The Historic Savannah Foundation has donated $20,000 to the Coastal Heritage Society to help pay for the stabilization and weatherization of two historic cottages at 536 W. Charlton St. and 342 Purse St. in downtown Savannah’s Frogtown neighborhood just west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard where Interstate 16 comes into the city.
“We are pleased to support the preservation efforts of the Coastal Heritage Society,” said Daniel Carey, president and CEO of Historic Savannah Foundation. “It’s important to protect the history of these two cottages as they both served as former homes to railroad workers many years ago.”
The two cottages, which are owned by the Coastal Heritage Society, were previously moved to safety several years ago when the Marriott Courtyard hotel was built. In exchange for the grant, the society will provide 10-year easements back to the historic foundation to ensure their care and preservation.
The cottages have become jeopardized as the Frogtown neighborhood has experienced revitalization over the last decade with the addition of student housing, condos and developments by the Savannah College of Art and Design.
“We are extremely grateful for the donation from Historic
Savannah Foundation,” said Sandra Baxter, CEO of Coastal Heritage Society. “The funds will allow us to kick start this important revitalization project immediately, as it would have taken us much longer to raise the money to even begin the work without the help from HSF.”
The anticipated two-year project will begin with improvements to the exteriors of the homes, followed by the interiors, which are in various states of neglect.
For more information, contact Becki Harkness at Coastal Heritage Society at 912-651-6840 or Daniel Carey at Historic Savannah Foundation at 912-233-7787.
ABOUT HISTORIC SAVANNAH FOUNDATION:
Historic Savannah Foundation is a non-profit historic preservation organization established in 1955 to save the 1820 Isaiah Davenport House from demolition. The mission of Historic Savannah Foundation is to preserve and protect Savannah’s heritage through advocacy, education and community involvement. For more information, go to www.myHSF.org or www.DavenportHouseMuseum.org.