Located in Georgia, the Isaiah Davenport House is a historic home that was built back in the year 1820. From 1963, the Historic Savannah Foundation began to operate it as a historic house museum. It has a federal-style architecture, which is quite simple and elegant. The exterior was made using brownstone and brick. It features a beautiful double entry stairway and ornamental iron railing.
The Interior Was Renovated
The interior of the Isaiah Davenport House was authentically restored to make it more suitable to be a museum. It features original plasterwork, beautiful woodwork, and a hanging staircase. It also has a variety of furnishings that were used back in the 1820s, which allow visitors to get a good idea of how life in the Savannah was back in those years.
It Was Constructed as a Family Home
A master builder called Isaiah Davenport constructed the Davenport House to cater to his growing household and crew need. He had a total of ten children and nine slaves. Isaiah died in the year 1827 and left the house to his wife, who later made it a boarding house. In 1840, she sold it to the Baynard family for a sum of $9000. The Baynard family retained possession of the house for the next 109 years.
The Davenport House Was Identified During a Survey
In the 1930s, the New Deal Surveyors saw the architectural significance of the Davenport House while undertaking the Historic American Buildings Survey. It was later on marked for demolition, but a community-based group joined hands and purchased it. That marked the Historic Savannah Foundation’s first act. The Historic Savannah Foundation made the Davenport House their office and went on to save hundreds of other buildings in the in that historic city.
The Museum Was Opened in 1963
The Isaiah Davenport House Museum was first opened to the public in 1963 after the first floor was restored. A few years later, the Historic Savannah Foundation moved its offices to a different building, and all the floors were opened to the public. The restoration was done again during the mid-1990s to ensure that visitors would get a more authentic experience. The restoration reflected the inventory that was taken in 1827 when Isaiah Davenport died.
