Telfair Academy facts for kids
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Telfair Academy
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Telfair Academy in 2015
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | 121 Barnard St., Savannah, Georgia |
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| Built | 1818 |
| Architect | Jay, William; Brandt, Carl N. |
| Architectural style | English Regency |
| Part of | Savannah Historic District (ID66000277) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000612 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 11, 1976 |
| Designated NHL | May 11, 1976 |
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The Telfair Academy is a very old and important building in Savannah, Georgia. It's a historic mansion located at 121 Barnard Street. A famous architect named William Jay designed it. It was built way back in 1818. This building is special because it's one of the few designs by William Jay that are still standing today.
The Telfair Academy is part of the Telfair Museums, which has three different locations. It started as a family home for the Telfair family. But in 1886, it became a free art museum for everyone to visit. This made it one of the first ten art museums in America. It's also the oldest public art museum in the southern United States. In 1976, it was named a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important place in American history.
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Exploring the Telfair Academy's Design
The Telfair Academy is right in the middle of historic Savannah. You can find it on the west side of Telfair Square. The building takes up a whole block! It's made of brick covered with a smooth finish called stucco.
The entrance is very unique, just like other buildings designed by William Jay. It has a porch with four tall columns that stick out. You walk up stairs on the sides to reach it. Inside, the house is not perfectly even. It has rooms with interesting shapes. There's an eight-sided drawing room and a dining room with rounded ends. The west side of the building used to be a place for carriages. In the 1880s, it was changed to be part of the museum. It has beautiful wooden decorations from the Adam style.
How the Mansion Became a Museum
William Jay designed this house for Alexander Telfair in 1818. Alexander was the son of Edward Telfair, who was one of Georgia's first governors after America became independent. Before the Telfair Academy was built, the land was home to the official house of Georgia's royal governors.
In 1875, Alexander's sister, Mary Telfair, left the house to the Georgia Historical Society. She also included all the furniture and family collections. Because of her gift, the first art museum in the southeastern United States opened here in 1886. The building was updated and made bigger by an architect named Detlef Lienau to become the museum we see today.
What You Can See Inside
The Telfair Academy has rooms set up to look like they did in the past. These rooms show off the museum's collection of decorative arts. You can see many original family furnishings. The museum also has beautiful American and European paintings and sculptures from the 1800s and 1900s.
Outside the building, you'll find statues of famous artists and thinkers. These include Rembrandt, Rubens, Phidias, Raphael, and Michelangelo.
Art from Savannah Artists
Besides the famous European and American artworks, the Telfair Academy also shows art from Savannah's own history. You can see fine art and decorative pieces made by artists from Savannah.
- Myrtle Jones was an artist who painted city scenes and portraits. She learned some art at the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- Frederick Marquand was a silversmith. He worked in Savannah before moving to Connecticut.
See also
- Bird Girl
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state)
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Chatham County, Georgia
Images for kids
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A historical marker outside the museum.
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The Telfair Academy building in 2018.
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A room inside the original Telfair Academy house.
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Looking inside the Telfair Academy.
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Another view from inside the Telfair Academy.
