Mary Telfair (January 28, 1791 – June 2, 1875)Mary Telfair
–

New Georgia Encyclopedia The ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (NGE) is a web-based encyclopedia containing over 2,000 articles about the state of Georgia. It is a program of Georgia Humanities (GH), in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System o ...

was an art collector, philanthropist and prominent citizen of

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, United States. She

bequeath Historically, a bequest is personal property given by will and a devise is real property given by will. Today, the two words are often used interchangeably. The word ''bequeath'' is a verb form for the act of making a bequest. Etymology Bequest c ...

ed the foundation of the city's

Telfair Museums Telfair Museums, in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia, was the first public art museum in the Southern United States. Founded through the bequest of Mary Telfair (1791–1875), a prominent local citizen, and operated by the Georgia Histo ...

, the first art museum of the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

, which has been in operation since 1886.Mary Telfair (1791-1875)
–

It is housed in her former

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

-style home in Telfair Square.

Early life

Telfair was born in Augusta,

, on January 28, 1791, the daughter of

Edward Telfair Edward Telfair (1735 – September 17, 1807) was a Scottish-born American Founding Father, politician and slave trader who served as the governor of Georgia from 1786 to 1787 and again from 1790 to 1793. He was a member of the Continental Congres ...

, a Scot, who, at the age of 40, married 16-year-old Sarah Gibbons at her family's Sharon Plantation in 1774. Edward was halfway through his second term as

governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legisl ...

at the time of Mary's birth. They had eight other children, Mary being their first daughter. Telfair's sister, Margaret, later married William B. Hodgson.Hodgson Hall
–

Georgia Historical Society The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is a statewide historical society in Georgia. Headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, GHS is one of the oldest historical organizations in the United States. Since 1839, the society has collected, examined, and ta ...

She was schooled in New York from the age of ten, quickly becoming a "voracious reader" of writers such as

Hannah More Hannah More (2 February 1745 – 7 September 1833) was an English religious writer, philanthropist, poet and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, who wrote on moral and religious subjects. Born in Bristol, she taught at a s ...

and

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

. Between 1799 and the early years of the 19th century, her family endured the deaths of her father and brothers Edward, Josiah and Thomas. Her inheritance from her father permitted her to travel, particularly and regularly to Europe, where she visited many museums, gardens, churches and universities.

Art

Telfair began to collect art in her home in what was then called St. James Square in Savannah. Following her death, an inventory of her estate revealed that her collections numbered over 200 pieces, including paintings, prints, statues and plaster casts.

Philanthropy

As the last of the Telfair family, she shared her wealth with the City of Savannah. Her will stated that funds be used to complete

W. B. Hodgson Hall W. B. Hodgson Hall is a historic building in Savannah, Georgia, United States, built in 1876. Designed by the American Institute of Architects' founder Detlef Lienau, it is now the home of Georgia Historical Society's Research Center.

(built in 1876 and named for her brother-in-law, who died five years previously) for the

to use as their home. She also endowed the Savannah Widow's Society and founded the Mary Telfair Hospital for Women (now part of Candler Hospital). Her most well-known legacy, however, is the

Telfair Academy The Telfair Academy is a historic mansion at 121 Barnard Street in Savannah, Georgia. It was designed by William Jay and built in 1818, and is one of a small number of Jay's surviving works. It is one of three sites owned by Telfair Museums. O ...

(located in her former home, designed by noted architect William Jay), which opened to the public in 1886.

Personal life

Telfair never married, largely as it was not a financial necessity as it was for many women of her era.

Death

Telfair died on June 2, 1875, aged 84."Time Travel: Mary Telfair and her charitable nature"
– ''

Savannah Morning News The ''Savannah Morning News'' is a daily newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. It is published by Gannett. The motto of the paper is "Light of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry". The paper serves Savannah, its metropolitan area, and parts of South Ca ...

'', June 20, 2014 She is buried in Savannah's

Bonaventure Cemetery Bonaventure Cemetery is a rural cemetery located on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, east of Savannah, Georgia. The cemetery became famous when it was featured in the 1994 novel ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' by John Berendt, ...

, although her plot is separate from her family due to "family rifts"."Beauty, history make you feel better off dead in Bonaventure Cemetery"
– ''Savannah Morning News'', July 15, 2006

References

;Specific ;General *Charles J. Johnson Jr., ''Mary Telfair: The Life and Legacy of a Nineteenth-Century Woman'' (Savannah, Ga.: Frederic C. Beil, 2002).

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Telfair, Mary 1791 births 1875 deaths People from Savannah, Georgia American women philanthropists American art collectors