Touring the Isaiah Davenport House in Historic Savannah, Georgia

The Isaiah Davenport Housein Savannah, Georgia is one of many historic houses in the downtown Savannah Historic District that is open for touring. I recently toured this house myself and enjoyed it immensely. Although I haven't seen every house open for tours in the Savannah Historic District, I feel quite sure that this one will remain one of my favorites.

Built around 1820, the American Federal style house was proudly constructed by Isaiah Davenport for his business and his family. Isaiah Davenport was a craftsman who worked on many projects in the Savannah area. His home illustrates his interest in architecture and his pride in his work. Although the tour guide told us that he was not a trained architect, he included architectural details in his home that are a beautiful example for the time period.

What to Expect on Your Tour of the Isaiah Davenport Home in Savannah

If you are expecting a opulent plantation-style home or the town house of a wealthy man, you will be disappointed in the Isaiah Davenport house. What you will see is the home of a master builder who conducted business, entertained potential clients, and lived with his family in his home. The architectural details in the front rooms of the Davenport home prove that Isaiah was a talented, though self-taught, designer with an eye for detail.

This house was saved from the wrecking ball in 1955 and became the first project of the then fledgling Historic Savannah Foundation whose mission was to save the Isaiah Davenport home and other historically significant homes in the area. The home was purchased for only $22,500 in 1955 which sounds like a bargain now. Many at the time probably considered it a waste of money and a lost cause, however. To say that the Davenport home had fallen on hard times from the time Isaiah Davenport owned it until the mid-twentieth century would be an understatement.

Isaiah Davenport did not have an easy life and the fate of his home reflected his own. Although Davenport was very community oriented (you can view a timeline of his life in Savannah), he had financial problems even before this house was finished and until his death in 1827. His wife had no choice but to reconstruct the house as a boarding house after his death, eventually selling it in 1840. It later joined in the fate of many others of its kind as a tenement house through the 1930's.

By the time the Historic Savannah Foundation purchased the Davenport House, its rooms had been chopped up into apartments for as many as 10 families, doors added, mantles removed. My admiration goes to this group for the job they undertook in restoring this house.

Isaiah Davenport House Highlights

While you won't find much original furniture in the home, that's okay. A copy of the inventory list of the household possessions at the time of Isaiah Davenport's death in 1827 (you can see the list during the tour) reveals that the family owned what appears to be the bare minimum in furniture, bedding, and dishes. Our tour guide pointed out that no cloth napkins are even listed.

The Foundation has worked hard to recover items that are similar to those few that the Davenports may have owned. And there are some surprisingly personal family items that are viewable at the house. For example, two framed silhouettes exist. There is one silhouette of Mrs. Davenport and one of her daughter, Cornelia, at four years old.

There is also a scrapbook with locks of hair from the family and in the "daughter's bedroom" can be found one of Cornelia's actual dolls which a tour guide told us had just recently been provided to the Davenport House historic site.

Isaiah Davenport House - Restoration Highlights

In addition to personal family items, we were told on the tour that up to 90% of the architectural decorations in the home were found to be in good shape and able to be saved during restoration. One mantle was even returned to the Davenport House from another home in Savannah and re-installed in its rightful place in 1999.

One restoration of the Isaiah Davenport House took place in the early sixties and the second and much more thorough restoration took place from 2000-2003. This last restoration was completed to return the Davenport house to the way it probably looked in 1821-1827.

More thorough research was done on wallpaper and the faux painting styles on the doors (which I thought were extremely well done). The tour guide laughed when telling us that many visitors on the tour found the wallpaper unbelievably garish but fragments of wallpaper styles pulled from other homes in the area and extensive research proves that the current restoration is more near to what may have been in the home. As we all know, there's no accounting for taste - think about the fashions and styles during the more recent "disco era", for instance.

Unlike some older houses we are used to, the Isaiah Davenport House does not have a separate kitchen. The kitchen is in the "basement" of the house. Right now, the gift shop is located where the kitchen used to be. There are plans to move the gift shop and redo the kitchen sometime in the future.

There are some small gardens to the back and side of the house. These probably would not be recognized by Isaiah Davenport and his family. Their yard was more likely compacted dirt. However, I'm sure he'd be pleased to see the beautiful gardens in the place of his old yard.

Why You'll Want to Visit the Isaiah Davenport House in Savannah

Some tourists may find the Isaiah Davenport House in Savannah simple and not opulent enough for their tastes. That is one of the reasons I very much like it. I think it is much harder to picture how less affluent people lived 200 years ago. No, the Davenport House is not Winterthur, it's not Biltmore, and it's not even as nice as many of the other large houses you'll see just a few blocks away in the historic district of Savannah.

But, Isaiah Davenport gave much to the city of Savannah. He served on the city councils; he worked on many of the beloved squares in Savannah. I think it is very fitting that a man who helped build so much of what is most delightful about Savannah should find his home to be the first to be purchased for restoration by the Historic Savannah Foundation.

If they ever decide they don't want it anymore, I'll be glad to take it off their hands. But, I will have to do something about that current lack of a kitchen.

How to Visit the Isaiah Davenport House

The Isaiah Davenport House is located in Savannah, Georgia at 324 East State Street.

Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10 - 4 p.m.
Sunday: 1 - 4 p.m.
Closed most major holidays
Available for weddings and special occasion rentals

Tour Cost: As of February 2009: Adults: $8; Children (6-17) $5; Under 6 - Free

Tour Length: Allow 30-45 minutes.

Tips: Watch for special interest tours. Info can be found at the Isaiah Davenport House Museum Website.

Don't the miss the museum gift store - which is very nice. Includes a good selection of regional history books and cook books.

Sources:
Isaiah Davenport House Website
Details from my tour of the Isaiah Davenport House Museum.