In honor of Preservation Month, Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) will host a special discussion on “Nominating the Kiah House for the National Register of Historic Places” on Thursday, May 16 at the Historic Savannah Foundation’s headquarters, located at 321 E. York St., as part of the 2024 Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series, “People, Places and Stories That Define Savannah.” Attendees are invited to a wine reception at 5:30 p.m. The discussion will start at 6 p.m.

This event will feature Sarah Ward and Becki Harkness of Ward Architecture + Preservation discussing the process of nominating a historic structure to the National Register of Historic Places and sharing the challenges they overcame during the process of researching and preparing the nomination. With guidance from HSF, Ward and Harkness have worked diligently to add the Kiah House to the National Register of Historic Places, which will ensure the preservation, protection and recognition of this important piece of Savannah’s history.

Virginia Jackson Kiah was an artist, educator and Civil Rights activist who made a lasting impact in Savannah when, after facing barriers to museum entry during segregation, she and husband Dr. Calvin Kiah opened their own home as a museum in 1959, creating a space for Black artists. After sitting vacant for years following Virginia Kiah’s death in 2001, the Kiah House Museum was acquired by Historic Savannah Foundation as a HSF Revolving Fund property and is currently being restored by its new owners, the Galvan Foundation, in partnership with the City of Savannah and the African Diaspora Museology Institute. The goal is to re-open the Kiah House as a museum and community space following the renovation.

“Originally excluded as a contributing property from its neighborhood historic district due to alterations that were made to the structure over the years, the Kiah House is a great example of how a property’s significance can be reconsidered over time,” said Historic Savannah Foundation CEO and President Sue Adler. “In order to move forward in saving the Kiah House, it was critical to ensure that it would have the proper protective designations in place.”

Established in 2010, Ward Architecture + Preservation is an award-winning, full-service architecture firm specializing in the preservation planning and historic rehabilitation of residential and commercial properties throughout the Southeast. Ward has over 19 years of experience in historic preservation of cultural resources throughout the region, working with nonprofits, government agencies, private firms and as a consultant. Harkness has worked in the Savannah historic preservation and non-profit community for 15 years and joined Ward Architecture + Preservation in 2017 to assist the firm with documenting historic structures, historic rehabilitation tax incentives and historic resources survey work.

The next speaker in HSF’s 2024 Lecture Series will be Patt Gunn discussing “Susie King Taylor and the Making of Taylor Square” on June 20. For more information about the HSF Lecture Series, please visit myhsf.org. 

Historic Savannah Foundation’s 2024 Lecture Series is open to the public. Reservations are recommended, as space is limited. Attendance is free for Historic Savannah Foundation members and $15 for non-members. Members and non-members may RSVP by emailing Kendall Graham at [email protected] or calling 912-233-7787, ext. 109.