Isaiah Davenport

Isaiah Davenport (November 3, 1784 – October 16, 1827) was an American master builder, prominent in the American city of Savannah, Georgia, during the early 19th century.

The first property Davenport constructed in Savannah was what is today known as Laura's Cottage, which was originally built at 122 Houston Street, His most notable work, however, was what became his home – the Isaiah Davenport House, built in 1820 in the northwest corner of Columbia Square.

Early life Davenport was born in 1784 in Little Compton, Rhode Island, He moved to Savannah in 1808. He first appears on the city's tax records in 1809.

Career

In addition to his profession, Davenport was a city alderman, serving from 1817 to 1822. They had ten children, three of whom died in childhood.

Dudley, the final Davenport brother, died in New Bedford in 1852, at the age of 70 or 71.

Sarah Davenport, then resident of Jones Street, died in 1869, aged 81, having survived her husband by 42 years, which is how old he was when he died.

Death and legacy Like his brother, Samuel, seven years earlier, Davenport died in 1827 from yellow fever. He was in the process of constructing a mill on Hutchinson Island for the Savannah Steam Saw Mill Company, which may be where he contracted the disease. Originally buried in Savannah's Colonial Park Cemetery, his and three of his children's bodies were eventually moved to Laurel Grove Cemetery.

No photographs or portraits of Davenport exist.