HIstoric Savannah Foundation

Savannah is unique among American cities. Not only does it retain Oglethorpe’s original town plan of 1733, but much of its celebrated 18th, 19th and early 20th century architecture is extant as well. The Hostess City features a 2.2 square mile National Historic Landmark District—reputedly the largest of its kind in the United States—and that Landmark District includes thousands of historic buildings. Twenty-two of the town’s once twenty-four squares still exist, and that means so do the streets, lanes, trust blocks, tithe lots, live oaks…even the charming Spanish moss draped from the trees. And that’s just downtown. There are 12 more National Register districts in Savannah and Chatham County—enough to keep historians and architecture buffs busy for a lifetime.

But it was not always this way. A half century of economic decline and the impact of the automobile in the first part of the 20th century resulted in a city’s heritage wallowing in sad decay. Hundreds of buildings were demolished, the car became the bane of good pedestrian planning, and new construction had little relation to its historic context in any way, shape or form…or height, mass and scale for that matter. Savannah was becoming Anyplace, USA and it was losing its soul. By the mid-1950s, the loss of the Wetter House, beloved City Market and demolition threats to the Isaiah Davenport House sparked the formation of Historic Savannah Foundation. Led by seven visionary women, HSF purchased the c. 1820 Davenport House and thus began the organization’s formal entry into the world of preservation and real estate.

Since that auspicious beginning in 1955, HSF started a Revolving Fund to buy and sell endangered historic properties which has now saved more than 350 buildings in and around the Landmark District. Learning and borrowing best practices from Charleston, South Carolina and improvising new ones of its own, HSF has grown into one of the most respected local preservation organizations in the country—emphasizing not only the protection of individual historic buildings but also the revitalization of blighted neighborhoods. Instead of being a reactive crisis-oriented organization, HSF became a credible civic-minded organization that puts its money where its mouth is and works proactively to save the city’s heritage.

HSF protects and preserves Savannah’s heritage through advocacy, education and community involvement. And, it demonstrates the cultural, social and economic benefits of preservation as good public policy by proving that preservation and progress go hand-in-hand. Anyone who has visited Savannah knows that preservation is, arguably, the backbone of the economy and inarguably what makes it different from any other city in America. HSF is a big part of that.

Today, Historic Savannah Foundation has a seasoned staff of 7, a board of 30, a membership of 850, and an annual budget of under $1 million. HSF is proud of its outstanding museum, the Isaiah Davenport House, its nationally recognized Revolving Fund, and its educational programs.