What are the museum hours?
Open: Monday – Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM, Sunday 1 – 4 PM
Closed at 1 o’clock on: Day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve
Closed: New Years Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day

Where are you located?
At the corner of Habersham and State Sts. on Columbia Square. Please see our Directions under the to Visit heading for directions and a map.

How old is the house?
The house was completed circa 1820.

How is the house furnished?
The museum used an inventory taken at the time of Isaiah Davenport’s death as the basis for furnishings the house. Furniture, ceramics and textiles are either from the period or are period reproductions.

What is the square footage of the Davenport House?
Total square footage in the house is 6,800 feet, with each floor measuring 1,700 feet.

How much did it cost to restore?
The 1999-2003 restoration cost approximately $280,000 all raised by private donations, mostly in the Savannah community.

What did it cost to build?
We do not know. The inventory taken at the time of Isaiah Davenport’s death lists Lot 13 (the DH lot) as having the value of $1,500.

Was Isaiah Davenport a rich man?
That is a difficult question to answer. The museum used to say that Davenport was “middle class,” however this is not an early 19th century term and it can be misinterpreted. Today, the site calls Davenport a successful artisan of Northern birth. He was a self-made man who did well for himself and his family in Savannah. Comparing inventories of Davenport with his neighbors and peers indicate that while Mr. Davenport was a man of means – as seen by the home he built – there were many others in the community who were wealthier. He was not a member of coastal Georgia’s elite.

Are there other houses built by master builder Isaiah Davenport still standing?
There are several houses in the Historic District that look similar to the Davenport House and there is a belief that Davenport was one of the carpenters on the Wayne House, which is not the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. However, more research needs to be done to find out for sure what surviving houses may be the work of Davenport. We believe Lauren’s Cottage which is also termed the Hannon Houston at 420 East President Street (formerly of Greene Square) has some relationship to Davenport. The “Isaiah Davenport House” on the NE Trust lot (lot 18) on Green Square has some relationship to Davenport. And, the double house on West York called the Frederick Selleck House (305-311 West York Street) has some relationship to Davenport House. Also, he built a Martello Tower at Tybee for coastal defenses in the mid-1810s. It no longer stands and to purported to have been where Fort Screven is now.

Are there descendants of Davenports in the Savannah community today?
Yes, there are descendants in Savannah.   Also, the museum keeps a register of “Davenports.” If someone identifies themselves as such the museum notes it.

How is the museum funded?
Up until a few years ago the museum supported itself solely by admissions income and shop sales. It has diversified its revenue streams because of declining visitation (which is a nation-wide problem with house museums).

The Davenport House is self-supporting and gets its funding from a variety of sources including tour revenue, garden rental, gift shop sales, events such as the Savannah Garden Expo, donations from activities such as the Friends of the Davenport Annual Giving Campaign, and endowment distribution from the Davenport House Endowment Fund.  All donations are deeply appreciated.

If you do not see your question.
Please e-mail any question you have that is not in our FAQ section to info@davenporthousemuseum.org. We will get back to you in a timely manner. Thank you.