Written by Katelyn Myrick. Photo by Katelyn Myrick.
Savannah Georgia is famous for its long-complicated history, much of which involves enslaved people. A museum that continues to educate people about these individuals, how they lived and what they did and to keep their memory alive is the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters Museum.
\An enslaver, Richard Richardson built the house in 1816 and upon its completion in 1890, he and his family moved in. The home was designed by English architect, William Jay, and was built by both free and enslaved men. On this property was a lot that was divided into a carriage house and slave quarters. The only thing separating the enslaved people from the horses was a thin wall. After a string of unfortunate events to both the city of Savannah and the Richardson family, Richard Richardson sold the house and moved to Louisiana. In 1824, the bank owned the house and leased it to Mary Maxwell. Maxwell turned it into a boarding house and at one point the Marquis de Lafayette was a guest. In 1830, George Welshman Owens who was also an enslaver bought the property for $10,000 at an auction. Here with his wife and six children and up to 14 enslaved laborers he lived and over the next 121 years the property continued to stay within the family. Upon his granddaughter’s death in 1951, the property was given to the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences.
By guided tour only this museum takes you through the slave quarters and carriage house, then over to the main house where the architecture and design all have very specific meanings that all relate to how society viewed the wealthy and middle class. The focus of this museum is educating and teaching those about how enslaved people were treated within the city and the household.
The slave quarters were mostly where women and children lived and worked. Four to fourteen people lived there at a time in a very small room. Those who had more duties within the house, like the women who raised children and the butler, would often sleep in the main household. In the basement is where the kitchen, workspaces and scullery were. In this portion of the tour, the museum displays items from enslaved people and letters from individuals within the main household to either other family members or business partners.
This is a must-stop in Savannah because you not only get to experience the 19th-century mansion, which has been well-preserved throughout time. But most importantly, visitors learn about the individuals that were overlooked during the time of the mansion’s peak use. The tours last about an hour and the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters are open seven days per week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
