Isaiah Davenport House Volunteer Newsletter
April 2010
www.davenporthousemuseum.org
236-8097
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Miss Le Count,
Ladies Dress Maker,
Informs her friends and the public,
that she has removed to YorkStreet, opposite the Court-house
where she will be happy to receive their favors.
April 6, 1820. Savannah Republican.
From the Commercial Advertiser
I WOULD NOT WEAR, &c.
I would not wear the warrier’s wreath –
I would not court his crown;
For love and virtue sink beneath
His dark and vengeful frown.
I would not seek my fame to build
On glory’s dizzy height;
Her temple is with orphans fill’d –
Blood soils her scepter bright.
I would not wear the diadem
By folly priz’d so dear;
For want and woe hath brought each gem,
And every pearl’s a tear.
I would not heap the golden chest
That sorry spirits crave;
For every grain (by penuary curst,)
Is gathered from the grave.
No! – Let my wreath unsullied by –
My fame be virtuous youth;
My wealth be kindness charity,
My diadem be truth.
April 5, 1828. The Georgian.
DAVENPORT HOUSE CALENDAR
Friday, April 2 at 7:30 a.m. – Early
Bird’s Preservation Walk of the
Landmark Historic District’s
East Side
6:30 p.m. – Madeira Tour
(booked)
Saturday, April 3 at 7:30 a.m. - Early
Bird’s Preservation Walk of the
Landmark Historic District’s
East Side
Sunday, April 4 – Easter Sunday, Museum Closed
Monday, April 5 at 10 a.m. – Docents‘ Opportunity to Take –New!
Early Bird’s Walking Tour of
the City Isaiah Knew: Discovering 1820s Savannah
Tuesday, April 6 at 7:30 a.m. -
Early Bird’s Preservation Walk
of the Landmark Historic District’s East Side
- 9 a.m. – Garden Volunteers
Thursday, April 8 from 3 to 9 p.m. –
Kennedy Pharmacy Rent
Friday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. – Madeira Tour (booked)
Saturday, April 10 – Garden Rental
Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30 a.m. -
Early Bird’s Preservation Walk
of the Landmark Historic District’s East Side
12 noon – Davenport House Committee meeting in Kennedy Pharmacy
7 p.m. – HSF lecture by Bob Ciucevich on Mid-Century Architecture
at Benedictine High School
Wednesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. –
Junior Interpreter meeting
Thursday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. –
Madeira tour (booked)
Friday, April 16 at 4:30 p.m. – Garden Rental
6:30 p.m. – Madeira Tour (booked)
Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 a.m. Early Bird’s Preservation Walk of the
Landmark Historic District’s East Side
Monday, April 19 at 5 p.m. – Tea
program for SCAD Museum Education class (Jim Janson)
Tuesday, April 20 at 7:30 a.m. -
Early Bird’s Preservation Walk
of the Landmark Historic District’s East Side
Thursday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. –
Savannah Garden Expo Preview
Party (Railroad Roundhouse Museum)
6:30 p.m. – Madeira Tour (booked)
Friday, April 23 from 10 to 5 – Savannah Garden Expo (Railroad
Roundhouse Museum)
Saturday, April 24 from 10 to 5 –
Savannah Garden Expo (Railroad
Roundhouse Museum)
Tuesday, April 27 at 7:30 a.m. -
Early Bird’s Preservation Walk
of the Landmark Historic District’s East Side
Wednesday, April 28 at 10 a.m. –
Disaster Planning/Recovery Meeting in Kennedy Pharmacy
- 4 to 6 p.m. – International
group hospitality and tour
Thursday, April 29 at 8:30 a.m. DH
Endowment Directors in the Kennedy Pharmacy –
- 6:30 p.m. - Madeira Tour
(booked)
Thursday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. –
Madeira Tour (booked)
Friday, April 30 7:30 a.m. - Early
Bird’s Preservation Walk of the
Landmark Historic District’s
East Side
SHOP NEWS:
- Several items are flying off the
shelves – Paul Bland The Savannah
Walking Tour and Guidebook, music
boxes and bobeches!
- New shop items: Ellis Garvin‘s A
Guide to Our Two Savannahs which
included a CD and includes much
about our African American heritage.
