Owens–Thomas House facts for kids
|
Owens–Thomas House
|
|
Owen–Thomas House in 2011
|
|
| Location | 124 Abercorn Street, Oglethorpe Square Savannah, Georgia |
|---|---|
| Built | 1819 |
| Architect | William Jay |
| Architectural style | Early Republic |
| Part of | Savannah Historic District (Savannah, Georgia) (ID66000277) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000611 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | May 11, 1976 |
| Designated NHL | May 11, 1976 |
The Owens–Thomas House & Slave Quarters is a famous old home in Savannah, Georgia. Today, it is a historic house museum run by Telfair Museums. You can find it at 124 Abercorn Street, right on the corner of Oglethorpe Square.
This house is very special. In 1976, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it is one of the best examples of a building style called English Regency architecture in the whole country. During some updates in the 1990s, workers found and fixed up one of the oldest and best-kept urban slave quarters in the southern United States.
Contents
What Makes the Owens–Thomas House Special?
This important house was started in 1816 and finished in 1819. An English architect named William Jay designed it. He was from a city called Bath in England. Jay drew the plans for the house while he was still in England. He sent them to the builders in Savannah before he even arrived.
Jay wanted the house to look like the beautiful buildings in Bath. You can see this in the special stone used to build it. The house also has very fancy details. It was a grand building for a successful port city in the South. The Owens–Thomas House is a top example of English Regency architecture in North America. It was first known as the Richardson House, named after its first owner, Richard Richardson.
Who Lived in the House?
In 1830, a local lawyer and politician named George Welshman Owens bought the mansion. He paid $10,000 for it. His family lived there for many decades. Later, Owens' granddaughter, Margaret Thomas, gave the house to the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1951. This museum was started in 1885 and is the oldest art museum in the South.
The house is also famous for its side porch. This porch has fancy cast iron supports that look like acanthus leaves. In 1825, a famous French general, the Marquis de Lafayette, spoke to the people of Savannah from this very porch! William Jay also designed other important buildings in Savannah. These include the Scarborough House and the Telfair House.
The Slave Quarters: A Look into History
A key part of visiting the Owens–Thomas House is learning about the carriage house. This building was home to the enslaved people who worked for the Owens family. These workers included a nanny, a cook, and a butler.
During a renovation of the carriage house in the 1990s, something amazing was found. The owners discovered one of the oldest and best-preserved urban slave quarters in the American South. This discovery helps us understand the lives of enslaved people. The museum has a "Slavery and Freedom Project" to share this history. They have also held special events to discuss it.
Unique Features of the Slave Quarters
The ceiling of the slave quarters is painted a special color called haint blue. This light blue color was often used in Gullah culture. People believed it would keep away ghosts or bad spirits. The slave quarters here have the largest area of haint blue paint in North America.
The restoration of the quarters also includes the pantry. You can see other parts of the kitchen where Gullah cooking took place. The cellar is also part of the tour. This is where meals were prepared and laundry was done.
The Owens–Thomas House Museum
The Owens–Thomas House museum has many beautiful items. These include furniture and decorations from the English Regency period. Most of these pieces belonged to the Owens family and date from 1790 to 1840.
The collections include English Georgian and American Federal period furniture. You can also see old Savannah textiles, silver, and Chinese porcelain. There is also art from the 1700s and 1800s. The slave quarters display items that belonged to enslaved people from that time.
The Garden
Outside, the house has a lovely courtyard with a small garden. This garden was redesigned in 1954 by a landscape architect named Clermont Huger Lee. She designed the garden in an English-American style from the 1820s. She also oversaw its care for fourteen years.
Gallery
-
The rear of the property, on Lincoln Street, in 2021.
See also
