Colonial Town Gate; Davenport House

Chatham County · dedicated 1959 · On Columbia Square, at the intersection of Habersham and State Streets in Savannah.

In 1757, during the administration of royal Governor Henry Ellis, a line of earthwork defenses, including a palisade, was erected around Savannah. Immediately west of this marker was located Bethesda Gate, one of the six entrances into the town. Through Bethesda Gate passed the Sea Island Road connecting Savannah and the tidewater settlements to the east and southeast. This square, known as Columbia Square, was laid out in 1799. Facing it on the north is the "Davenport House," one of the handsomest examples of Georgian architecture in the South. This finely proportioned dwelling, completed in 1820, was designed and built by its owner, Isaiah Davenport (1784-1827), one of Savannah's outstanding builder-architects. In 1956 the "Davenport House" was restored by Historic Savannah Foundation as the first preservation project of that organization. It is open to the public at certain times during the week.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Example

under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

From one family's 77-marker roster

Upload your family tree and TreeAlive finds the markers near where your own ancestors lived.

See your family's markers

Start with a tree file, a FamilySearch sign in, or a WikiTree ID.

Report a problem with this page

The marker isn't at this spotOur pin may be off. If you know where it stands, tell us.I couldn't find the markerWe record what the source recorded. We have not been to look.The sign reads differentlyThat would be an error, and we can pass it to the program.The historical map looks wrongThe period map behind the pin, not the marker itself.Something else

We may pass what you report to the state's marker program. Please don't include personal details.

This marker is part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program, administered by the Georgia Historical Society. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's own marker database.

More markers nearby

The Berrien House (c. 1791)under 1 mi
Owens-Thomas Houseunder 1 mi
Conrad Aikenunder 1 mi
The Georgia Civil Rights Trail: The Savannah Protest Movementunder 1 mi

On the National Register nearby

Davenport, Isaiah, House130 ft

Places within about 300 feet of this marker that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nearby listing is not always the marker's own subject.