($19.95) and ―Do No Disturb‖ Lavendar Soap in pretty boxes. ($8.95)
VOLUNTEER/STAFF PREVIEW –
Early Bird’s Walking Tour of the
City Isaiah Knew: Discovering
1820s Savannah:
Jamie has been working on a new tour
and would like to share it
with you. There will be a
presentation for museum
volunteers and staff of
the tour on Monday,
April 5 at 10 a.m. It will
take 90 minutes and covers 2 miles walking
through 8 squares in the Landmark
Historic District seeing what remains
of the Savannah Isaiah Knew. Walkers will view what remains and talk
about what once was. The content of
this tour can help fill out the gaps in
our interpretation and challenge our
understanding of Isaiah and his work.
DOCENT NEWS:
- New Docents: Abby Shreiber gave
her evaluation and is now on the
schedule. Wilma Wheten is not far
behind.
What not to say: ―You missed all
the beautiful flowers!‖ or ―What
horrible weather we are having!‖:
Please let your guests know
what wonderful things they
will see instead of what they
will not. If the azaleas are not
blooming, what about the
beautiful camellias. If is it
chilly, aren‘t we thrilled that it is
chilly?
MADEIRA TOURS (TT):
Please note our after-hours Madeira
tours are on April 2, April 9, April 15,
April 16, April 22 and April 29. We
need docent help on April 9 (one
more), April 15 (1 more), April 16
(one more) and April 22 (3 more),
April 29 (3 docents) . THIS IS IMPORTANT. We need servers on
April 16 (one more) and April 29 (2
more).
JI NEWS:
- March Meeting: Ten JIs walked
the new Isaiah‘s Savannah in March.
- April Meeting: There is a JI meeting on Tuesday, April 13. They will
walk the preservation tour at that
time.
- Please note: The museum will
offer its summer Junior Interpreters
program on Thursdays beginning June
17 through July 29. Junior Interpreter Day will be Friday, August 6.
We would love to have a full class of
high school students who want to
know about the house and how it
works.
PRESERVATION WALKING TOUR:
Please let your patrons know on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30
a.m. in April the museum will offer an
Early Bird‘s Walking Tour of the
Landmark Historic District‘s East
Side. The walk is 2.1 miles through
one of the oldest and most varied
neighborhoods to learn how historic
preservation has revitalized downtown Savannah. Following the tour
there will be coffee and crumb cake in
the garden.
COLLECTION NEWS:
Dining Room Set for Breakfast
with Cantonware: On March 27 the
DH Dining Room will be put back to
its usual―breakfast‖ interpretation.
However, the Queensware formerly
on exhibit has been returned to the
Telfair Museum where it is being used
in their silver exhibit. The Telfair
loaned the DH the Queensware for a
number of years but needed it back.
Our authority, Page Talbott, says the
Queensware is similar to what is on
Isaiah‘s inventory as ―Liverpoolware.‖
We were sad to see it go but understand. And we did not expect the
kind offer of borrowing some Cantonware to replace the Queensware.
The Owens-Thomas House has a
large collection and allowed us to exhibit several pieces.
This blue and white Chinese export porcelain would have been a
common tableware in the finer homes
of the early 19th century. It is reasonable to think the Davenports would
have been familiar with it.
The following is from
―Collecting 17th and 19th Century
―Ballast War‖: Chinese Canton
Porcelain,‖ by Lorena Overstreet
Allen.
A Role In Post Revolutionary
American History
Most of the porcelain shipped from China to
the West during the 17th Century through
the 19th Century was formerly known as
"China trade porcelain", although now it is
commonly referred to as Chinese export porcelain, including the blue and white Canton
ware. Canton porcelain was manufactured
and fired in the kilns at the Provence of
Ching-Te Chen, then sent by the East India
Trading Company to the seaside port of
Canton for the final decorating process by
Chinese artists and craftsmen working in the
enameling shops. Thus the name "Canton"
alludes as much to the decoration and design
on the ware as well as its port of export.
Chinese Canton ware was shipped to Europe
and America in the holds of cargo ships
which resulted in its becoming known as
"ballast ware". It became part of Post Revolutionary American history, an age when
New Englanders from Salem and Boston
eagerly awaited their shiploads of porcelain
from the Far East. The Canton blue and
white patterned dinner and tea sets were
favored by George Washington as well as the
merchant classes. Eventually, it became an
integral part of important private, as well as
public, collections throughout Post Revolutionary America, being the province of the
collector and curator.
