Owens-Thomas House

Design & Architecture

The Owens-Thomas House is a wonderful marriage of English design and native materials. When architect William Jay arrived in Savannah on December 29, 1817, work on the house was already under way. The exterior design is beautifully proportioned with two principle stories supported by a heavy basement and crowned parapet wall. Triangular pediments, pilasters, and articulated window openings add elegance to the architecture. The serpentine-shaped front portico with its delicate Ionic columns and classical alcove entranceway is especially fine.

The house is constructed largely of "tabby," a concrete-like mixture of lime, oyster shells and sand. The exterior is finished with a honey colored stucco that was scored to resemble ashlar stone blocks. The Ionic capitals on both porticoes and the front exterior balustrade are made of imported artificial stone called "Bubb" after the more well-known English "coadestone."

The interior of the house is an outstanding interpretation of the Regency style. A columned foyer with a marbleized floorcloth leads to a brass-inlaid staircase with a unique bridge spanning the stairwell (pictured, upper left). The drawing room (top right) features a trompe l'oeil ceiling that gives a domed effect. The dining room is rich in classical detail: the niche lit from above by a Greek-key patterned window of amber glass, and the spectacular plaster cornice with its stylized anthemion flower motif.

William Jay introduced two innovations to Savannah. The Grecian-inspired veranda on the south facade was the first large-scale use of cast iron in the region. In fact, in 1820, Jay established a foundry with Savannahian Henry McAlpin in an effort to promote fireproof construction. The other remarkable innovation was an elaborate plumbing system with running water, water closets, cisterns and baths. It was one of the most sophisticated domestic sanitary systems in 19th century America.

The basement service areas (right, second image) of the Owens-Thomas House are in striking contrast with the refined apartments above. Vestiges of the plumbing system still exist along with a kitchen gallery, laundry, wine room and ice chamber.

The only major alteration to the building was an addition in the 1830s of a second story on the rear facade. The English-style parterre garden, added in the 1950s, was a working garden and may have been a carriage turn-around. It is bounded by nineteenth-century tabby walls and the original carriage house (bottom right), which includes one of the earliest intact urban slave quarters in the South and an orientation center.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

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