Since 2015, dmdg2 has been working with Davenport House Museum in Savannah, Georgia. The Davenport House Museum tells the story of the Davenport Family, a wealthy, White family living in Savannah during the early 1800s. The House had been interpreted from the second floor, upwards, using the ground floor as the gift shop and ticketing area.
In 2021 we relocated the gift shop out of the basement and across the lane into the Kennedy Pharmacy. Following the move, construction began on the basement of the home to restore it to the original Slave Quarters. Installation of a new Preservation Center on the back half of the Kennedy Pharmacy began as well, and was completed and opened in 2022.
As renovations to the basement continued, dmdg2 worked with the Davenport and Historic Savannah Foundation team to create an immersive experience centered around the Black men, women and children who were enslaved by the Davenport family. In November 2023, the Urban Enslaved exhibit opened. It was our goal to create an experience that was immersive yet reverent to how sacred a space this is. Throughout the experience visitors can expect to be transported back to the 1800s through thoughtful staging, smells and sounds.
We are so grateful to have been a part of this project and for the overwhelmingly positive feedback the new experience has received. We hope you'll be able to experience the Davenport House Museum, the Urban Enslaved Exhibit as well as the Preservation Center for yourself next time you're in Savannah!
Sneak peak below.