Canton Porcelain’s Unique
Characteristics of Color
and Design
Utilitarian in appearance with outer rims
having unsymmetrical ridges and indentations, Canton has several characteristics that
distinguish it from other Chinese export
porcelains although it is very similar to the
blue and white Nanking pattern. Both Canton and Nanking ware are hand painted
with a composition of a coastal village scene
consisting of tea house, arched bridges, willow
trees, meandering streams and distant mountains and an absence of figures. The most
obvious difference between Canton and
Nanking patterns is noted in the design of
the borders of each. The border of Canton
patterns has a blue lattice network and inner
border of wavy or scalloped lines called
“clouds” while Nanking borders are diapered with a geometric lattice and spearhead
design and may have an application of burnished gold. Unlike the aesthetically finer
quality and reliable color of Nanking ware,
Canton pigments vary in intensity from a
washed out gray-blue to cobalt blue, depending on the varied intensities of heat within the
kiln during the firing process. These thick
greyish to cobalt pigments and glazes adhere
closely to the body. Another distinguishing
characteristic is the coarser textured examples
of Canton ware which may have a residue of
ash embedded in the clay resulting in the
descriptive term
“oatmeal” applied
to such pieces.
GARDEN:
Volunteers –
We would love
to have some
volunteers help
with weeding, etc. on Tuesday, April 6
from 9 to 11 a.m.
Spring planting in May: The garden
pots and parterre will be planted the
first week of May.
Weddings: The garden is rented on
Saturday, April 10 for a ceremony and
Friday, April 16 for a wedding reception. We have received a number of
bookings for 2011.
GARDEN PARTY PLANNED—
SUNDAY, MAY 2: The DH is planning its spring garden party
for volunteers and Friends
of the Davenport House on
Sunday, May 2. Invitations
will be in the mail the second week of April. We
hope you will all attend and celebrate
spring at one of your favorite places.
Mark your calendar!
DONATIONS IN MARCH
Mrs. Cornelia Groves
Kim and Kevin Iocovozzi
Mrs. C. Henry Monsees
Diane and Dan Reitman
Mrs. Mary Helen Ray
Mrs. Mickey Seigel
MATCHING GIFT RECEIVED
Scott and Lorraine Boice - Merck
Partnership for Giving
MEMORIAL
In memory of Eric Reitman
Dudley and Ann Koontz
THE DH’S LOSS:
Florence DuBois.
We lost a dear friend
on March 26 when
Florence DuBois
passed away. She was
a faithful Wednesday
afternoon docent who
believed in giving the
customer the very best value including
50 to 60 minute tours. She always
kept up with new information and
would come around to share new
books she had read with staff. She
worried about the condition of the
collection and always supported museum programs. She is the reason we
have linens and dessert plates for our
tea program. Always sharp and
youthful, kind and dedicated, there is
no truer hero in this world than someone that makes the day better for
those around her and gives the visitor
an experience they will never forget.
Our hearts go out to Bob and the
family.
HSF NEWS:
- Historic Savannah Foundation is
hosting the third of its Preservation Lecture Series with a presentation on midcentury modern architecture by local
preservation consultant, Bob Ciucevich. The lecture will begin at 7:00
pm on Tuesday, April 13 in the Academic Building at Benedictine Military School, 6502 Seawright Drive
(Benedictine‘s campus is on the east
side of Waters and the north side of
Eisenhower). The lecture is free and
open to the public. With Benedictine‘s early 1960s campus as the backdrop for this lecture, Bob Ciucevich
of Quatrefoil Consulting will speak
about the post World War II building
boom and its impacts on Savannah‘s
architectural landscape. Ciucevich will
put modernism in context and include
references to BC‘s modern campus
designed by architect, Juan Carlos
Bertotto. A guided walking tour of
the campus will be offered at 6 pm,
followed by a brief reception before
the lecture begins at 7 pm in the Academic Well.
- HSF will sponsor a work day—in
cooperation with Rebuilding Together
Savannah—at one of our Revolving
Fund properties in Cuyler-Brownville
on Saturday, May 1. We will be cleaning and repairing this early 20th century worker‘s cottage as part of a larger, city-wide effort hosted by Rebuilding Together. HSF is working
with Savannah Tech students as well
as students from the SCCPSS Early
College program to prepare the building for re-sale to a preservationminded buyer. Volunteers are welcome to join us that day to ‗exercise‘
your commitment to preservation in
Savannah. For details, contact HSF at
233-7787.
