Destination Series: Ships Of The Sea Maritime Museum | Destination Venue | Savannah, Georgia | Allie

We are introducing this lovely place in the historic Savannah area - they host weddings and events - It has the most lovely gardens and romantic feeling all throughout.

The museum also holds educational workshops offering programs and memberships all year. The Museum Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 10a-5 p and It is located at 41 Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard, Savannah, Georgia 31401

A little history: Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum housed in the William Scarbrough House is home to the largest private gardens within the historic district of Savannah.

The Scarbrough House is the elegant setting for the Museum's collection of ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques. It was built in 1819 for one of the principal owners of the Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Scarborough's architect, William Jay from Bath, England, created one of the earliest examples of domestic Greek Revival architecture in the South. Used as a public school from the 1870s - 1960s, the mansion was then abandoned for a brief period but later restored by Historic Savannah Foundation in the 1970s. After another period of vacancy, Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum restored the house again in 1996-97, building a new roof based on a documented William Jay design, adding a new rear portico and enlarging the garden.

Despite all the fanfare, the steamship Savannah was not a commercial success. In November, 1820, forty-four-year-old William Scarbrough, in the midst of an emotional and physical collapse, was declared an insolvent debtor by the court and his house and furnishings were sold. Later owners of the home included Charlotte Scarbrough and Margaret O'Byrne. In 1878, it was purchased and given to the Board of Education which used it as the West Broad Street School for African-American children until 1962.* In 1972, Historic Savannah Foundation began restoring the house under the direction of Pennsylvania architect John Milner. In 1995, the building was acquired by Ships of the Sea Museum and another restoration began. This restoration, completed in 1997, featured a new roof based on a documented design by the original architect as well as a new rear portico and an enlarged garden. { excerpt infor from website https://www.shipsofthesea.org ]