The Davenport House – an iconic c. 1820 property owned and operated by Historic Savannah Foundation in Savannah, Ga. – is set to undergo its first major exterior restoration since 1993. Work at the Davenport House Museum, located at 324 E. State St. on Columbia Square, is expected to start in early June and to be complete in December 2025.

Exterior restoration work on this historic Federal-style building will include cleaning, repair and repointing of masonry; reconstructing the rear porch and stairs; and repairing and repainting windows, doors, shutters, iron grills and railings. The restoration work was previously approved by the Historic District Board of Review.

“This will be the largest exterior restoration of the Davenport House in more than three decades, which is extremely exciting,” said Sue Adler, CEO and President of Historic Savannah Foundation. “It’s vital to maintain this architectural jewel, which kick-started the preservation movement in Savannah in 1955 and currently hosts more than 40,000 visitors each year from across the country and around the world.”

Over the last several months, Historic Savannah Foundation staff and leadership determined that the entire exterior of the Davenport House was in need of a comprehensive restoration. Ellie Isaacs, Historic Savannah Foundation’s Director of Preservation and Historic Properties, drafted the Exterior Conditions Assessment document that informed the work needed to restore the exterior of this iconic structure.

 Historic Savannah Foundation representatives met with the Preservation Department of the Metropolitan Planning Commission and collaborated with architect Brian Felder of Felder and Associates, a past Historic Savannah Foundation board chair who oversaw the construction of Historic Savannah Foundation’s Preservation Center, to handle the bid process. Garbutt Construction, which is based in Pooler, Ga., was selected as the contractor to complete the exterior restoration project. Brian Felder with Felder and Associates will oversee the work.

 Historic Savannah Foundation staff members also appeared before the Historic District Board of Review and were granted approval “with conditions” to provide additional information to the preservation department staff at the Metropolitan Planning Commission throughout the project.

The Davenport House Museum won a Preserve America Presidential Award, which is the highest national award honoring historic preservation achievement, and received awards from the Georgia Association of Museums in 2023 and 2025. 

Built in 1820, the Davenport House was designed by carpenter Isaiah Davenport and officially launched Savannah’s historic preservation movement when a group of seven local women joined forces to purchase the historic home, which was slated for demolition, in 1955. The Davenport House officially opened as a house museum in 1963 and has been open to the public ever since.