WORTH MENTIONING:
- Projector Donation: Thank you to
Bill Linskey who donated a rarely used
slide projector and two carousels to
the museum. We still use slides and
we are grateful for the contribution.
- Annie Robinson’s Book: Our
friend Annie Robinson, former docent and DH Committee member, is
an architectural historian living in
Maine. She recently completed a
beautiful book – ―Peabody and
Stearns: Country Houses and Seaside Cottages,‖ through W. W. Norton & Company publishers. Huzzah!
- Kristi Gets a Job: The SCAD
graduate student who did her Masters
thesis on the DH tenement era has
recently gotten a job as Architectural
Historian with KCI Technologies in
Mechanicsburg, PA.
- Scholar is happy: Tracy Hoffman,
Professor of English, Baylor University was thrilled that we quoted Washington Irving in our tea program as
she is the present of the Washington
Irving Society!
- This Old House: Forty patrons
attended the ―This Old House‖ program in March.
- Tea at Mrs. Davenport’s: Ninetyseven patrons attended a tea program
in March. We had terrific performers.
Thanks to Jody Leyva, Shannon
Wichers, Jan Vach, Jeff Freeman and
Raleigh Marcell. Adam Caracci and
Helen Linksey helped out and Dottie
Kraft commanded the clean up each
performance. One of the most remarkable things occurred on a Thursday when Jan Vach was reading tea
leaves to patrons. She looked in the
tea cup and told one woman she saw a
―cow‖(which means good luck). The
lady said, ―You do! I milked 120 this
morning.‖ Her husband is a dairy
farmer!! Another highlight was when
Shannon attended the program and
sang ―the Revolutionary Tea Song!‖
The crew will take most of April off
and then be back in May.
- Tea in April: On Monday, April
19 they will do a special tea performance for Jim Janson‘s Museum Education class (SCAD).
- Madeira training: Thanks to De
Gassman, Marty Barnes, Pat Kelly,
Pat Fraker, Karen Halloran, Dirk
Hardison, Jeff Freeman and Raleigh
Marcell for attending Maderia training
in March. We hope they will be
joined by Patricia Pritchard and Beth
Wichers in putting on evening Madeira tours in the spring. It‘s a labor
intensive program and we love our
workers!
- Tour of Homes – Trolley Back in
Time: It took some organization to
see 105 people with the Savannah
Tour of Homes and Gardens for a
Madeira program on March 26 but the
DH made it happen. Thanks to all of
you who made pound cake. Jamie
lost track of who all contributed. Just
know our guests had enough to eat.
Workers for the evening were Marcy
Brennan, Jeff Freeman, Karen Halloran and Meredith Halloran.
Savannah Resident Recollects Isaiah’s Savannah
Charles Seton Henry Hardee talks to Martha Gallaudet Waring in 1928
In 1928 Martha Gallaudet Waring
transcribed notes from Charles
Seton Henry Hardee’s memories of
Savannah dating back to 1835.
Since his earliest memories are just
a few years after Isaiah Davenport
died it is fair to say they reflect the
world Isaiah knew. These insights
can help us piece together a comprehendible idea of how the Davenport
household lived in their home and in
their city. The following are passages from Hardee’s “Recollections
of Old Savannah,” Georgia Historical Quarterly, 12(4), 1928, p. 358388 & 13. p. 33-49.
ENCLOSED SQUARES
“For many years each of these
squares was enclosed by a wooden
fence, with horizontal rails. Instead
of gates for entrance and exit, there
were turnstiles, very convenient for
foot passengers, and very effective
in preventing horses and cows from
entering.” p. 45
“At the time it seemed to be the rule
that all open spaces must be enclosed by a fence of some kind.” p.
45
WATER SUPPLY AND THE
SQUARES
“Up to 1854, the City Water Supply was by means of
surface wells. These wells
were not more than fifteen
or sixteen feet deep, circular in
shape, and bricked up from the bottom to about two feet above the
street level. The water was drawn
up through wooden pumps. It was
flat, and not always tasteless, as pure
drinking water should be. It was
often contaminated by seepage from
privy vaults. Contamination could
not well be obviated, for it was privy
vaults only that excrementitious
matter could be collected and disposed of. In almost all private
houses of any importance there was
a well of this kind in the yard. As a
rule, the public wells were located in
the middle of the squares, but when
this was not practicable, they were
located at street intersections.”
