The Ghosts of the Davenport House

Isaiah Davenport Arrives in Savannah

Isaiah Davenport was born on April 14, 1784, in Rhode Island, the son of Joseph Davenport, a successful master builder. Isaiah had nine siblings, his father trained him in the building trade, and, by 1804, Isaiah was a foreman and master builder himself.

Isaiah left Rhode Island in 1809, traveled along the Atlantic Coast, and finally arrived in Savannah in 1809. After finding consistent work, Isaiah built a solid reputation for himself and became one of the most revered builders and carpenters in Savannah.

The Davenport House Is Constructed

In 1815, Isaiah purchased the property where he would build his home and his legacy. It was a double lot that had been the western edge of the city, and construction lasted from 1815 until 1820.

The mansion displays simple geometric forms, perfect proportions, and refined Adamesque interior detailing. The house is considered the greatest extant example of domestic Federal architecture in all of Savannah.

The Davenport House was not only the base of Isaiah's business but also the home of his growing family. Isaiah married twice: first in 1810 to Sarah Rosamond Clark (1786-1816), and they had three children: Sarah Clark, Frances A., and Eliza Miriam. She died in 1816, possibly in childbirth with their fourth child.

Isaiah married his second wife, Sarah Dorothy Hillhouse (1795-1853), in 1817. She was a member of the prominent Hillhouse family and a member of Savannah's elite. She was also the half-sister of James Moore Wayne, who would eventually serve on the United States Supreme Court for thirty-two years.

Isaiah and Sarah had seven children together: Emma Cornelia (who died in infancy), Isaiah George, Julian Isaiah, William, Eliza Ann, George, and Rosa Ann.

Isaiah served as an officer of the Washington Fire Company and a member of the Chatham Artillery. Savannah saw Isaiah as one of their most successful and accomplished citizens. His network of contacts in the city was substantial, and he had amassed a fortune from his building enterprise.

However, Isaiah's fortune eventually turned when the economic crisis of 1822, due mainly to the Panic of 1819 and the cotton market's gradual decline, struck Savannah hard. A fire in 1820 also badly hit the city. This reduced the demand for new construction and forced Isaiah to enter a business partnership with Jesse Pritchard, a local builder. However, this partnership soon turned sour. The men owed a huge debt to the Bank of the United States, and the construction had to be finished, which Isaiah guaranteed he would complete by himself. Facing financial ruin, he took more and more contracts, including a job with the city to build jail cells for the city's barracks (the current location of Trustees Theater) and was forced to work until his death in 1827.

Even after death, Isaiah's creditors came after his family. To settle his estate, Sarah had to sell off his woodworking and masonry tools and several enslaved people. Eventually, the ownership of the mansion transferred to their children.

The house remained a residence from 1827 to 1840. Then, after a fire destroyed the interior, the house was abandoned.

In 1925, the house was converted into apartments; however, in 1955, a demolition order was given for this property to make room for a funeral home's parking lot.

Savannah residents met at the mansion and formed the Historic Savannah Foundation to save it from demolition. The foundation successfully purchased the home and the adjacent Sarah Dorothy Hillhouse Davenport house for $22,500. The Historic Savannah Foundation also raised money to restore the building to its original grandeur. The foundation has saved over 1,100 buildings from demolition in Savannah.

Today, the Davenport House is one of Savannah's most popular museums and a National Historic Landmark.

When people stand at the kitchen door, they sometimes see a cat run across it and move up a chimney. Visitors can also hear a cat that makes a horrible shrieking noise. Staff members have had countless encounters with the phantom feline.

A former museum docent reported seeing a young girl during a nighttime program she was working. She saw the girl climb the stairs, but when she followed her, the girl could not be found. Other people have also reported seeing this ghost girl. Unexplained noises and footsteps are often heard upstairs.

Some believe this spirit may be that of Sarah, Isaiah's daughter with his first wife. She was born in 1812 but died in February of 1822, during the most difficult time for Isaiah and his family. However, this has never been confirmed.

If you want a chance to speak to the Davenport House ghosts, the museum holds an event in October that may grant you such an opportunity.

The yellow fever experience is an immersive recreation of Savannah under siege during the Yellow Fever outbreak of 1820. This deadly epidemic struck the city hard and came close to taking the young Davenport children at one point. It is speculated that the outbreak not only endangered the Davenport's growing family but also likely contributed to his economic downfall, as no one wanted to move into a diseased city.

You can read more about this upcoming event on the Davenport House Museum's website.