Isaiah Davenport House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Isaiah Davenport House
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| Location | 324 East State Street, Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Built | 1820 |
| Architect | Isaiah Davenport |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Savannah Historic District (ID66000277) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000374 |
| Added to NRHP | September 22, 1972 |
The Isaiah Davenport House is a really old and important house in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It was built way back in 1820. Today, it's a historic house museum where you can learn about life in the past. The Historic Savannah Foundation has been taking care of it since 1963.
The house is located at 324 East State Street. You can find it on the northwest corner of Columbia Square.
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What is Federal Style Architecture?
The Davenport House was built in a style called "Federal." This style was popular in the United States from about 1780 to 1830. It often features simple, elegant designs with balanced shapes. Think of it as a classic, neat look.
Isaiah Davenport, who was a master builder from New England, designed and built this home. He wanted it to be a nice place for his family. It also showed off his great building skills. The house was mostly finished by 1820.
The History of the Davenport House
Who Lived in the House First?
The Davenport House was built by Isaiah Davenport and his team. He was a skilled craftsman who was doing well. He built the house for his growing family. This included his wife, Sarah Clark Davenport, their seven children, and nine enslaved workers.
It was their family home until Isaiah passed away in 1827. After his death, his wife Sarah changed the house into a boarding house. She lived there until 1840. Then, she sold the house to the Baynard family from South Carolina. The Baynard family owned the house for the next 109 years!
Saving the Davenport House
Over many years, the once grand home became quite run-down. It turned into a rooming house in an older part of town. Even though it was in bad shape, experts saw how special its architecture was. In the 1930s, during the New Deal era, surveyors studied and measured it.
In 1955, the house was in danger of being torn down. But a group of people in the community decided to save it. They worked together to buy the Davenport House. This was the very first project for the Historic Savannah Foundation. This foundation has since saved hundreds of historic buildings in Savannah.
From Office to Museum
In 1955, the Davenport House became the office for the Historic Savannah Foundation. It also housed a family services agency. In 1957, a landscape architect named Clermont Huger Lee created a garden plan for the house.
People soon realized the house could be a great historic site. So, the first floor was fixed up. It opened to the public as a museum on March 9, 1963. Later, the second and third floors were also opened. The Historic Savannah Foundation then moved its offices to another building.
In the mid-1980s, the museum started working to meet professional museum standards. In the mid-1990s, another big restoration project began. This was led by Cornelia Groves and Clare Ellis. They worked to make the museum feel even more real for visitors. They added period wallpaper and furniture. These items matched what was listed in Isaiah Davenport’s belongings in 1827. Cornelia Groves also started the "Friends of Davenport House" group in 2003.
The Davenport House Museum Today
The Davenport House first opened as a museum in 1963. In 2005, it received the Preserve America Presidential Award. This is a very important award for preserving history. In 2010, it also received the Georgia Governor's Award in the Humanities. This award recognizes its great work in sharing history and culture.