“This source of water supply was
not only unsatisfactory, but was detrimental to the health of the city. A
change in the kind, as well as in the
manner of supply, was therefore not
just desirable, but imperatively necessary.”
In 1854 the Savannah Water Works
developed and city fathers “ordered
public pumps [in the squares] removed [and] wells filled up.”
“With few exceptions the cisterns in
the squares were disused, those temporarily excepted being in that part
of the city not yet reached by the
water mains.”
“The old [fire] engine houses in the
squares, being no longer needed,
were torn down and removed.” P.
356
wide, with a shingle roof, supported
by brick pillars, and extended
around the four sides of the Square.
This left an uncovered quadrangular
space, which was used for the sale
of live poultry, fish, oysters, shrimp,
crabs, and everything else that
comes out of the water. The four
covered sides were used for the sale
of vegetables, dressed meat of all
kinds, dressed poultry, and everything else that could not find a place
elsewhere. The covered and the
open quadrangular spaces on the
street level were paved with brick,
and there was a brick sidewalk on
all four sides of the square. About
two feet beyond the sidewalk there
was a broad wooden railing, on
wooden posts, about two and onehalf feet high, on the south and west
sides.” p. 358
SLAVE/FREE PEOPLE OF
COLOR - PASSES
“ Monthly passes were
allowed with ten o’clock as
the time limit, but special
passes might be given for one night
with eleven o’clock as the time
limit. If the holder of a pass was
caught on the street after the time
limit was passed, he was taken up
and carried to the Guard House to
spend the night. At a specified hour
next morning a kind of police court
was held at the guard house by the
officers of the guard, at which all
prisoners, except those who were
charged with misdemeanors, could
be `taken out’ upon the payment of a
fine of $1.00.”
“The old wooden building was
pulled down in 1870 and the present
building finished in 1872.” p. 360
MARKETS – ELLIS SQUARE
Sold “of meats, vegetables and other
country produce”’
“ . . .one of these (markets) was located at the intersection of South
Broad and Barnard Streets, and continued in use until the year 1821. In
that year a new market building was
erected on Ellis Square, at the expense of the citizens . . . . It was a
wooden shed, about twenty-five feet
MARKET CARTS
“The space outside of this railing [at
the city market] was
used for the parking of
country carts, or
`cracker carts,’ as they
were called. These carts were onehorse, two-wheeled vehicles, with a
half-round canopy of cotton cloth
over the top. Many of these carts
came from a distance of fifty miles
or more, and were two days and a
night on the way. They brought to
market all kinds of country produce,
such as eggs, dressed poultry, small
dressed hogs, sausages, jerked or
dried beef, venison, wild turkeys,
wild ducks, partridges, doves, and
other good things too numerous to
mention. . . . [Items were] sold from
the carts where they were parked
outside of the railing.” p. 358 –
MONEY
“All of the small silver coins I remember were multiples of English
shilling and penny.
Three pence, or a `thrip’
passed for six and a
quarter cents; six pence,
or a `bit’ for twelve and one-half
cents, and twelve pence or a shilling, for twenty-five cents. . . .But I
remember that the English coin
remained in circulation for a long
time, and that the price of all kinds
of country produce was for a long
time named in English units.” (p.
359)
SOUTH BROAD STREET
(Oglethorpe Avenue) –
“UNDER THE TREES”
“When I was a boy, there
was a double row of `Pride of India,’ or China Berry trees, as they
were commonly called, down the
middle of South Broad Street, (now
Oglethorpe Avenue). The Pride of
India, permit me to sate as information, is a native of Syria, Persia,
and the north of India, and is cultivated in many parts of the world as
an ornamental tree. It was highly
esteemed in Savannah on this account, and also as a shade tree, for
it was one of the first trees to put
out its leaves in the spring. Those
on South Broad Street grew to a
height of thirty or forty feet, and
had a diameter of about twenty
inches.” p. 361
“Long limbs were thrown out on
every side, some of them interlocking with the limb of the trees on the
other side, and furnishing a dense
shade, which was a very pleasant
protection from the midsummer
heat. The flowers which grew in
profusion in clusters from the end
of the branches were of a lilac
color, with an elongated pistil of a
deeper lilac hue, had an agreeable,
but very strong perfume which
filled the atmosphere with its allpervading fragrance. The flowers
were followed by oblong green
berries, about the size of a cherry.”
