Friday, April 4, 2014

Savannah’s Isaiah Davenport House

In late March, Marjory and I had the opportunity to Savannah, Georgia.  The older part of Savannah is a compact, walkable city built around numerous public squares.  Among our stops there was the Isaiah Davenport House Museum.

Originally trained as a carpenter in Rhode Island, Davenport relocated to Savannah in 107 or 1808.  In addition to being a carpenter and builder, he served as one of Savannah’s fire masters, a constable, a city alderman, and a member of the board of health.

He built his own home in 1820.  It is one of the earlier brick structures in the city located with a fine view of Columbia Square, the squares being the most desirable locations.  The house has been immaculately restored to its decoration and furnishings from the 1920s.  Of particular note are the wallpapers, faux finishes, and plaster cornices.


The Davenport House was the genesis for the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), which owns and operates the house today.  However, this was just the beginning for HSF, which has stimulated the preservation of many fine Savannah houses and the repurposing of many commercial properties.  As a result, present-day old Savannah oozes history from every pore.

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