower was electrified. The beacon was automated in 1972.

In 1999 a major restoration project was begun. As part of this project the tower was repainted in the 1916-1966 black-white-black daymark. The beacon is still a functioning navigational aid, still using its original lens.

This postcard came from Margie (17 September 2014) Swap-bot.

Georgia State Capitol

 

The Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia is an architecturally and historically significant building. It was completed in 1889. It is the main office building of Georgia's government. The offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state are on the second floor, while the General Assembly meets on the third floor from January to April. There are also visitors' galleries and a museum on the fourth floor. Like many U.S. state capitols, the Georgia State Capitol is designed to resemble the Classical architectural style of the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C..

The façade features a four-story portico, with stone pediment, supported by six Corinthian columns set on large stone piers. Georgia's coat of arms, with two figures on each side, is engraved on the pediment. The Capitol's interior represents the 19th century style of its time. It was among the earliest buildings to have elevators, centralized steam heat, and combination gas and electric lights. Classical pilasters and oak paneling are used throughout the building. The floors of the interior are made of marble.

The Capitol building has undergone frequent renovations to adapt to the growth and change of government. Originally constructed from terra cotta and covered with tin, in a 1958 renovation the present dome was gilded with native gold leaf. For this reason, legislative business is often referred to as what is happening "under the gold dome" by media across the state. The statue “Miss Freedom” has adorned the dome since the building's opening.

“Miss Freedom”, sometimes referred to as Goddess of Liberty, was commissioned in 1884. The hollow copper statue is painted white, weighs over 1600 lbs and is over 26 feet tall. She was sculpted with a torch in her right hand and a sword in her left. The torch is a functioning Mercury vapor lamp, casting a blue-green light at night.

This postcard came from Denise L. (13 Aug 2014) Direct Swap Postcrossing. Interestingly the State Flag (1956-2001) shown on the postcard is an old one. There has since been two more changes of the State Flag.