p. 361
“South Broad Street was also
known as `Under the Trees,’ so
called on account of its long, shady
avenue of Pride of India trees, extended throughout its whole length
of a half mile or more, from East
Broad to West Broad. Whether or
not this beautiful, shady avenue
was originally intended, it did not
prove a success . . . . the public
preferred Bull Street as a promenade.” P. 362
US MILITARY PRESENCE
“The United States Barracks was
located on a block of lots bounded
on the north by Liberty Street, on
the east by Drayton Street, on the
south by Harris Street, and on the
west by Bull Street. The buildings
were of bright red bricks . . . The
buildings consisted of officers’
quarters, on Bull Street, with a
large sally port of middle, for entrance and exit, the soldiers’ quarters on Drayton Street, with a sally
port of corresponding size on the
Drayton Street side. The intervening space was used as a military
parade ground. Dress parade, accompanied by a military band, was
held every afternoon near sunset on
the parade ground, which made it
the most popular and attractive resort in the city.” P. 369
“The officers quarters and several
other buildings erected at a later
date, on Liberty and Harris Street
sides, were removed to make way
for the . . .DeSoto Hotel. . .”
ICE
“Ice was on sale in
Savannah when I
came here to live, but at a price that
would be looked upon as prohibitory at the present time, and yet we
had to have it. The retail price was
five cents a pound! There was only
one small Ice House at the time. It
was located in a two story brick
building on the southeast corner of
Drayton Street and Broughton lane,
and was owned and operated by
Captain Peter Wittberger, proprietor of the City Hotel. There were a
long flight of steps in the lane,
reaching up to the second floor
where the ice was retailed. . . .
There was no free delivery, it was
cash and carry every time.” p. 374
“The supply of ice was obtained
principally from the New England
States, where it was cut from small
lakes and ponds and brought to Savannah by sailing vessels.”
SICKLY PLACE
“Long before I came to Savannah
as a boy, and many years after I
became a grown up man, the City
had the reputation of being a very
sickly place, and I am sorry to say
the reputation was not undeserved.
This was especially the case in the
spring and fall. On this account it
was a general custom for all persons who could afford to go away
to leave the City in midsummer and
not return until after a killing frost .
. . .” p. 376
TRAVEL
“There were two routes
open to those who preferred the North, one by
land and the other by water. The
land route, though shorter, was a
very fatiguing one, there being no
accommodations for sleeping or
resting . . .” What took three to
four days by land would take
twelve to fourteen days by sea.
PORT
“Owing to obstructions placed in
the river during the Revolutionary
War, the channel for some distance
below Fig Island was not more than
fifteen feet deep, very narrow and
very tortuous. Vessels drawing
more than fifteen feet, when fully
loaded, had to be towed down to
`Five Fathom Hole,’ about eight or
nine miles below the city, and the
loading completed there.” p. 41
TIMBER
“Savannah at this time
was the most important
port on the Atlantic
coast for the handling of hewn timber. Some of it was used by local
sawmills, some shipped coastwise,
but by far the larger portion of it was
exported to foreign countries, principally to England. It was floated
down the Savannah River in rafts,
and brought here also in rafts from
the Ogeechee River, through the Savannah and Ogeechee Canal. Pending sales and delivery it was stored in
booms on both sides of the river for
some distances above the city.” p. 42
BAY STREET, AND THE OLD DRAYS
“Bay Street was the principal thoroughfare for the transfer of cotton
and general merchandise from place
to place in the city. The vehicles
used for this purpose were called
`drays.’ Double drays, or drays
drawn by two horses or mules, were
those which were generally used for
the transfer of cotton. – shafts and
heavy wheels . . . The heavy dray
and heavy harness, and five bales of
cotton, weighed not less than twentytwo hundred pounds, made a load
almost too heavy for two horses or
mules to pull through the heavy
sand.” p. 43
ILLUMINATION
“Up to 1850, the city was
lighted by oil lamps
placed as a general rule at
the pumps in the squares and street
intersections. As a matter of course
these lights were very feeble. Their
illuminating power was not much
more than a circle of thirty feet.
