Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) – the leading nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to saving the buildings, places and stories that define Savannah’s past, present and future – is thrilled to announce a record $1.5 million donation from The Murray Perlman and Wayne Spear Charitable Foundation, which was founded in memory of the late Savannah residents in order to support key Savannah-area nonprofits.

“We are deeply grateful to Murray Perlman and Wayne Spear for their incredible generosity and for their heartfelt commitment to historic preservation in Savannah,” said Sue Adler, CEO and President of Historic Savannah Foundation. “Their legacy will live on through their support of Historic Savannah Foundation. We are honored to permanently install their names at the HSF Headquarters and to display a photo of Murray and Wayne so everyone can learn their story.”

This generous gift from The Murray Perlman and Wayne Spear Charitable Foundation will support maintenance and promote sustainable operations at four Historic Savannah Foundation properties, including the main HSF headquarters at 321 E. York St., the Davenport House Museum on Columbia Square and the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy and Murray C. Perlman and Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center at 323 E. Broughton St. The main board room at the HSF headquarters was officially named in honor of Pearlman and Spear on Sept. 25, in honor of their remarkable generosity. 

“Wayne and Murray were two extraordinary Southern gentlemen who were extremely devoted to Savannah,” said The Murray Perlman and Wayne Spear Charitable Foundation board member Carol Day. “Their heart was in Savannah. They remembered the ‘bad times’ when Savannah was being boarded up and buildings were being torn down. They loved what Savannah had become and gave generously with their time and their energy.”

Perlman and Spear previously served as the largest donors for Historic Savannah Foundation’s capital campaign and helped fund HSF’s Murray C. Perlman and Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center, which is connected to the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy on Broughton Street. The Preservation Center, which opened to the public in April of 2022, features a popular education and exhibition space for visitors to learn about the history of preservation in Savannah.

“Murray and Wayne were very involved in the Savannah community and were incredibly interested in history, culture and the arts,” said Phil Meeks, chairman of the board of directors for The Murray Perlman and Wayne Spear Charitable Foundation. “This gift honors their commitment to Savannah and to the impressive work that Historic Savannah Foundation does throughout the year.”

Murray C. Perlman (1932-2021) and Wayne C. Spear (1939-2017) were longtime Savannah residents who shared a passion for historic preservation and for the Hostess City. Born in Savannah in 1932, Perlman was the owner and partner of Savannah Galleries, which started selling fine American, English and French antique furniture in 1968. Perlman met Spear, a native of Eastman, Ga., at a party in Atlanta in the mid-1960s. They became life partners, were legally married in 2015  and were together for over five decades. They traveled worldwide during their years together and divided their time between Savannah and New York City. 

Perlman and Spear created a posthumous foundation that supports the causes they were most passionate about and to continue their legacy in Savannah.