The Isaiah Davenport House is a historic home in Savannah that has been converted into a museum. If you’re wondering if it’s worth a visit — I think it is!

I’ll share why I think it’s special below and will also include some of my favorite recent photos of it, including a ghost sign that’s still visible on the side of the building.

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Photos of the Davenport House

First of all, this house is stunning!

It was constructed in the Federalist style and construction began in 1820 by master builder Isaiah Davenport.

If you take my favorite architectural tour of the city, your guide, Jonathan Stalcup, may tell you this home is an example of the “five, four, and a door” building style.

The four-story Isaiah Davenport House at sunset. It features a red-brick façade, black shutters, dual curved staircases, and a new metal roof

The uppermost level of the home — with the dormer windows — was used for storage and sleeping quarters for the enslaved servants who worked in the home.

The next level down includes five windows (that’s the “five” in the “five, four, and a door” nickname), while the parlor level includes four windows plus the front entrance (the “four and a door” portion of the nickname).

Traditionally, the parlor level is where guests were received into the home. As such, it’s where you’d find the nicest furniture and most elaborate lighting, moldings, and decor.

Front façade of the garden and parlor levels of Davenport House Museum. The home is constructed from red brick and has a beautiful dual curved staircase with wrought-iron filigree details on the railing

The garden level, or street level, of the home is considered the basement, and it’s where enslaved laborers — generally women — performed household tasks for the Davenport family during the early 1800s.

These days, the basement level of the Davenport House operates as the museum’s Urban Enslaved Exhibition.

It’s a learning center that teaches how the lives of the urban enslaved differed from those who were enslaved on plantations.

If you enjoy photography, you’ll also want to check out the gorgeous gardens at the Davenport House. The south-facing gates to the garden are particularly beautiful!

Detail shot of the intricate wrought-iron gate at the entrance to the garden at Davenport House Museum. The gate resembles a flower with beautiful curved filigrees
Detail shot of the intricate wrought-iron gate at the entrance to the garden at Davenport House Museum
Detail shot of the intricate wrought-iron gate at the entrance to the garden at Davenport House Museum
Detail shot of the double wrought-iron gate at the entrance to the garden at Davenport House Museum

The wrought-iron gates feature large floral designs and dozens of petite filigrees.

If you look closely at the top of the steps near the front entrance to the house, you’ll see the same design replicated at the top of the stair railing.

Close-up of the curved staircase to the right of the entrance of the Davenport House Museum. The railings at the top of the staircase are made from wrought iron with a large floral design and lots of smaller filigree shapes

Ghost Signage

One of my favorite things about the Davenport House can be found at the museum’s gift shop, which is housed in the former Kennedy Pharmacy at 323 East Broughton Street.

The exterior east-facing wall of the building has ghost signage on it for the pharmacy’s first tenant, the Anti-Migraine Company. It reads “AntiMigraine cures all Headaches.”

Faded ghost sign in white paint on red bricks on the side of the former Kennedy Pharmacy, which currently serves as the gift shop for the Davenport House museum. The sign reads "Anti-Migraine Cures All Headaches" and the word "Pharmacy" is painted above with indistinguishable text proceeding it
Faded ghost sign in white paint on red bricks on the side of the former Kennedy Pharmacy, which currently serves as the gift shop for the Davenport House museum. The sign reads "Anti-Migraine Cures All Headaches" and the word "Pharmacy" is painted above with indistinguishable text proceeding it

Davenport House Historic Marker

The Historic Marker for the Davenport House is located directly across the street in the northwest corner of beautiful Columbia Square.

Bronze Georgia historic marker for the "Colonial Town Gate: Davenport House" with supporting text written in gold lettering

Colonial Town Gate: Davenport House

In 1757, during the administration of royal Governor Henry Ellis, a line of earthwork defenses, including a palisade, was erected around Savannah. Immediately west of this marker was located Bethesda Gate, one of the six entrances into the town. Through Bethesda Gate passed the Sea Island Road connecting Savannah and the diewater settlements to the east and southeast.
This square, known as Columbia Square, was laid out in 1799. Facing it on the north is the “Davenport House,” one of the handsomest examples of Georgian architecture in the South. This finely proportioned dwelling, completed in 1820, was designed and built by its owner, Isaiah Davenport (1784-1827), one of Savannah’s outstanding builder-architects. In 1956 the “Davenport House” was restored by Historic Savannah Foundation as the first preservation project of that organization. It is open to the public at certain times during the week.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: DAVENPORT HOUSE MUSEUM

Where is the Davenport House Museum located?
District: Historic District
Address: 323 E Broughton St, Savannah, Georgia 31401
Hours: Mon – Fri 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m | Sat 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
*Note: Weekday tours are guided. Saturday tours are self-guided.
Restrooms: Available inside the gift shop
Accessibility: Only the basement (ground floor) is wheelchair accessible

What else is in the area?
Columbia Square | 0.0 mile
River Street | 0.3 mile

Stay Nearby
Kehoe House | 400 feet
East Bay Inn | 0.2 mile
Municipal Grand | 0.1 mile
The Marshall House | 0.4 mile
Home Rentals

Show me more like this!
The Mercer Williams House: Savannah’s Most Notorious Home

Any questions or comments about the Davenport House Museum? Drop them below!

Erin authored the Savannah First-Timer's Guide and loves helping first-time visitors plan their trips. She lives in the artsy Starland District and enjoys exploring Savannah's hidden gems, as well as the surrounding Lowcountry.