Consequently, very few persons were
on the streets at night, except those
who had to be there on business or
from necessity. And on very dark
nights the use of a lantern was very
necessary, and by no mean uncommon. For a part of this time it was
not lawful for cows to be out on the
streets at night, and it was by no
means uncommon to have one of
them rise up in front of you as you
groped your way on the pathway in
one of the squares.” p. 47
Docent Spotlight
MELISSA HINELY
Melissa is a sophomore
at Savannah Arts Academy and is one of the
gifted students that come to us from
Mr. McKay’s U.S. History class.
DH: Are you from Savannah originally?
Melissa: Yes, I was born and raised
here just like my parents and my
grandparents.
DH: In what part of Savannah do
you live?
Melissa: We live out on Wilmington
Island on Butts Creek. I love it out
there.
DH: It must be nice to live right on
the water.
Melissa: It is. I have a kayak and I
love to go kayaking along the creeks
and waterways, at least when the
weather is nice. It’s so peaceful.
DH: What is your favorite season in
Savannah?
Melissa: I love the summer when
it’s warm. I hate cold weather. I like
to go to beach with my friends but
I’m worried it won’t be warm
enough after this winter. It’s been
miserable.
DH: What do your folks do?
Melissa: My Dad works for the
Army Corps of Engineers and my
Mom teaches 4th grade at May Howard Elementary.
DH: What made you decide that
becoming a docent at the Davenport
House might be fun?
Melissa: I’ve always liked history.
When I was little, I loved the story of
Pocohantas and I wanted to be an
Indian. Plus, I like the time period
that we interpret. It’s fascinating to
see how people lived back then.
They have their own stories and it’s
fun to walk in the footsteps of people
who lived almost two hundred years
ago.
DH: Have you thought about what
you want to do after you graduate
high school?
Melissa: Right now I want to attend
either the University of Georgia or
Georgia Southern University. I want
to stay in state so I can take advantage of the Hope Scholarship funds.
I am interested in pursuing physical
therapy as a career but that could
change.
A look at the DH guest register:
During the month of March (2010), the
Davenport House saw visitors from 48
states (including Hawaii and Alaska).
Aside from a slew of visitors from Canada, the DH saw guests from Australia,
Argentina, Bulgaria, Denmark, England,
Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden
and Wales. Interesting hometowns include Calabasa, CA, Philo, IL, Michigan
City, IN, Quincy, MA, Ipswich, MA,
Spicer, MN, Oslo, MN, Big Flats, NY,
Bolivia, NC, Talent, OR, Mineral Wells,
TX.
Where They Heard About Us
Tour guides (mentioned by name: Juliette Gordon Low, Becca, Carolyn, Elderhostel, Ghost Tour), trolley tours
(mentioned by name: Old Town Trolley,
Old Savannah Tours, Oglethorpe), guide
book (AAA, Lonely Planet, Fodors,
Frommers), brochures, internet, visitor
center, friends, concierge (mentioned by
name: Kehoe House, Mulberry Inn,
Marriott Riverfront), walk by, relative,
map, book, Girl Scouts, magazine, newspaper, return visit and TV.
What They Had To Say
"Gayle was fabulous." "Very lovely and
interesting." "Very lovely home - so
glad it's preserved for all to enjoy."
"Wonderful tour." "Great time! Interesting." "We'll be back!" "A+" "Our
home in Atlanta is a reproduction of the
Davenport. Nice to be home." "Wow."
"Terrific, entertaining, informative tour."
"Very informative. Many interesting
details. Marty is great!" "Beautiful
place. Lovely interior." "Worth the
trip!" "Neato." "Wonderful detail."
"Love it. Marty was fantastic." "Thanks
to the Magnificent Seven!" "Holla
Back, Y'all." "Wonderful restoration."
"Very well done! Ms. Kemp is great!"
"Very interesting carpentry work. Good
it was saved"Great, Nice hostess - Abby"
"Descendant of previous owner - William Edings Baynard." "Great house and
wonderful guide (Nancy). Thanks."
"Nancy was excellent." "Keep up the
good work." "Love the tour, especially
Mrs. Sanchez." "We learn from history
our courage to step into the future.
Thank you for preserving our future."
"Great history lesson." Wonderful tour
guide, Pat." "What a fun experience."
"Love our tour guide and the house."
"Judy is a great guide! Craftsmanship
superb." "Awesome tour. Crab apple
tree so pretty." "Georgia is beautiful
people." "Beautiful. Definitely worth
saving." "Loved the books."