Juliette Gordon Low's Birthplace: Savannah's Home of the Girl Scouts

Juliette Gordon Low's Birthplace, the home where the founder of the Girl Scouts grew up, is in the Historic District of downtown Savannah. The home is in the northern half of the District, near the Jepson Center for the Arts, the Owens-Thomas House, Riverfront Plaza and the City Market. CAT, Savannah's public transit system, has a free downtown shuttle that stops in front of the home.

Juliette Gordon, or "Daisy,'' as she was called, was born in Savannah in 1860 to a well-to-do family. As a child and young woman, she traveled extensively. In 1886, she married William Mackay Low, the son of Andrew Low, one of the wealthiest merchants in Savannah. They moved to England where Low eventually left Daisy for another woman. Before their divorce was complete in 1905, he died, and she inherited his fortune. In 1911, she met Sir Robert Paden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts. She was inspired to return to America and found a similar organization for girls and young women. In 1912, the Girl Scouts were born in Savannah. By the time she died 15 years later, there were Girl Scouts and Girl Guides in 30 countries around the world.

The house where Daisy grew up was built between 1818 and 1821 in the Regency style. Some attribute the house to architect William Jay, who designed the Owens-Thomas House, considered one of the finest examples of Regency architecture in America. The house was built for James Moore Wayne, a prominent Savannah attorney who later became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. He sold the house to William and Sarah Gordon, who would become Daisy's grandparents. Four generations of Gordons would live in the house. The Girl Scouts bought the house in 1953; it was the first house in Savannah to be awarded National Historic Landmark status.

Today, at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, the house is maintained as a museum of the life of this remarkable woman. The home has been meticulously restored as it was in 1886, the year Daisy got married as well as the year a major addition was built onto the house. Preservation is one of their missions, but their collections of Low's writings and belongings, including her artwork, inform the study of her life and the founding of the Girl Scouts. The organization balances the preservation of the house with their educational mission to girls and young women. A large archive is available for research, as are student and teacher learning packages. The director of the museum said in the Savannah Morning News, "`We're trying to attract a new customer, particularly conventioneers.' The only way they can go to a museum, after attending a convention all day, is after the traditional hours.'' To that end, the Low Birthplace offers special evening guided tours, as well as an expanded web presence.

Internet reviews of the museum are very positive. "It was the highlight of our trip!'' raved one visitor. It is a pilgrimage for Girl Scouts, but even non-Scouts love the house. One woman said, "Of all the home tours we did, this was by far the most interesting story of a person. The house is wonderful to look at, but Juliette's story is great.'' This person says it best: "Girl Scout or not, this is a great house to visit.''