Morrell Park/Waving Girl Statue
Florence Martus embodied the true spirit of Southern Hospitality. For forty-four years she greeted every ship entering the Savannah port by waving a cloth from her home on Elba Island. She was the sister of the Elba Island light-keeper and from 1887 to 1931 she was well-known for her welcoming persona. The Waving Girl Statue by Felix De Weldon, stands in Morrell Park on the Riverfront in tribute to Florence.
It’s one of the recognized historic landmarks you can see in the riverfront park. The bronze statue of Ms. Martus is one and one-half times life size, mounted on a slanted platform with a bronze collie dog. It is also the first memorial to a Georgia woman in any city park.
Visitors to Savannah must see the endearing Waving Girl, a special tribute to one of Savannah’s great residents and an eternal symbol of Southern Hospitality.
