5 Savannah Historic Homes You've Got to See
Savannah is one of the most visited cities in the South, and it’s not hard to understand why. Founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733, the city is known for its beautiful squares, delicious Southern cuisine, eclectic shops, and historic architecture. Did you know that Savannah has the largest National Historic Landmark District in the United States? Anywhere you walk in Savannah’s historic district, you will find beautiful old churches, buildings and homes—many of which are open to the public for tours. Here are 5 homes that should be on your must-see list:
Credit: Marje, iStock
1. Davenport House Museum
324 East State Street, Columbia Square
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. The last tour begins daily at 4 p.m. Discounts for AAA cardmembers, Seniors, Military, National Trust members and Students (18-21) are available at the door.
Admission: Adults, $10; children 6 to 17, $5; children under 6, free
Information: 912-236-8097
One of the oldest Savannah houses open to the public, the brick American Federal-style, Davenport House was constructed in the early 1820s by master builder Isaiah Davenport for his family. In 1955, a group of people came together to prevent the destruction of the home. According to the museum’s website, “The Davenport house was Savannah’s ‘line in the sand’ indicating that no more houses of historical significance would be destroyed without ‘a fight.’” In 1963, the house opened as a museum and today you can tour the home and see what life was like back in 1820s Savannah.
Credit: Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home
2. Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home
207 East Charlton Street, Lafayette Square
Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.; tours on the hour.
Admission: Adults, $12. Students/military, $10; children 10 and under, free.
Information: 912-233-6014
“I consider her the greatest short story writer in the history of our republic,” said Pat Conroy about the award-winning author and native Savannahian Flannery O’Connor. Today you can take a tour through O’Connor’s childhood home, which is located just across Lafayette Square from the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist (another must-see place). The Greek Revival-style home was built in 1865, but each room has been carefully restored to the Depression era when O’Connor lived there. While you are visiting the home, you can view rare books in the Bruckheimer Library, spend time in the garden where 5-year-old O’Connor taught a chicken to walk backward, and shop for books and gifts.
Credit: Green-Meldrim House
3. Green-Meldrim House
14 West Macon Street
Hours: Tuesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., last tour begins at 3:30 p.m.
Admission: Suggested donations: Adults, $10; Students, $5; Preschool children, free.
Information: 912-232-1251
The Green-Meldrim House, constructed in the early 1850s, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the South. It was once the most expensive home in Savannah, but it’s mostly known for being General William T. Sherman’s headquarters when Federal troops occupied Savannah during the Civil War. It was here that General Sherman sent a message to President Abraham Lincoln offering him Savannah as a Christmas gift. The home is now owned by St. John’s Church and serves as the church’s parish home. The historic church is also open for tours.
Credit: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace
10 East Oglethorpe Avenue
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The last tour is at 3:30 p.m.
Admission: $10 - $15, buy your tickets in advance on the home’s website.
Information: 912-233-4501
Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low’s birthplace is probably one of the most well-known historic homes in Savannah. The reason? Gordon Low is the founder of the Girl Scouts. In 1912, she telephoned her cousin from her home and announced, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!" From the first troop of 18 Savannah girls, Daisy’s club grew quickly to become Girl Scouts of the USA, which serves millions of girls all over the United States and abroad. Gordon Low died in 1927 from breast cancer and was buried in her Girl Scout uniform. In 1953, the Girl Scouts organization bought her home and saved it from being demolished. The home is now a National Historic Landmark.
5. Harper Fowlkes House
230 Barnard Street, Orleans Square
Tours: Monday and Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. or by appointment
Admission: Adults, $12; Students, $6; Children under 12, free
Information and reservations: call 912-234-2180 and leave a detailed message.
This beautiful Greek Revival mansion, constructed in 1843, was designed by Irish architect Charles Cluskey for Stephen Gardner, a local shipping magnate. The home changed hands several times throughout the late 19th century and early 20th century, and in 1939, was bought for $9,000 by Alida Harper Fowlkes, a Savannah socialite and businesswoman. She filled her home with beautiful antiques, which you can see in the home today. She passed away in 1985 at the age of 77, leaving her house to the Society of the Cincinnati. Her will stipulated that the property must be maintained and can never be sold. Alida Harper Fowlkes is credited as being a part of the early historic preservation and restoration movement in Savannah. She restored 10 historic homes herself, including the Green-Meldrim House.