Owens- Thomas House of Savannah

Owens-Thomas House
Savannah is known for its beautiful homes spanning over three centuries. The Telfair's Owens-Thomas House, a National Historic Landmark building, is considered one of the finest examples of the English Regency style in America by architectural historians. Inspired by classical antiquity, this style of architecture takes its name from England's King George IV, who ruled as Prince Regent from 1811 to 1820.

The house was designed by the young English architect William Jay (1792-1837), one of the first professionally trained architects practicing in the United States. The elegant residence was built for cotton merchant and banker Richard Richardson and his wife Francis Bolton. Mr. Richardson's brother-in-law was married to Ann Jay, the architect's sister.

Overlooking Oglethorpe Square, the house was constructed on a prominent trust lot, site of the colonial residences of the surveyor generals of South Carolina and Georgia, Henry Yonge and William Gerard DeBrahm. An inscription under the front portico signed by the local builder John Retan reads: Began Nov AD 1816 / Finished Jan AD 1819.

Three years after the house's completion, Richardson suffered financial reverses and lost his splendid home to the Bank of the United States. For eight years, Mrs. Mary Maxwell ran an elegant lodging house in the structure. Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette was a guest of the city in 1825 and stayed at the home. On March 19, he is believed to have addressed a throng of enthusiastic Savannahians from the unusual cast-iron veranda on the south facade.

In 1830, congressman, lawyer, and mayor of Savannah, George Welshman Owens, purchased the property for $10,000. It remained in the Owens family until 1951 when Miss Margaret Thomas, George Owens's granddaughter, bequeathed it to Savannah's art museum, the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. The historic house, now called the Owens-Thomas House, is a National Historic Landmark.

The Owens-Thomas House has an outstanding collection of decorative arts which complement the refined architectural setting. The nucleus of the collection belonged to the Owens family, who lived in the house from 1830 to 1951. A few objects from the original owner Richard Richardson are also on display. The furnishings of the house reflect American and British taste from 1750 to 1830. Most of these beautiful antiques are in the neoclassical style and were owned by Savannahians.

Among the highlights of the collection is an important Federal dining table with an innovative folding mechanism and twelve matching chairs attributed to Henry Connelly of Philadelphia. A rare caned settee attributed to Duncan Phyfe, a suite of neoclassical furniture and two gilt looking glasses were all crafted in New York around 1810. The collections also include rare Savannah-made textiles and silver, Chinese export porcelains and fine nineteenth century paintings.