Davenport House
Davenport House
Davenport House
Davenport House
Savannah, GA 31401
Tours:
Monday - Saturday: 10:00a - 4:00p
Sunday: 1:00p - 4:00p A guided tour takes 30 to 40 minutes
One of the best examples of Federal-Style architecture is the Isaiah Davenport House. The house has a simple but elegant exterior and was constructed of English brick and brownstone. The Davenport House has an ornamental iron railing and a beautiful double entry stairway. The interior of the home has been authentically restored. It has beautiful woodwork, original plaster work and a hanging staircase. The Davenport House has been furnished with furniture of the period, thereby giving visitors a glimpse of what life was like in Savannah in the 1820s.
Isaiah Davenport, arrived in Savannah before 1807 after completing his apprentice as a builder. He soon became known as one of Savannah’s most famous and prosperous builders. He built a number of brick houses in the late Georgian and Federal styles, all with high basements made necessary by the dusty unpaved streets of Savannah.
By the 1930's the house became a a run-down tenement building and destined for destruction in 1955 to make way for a parking lot. The historic home was saved by seven Savannah society ladies who raised $22,500 to purchase the home. This effort was the first act of the Historic Savannah Foundation, which would be responsible for saving and preserving many of Savannah’s historic sites.
Restored in 1962, the home is now a museum with daily-guided tours. Its charming courtyard garden of 18th century design was created as a project of the Trustees’ Garden Club. A museum store in the basement of the home features interesting items unique to Savannah and her early history.
