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William Scarbrough House is a historic house in
The house was built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, a prominent and successful Savannah merchant and shipowner. It was designed by William Jay, an Englishman who settled in Savannah in 1817, and is credited with a number of high-profile designs in the city, of which this is one of three that survive. The house underwent a number of alterations, including the addition (and later removal during restoration) of a third floor, and was from 1873 to 1962 owned by the city, which housed the West Broad Street Colored School here. The house was then acquired by the Historic Savannah Foundation, which modernized its systems and undertook some restorative steps. The house was turned over to the
Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
- official site *
William Scarbrough
historical marker {{authority control National Historic Landmarks in Savannah, Georgia Historic American Buildings Survey in Georgia (U.S. state) Houses in Savannah, Georgia Houses completed in 1819 Museums in Savannah, Georgia Maritime museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Marine art museums in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Savannah, Georgia Savannah Historic District
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
. Built in 1819, and subjected to a number later alterations, it is nationally significant as an early example of Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural style, architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United Sta ...
, and is one of the few surviving American works of architect William Jay. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...
in 1973. and It is now home to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, and it has largely been restored to an early 19th-century appearance.
The house was built for William Scarbrough
William Scarbrough (February 18, 1776 – June 11, 1838) was an American sea merchant. He was one of the principal owners of the SS ''Savannah'', which in 1819 became the first steamship in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Life and career ...
, one of the principal owners of the SS ''Savannah'', which in 1819 became the first steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamship ...
in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
.
Architecture
The Scarbrough House is located on the west side of central Savannah, on the west side of Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard, between Orange Street and West Bryant Street. It is now set close to the street, its original front yard having been lost due to widening of the road. It is a two-story masonry structure, with walls of brick that has been stuccoed and scored to resemble stone blocks. The building is set on a raised basement, and had a low-pitch hip roof over its front section, and another similar roof over the rear section, which housed the ballroom. The roof is obscured by the presence of a low parapet. The entrance consists of a raised platform, accessed by stairs at the sides, above which is a tall single-story portico, supported by four smooth Doric columns. The portico's entablature is continued around the building as a string course. Above the portico is a large semi-round opening with a pair of French doors at the center, providing access to the balcony atop the portico. The interior spaces of the building retain rehabilitated (and in some cases reconstructed) decorative elements from the period of initial construction.History
The house was built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, a prominent and successful Savannah merchant and shipowner. It was designed by William Jay, an Englishman who settled in Savannah in 1817, and is credited with a number of high-profile designs in the city, of which this is one of three that survive. The house underwent a number of alterations, including the addition (and later removal during restoration) of a third floor, and was from 1873 to 1962 owned by the city, which housed the West Broad Street Colored School here. The house was then acquired by the Historic Savannah Foundation, which modernized its systems and undertook some restorative steps. The house was turned over to the 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 ...
in 1990, and in the early 1990s it underwent further rehabilitation and adaptation for use as a museum. In 1994 it was turned over to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.
The Scarbroughs hosted James Monroe
James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
, the sitting fifth United States president
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
, in 1819.
Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
The Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, founded in 1966, features nine galleries of ship models, maritime paintings and artifacts that reflect Savannah's maritime heritage. Ship models include the ''SS Savannah'' (a ship owned by William Scarbrough), ''HMS Anne'', the ship that carriedJames Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia in what was then British America. As a social reformer, he hoped to r ...
and the first settlers of Georgia in 1732, '' The Wanderer'', a ship that brought slaves from Africa to the United States in 1858, and ''RMS Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
''.
The museum also features of gardens derived from a typical 19th century parlor garden design. In 1974, Savannah Landscape Architect Clermont Huger Lee prepared plans for the Waring Memorial Garden, tenant courtyards and off-street parking area.
See also
*List of National Historic Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state) *National Register of Historic Places listings in Chatham County, GeorgiaReferences
External links
*Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
- official site *
William Scarbrough
historical marker {{authority control National Historic Landmarks in Savannah, Georgia Historic American Buildings Survey in Georgia (U.S. state) Houses in Savannah, Georgia Houses completed in 1819 Museums in Savannah, Georgia Maritime museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Marine art museums in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Savannah, Georgia Savannah Historic District