Savannah Antiques and Architecture Weekend takes patrons for a stroll through historic homes

Editor's Note: This article has been corrected to clarify that Leigh Keno is an appraiser on, not a host of, PBS' "Antiques Roadshow."

Savannah is full of unique characters, but the city’s art, architecture and artifacts have an equally important story to tell during the eighth annual Savannah Antiques and Architecture Weekend, March 7-9.

“It's a great weekend and a great way to get people to both come to Savannah to visit and enjoy our great architectural legacy, but also to engage people who live in Savannah that might not go to some of these houses and locations as much as tourists,” Event Marketing Coordinator Paula Fogarty said. “Many of us who live and work downtown take these things for granted as part of the landscape and not as living examples of our rich history.”

Since 2017, the Savannah Antiques and Architecture Weekend has provided the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Georgia (NSCDA-GA) with a fun way to educate the public and raise funds for the maintenance of the Andrew Low House Museum, operated by the NSCDA-GA, and Green-Meldrim House.

Over the years, the weekend has expanded to include more historical homes as well as a few private homes. The NSCDA-GA has also collaborated with noteworthy guests over the years, including Suzanne Kasler and Carleton Varney. This year’s Keynote Guest of Honor is Leigh Keno, an appraiser on PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow” and founder and President of Keno Auctions and Keno Art Advisory.

“[Keno’s participation] is really important for our event not only because of his fame and notoriety but also because his enthusiasm about art, antiques and architecture is really contagious,” Fogarty said.

Whether chatting about the Green-Meldrim House’s role as General Sherman’s headquarters during the Civil War or Georgia-style Boston chairs in the early 1700s, Keno’s expertise is sure to uncover many stories and inspire many discoveries throughout the weekend.

Of course, it also helps that Savannahians get just as excited about learning more about these story-filled objects.

“Another thing I love about Savannah and its people is that they care about their history,” Keno said. “One of the things that attracted me to this weekend is that it raises money for such a worthy cause. It's not done in enough other places, and, consequently, we've lost those places, but these [in Savannah] are beautifully kept up.”

Sip and stroll through Savannah's historic homes

The weekend begins on Thursday in the garden of the Andrew Low House, the first residential building John Norris designed in Savannah and the birthplace of the Girl Scouts of America. While admiring this remarkable historic location, ticket holders can meet Keno, enjoy special tours and sip on historical cocktails.

The architectural admiration continues with a tour of four historic homes during Friday’s Antiques Road Stroll, co-hosted by Keno, beginning at 5 p.m. Road Stroll ticket holders will receive a branded road stroller cup that allows guests to enjoy refreshments as they stroll and serves as a ticket into some of the city’s most significant homes.

The refreshments are only the beginning of the Southern hospitality sprinkled along the route. Susan Kingery, the current owner of the home and sister of Jim Williams, featured in John Berendt’s “Midnight of the Garden of Good and Evil,” will welcome guests into the fabled Mercer-Williams House with special insider stories about the house that shaped Savannah’s reputation as a tourist destination. Jones & Bull will also welcome Antiques Road Stroll guests into their shop, inviting each to peruse their carefully curated collection of high-quality modern, vintage and antique art, furniture, home decor and fascinating objects.

A few owners of notable private homes, including the Eliza Ann Jewett House and 120 W. Jones St., have also been generous enough to invite the Antiques Road Stroll visitors into their homes. While the owners of 120 W. Jones St. regularly welcome inn guests to view part of their antiques and art collection, they have graciously opened their private collection to Antiques Road Stroll ticket holders, offering an exclusive look at an important collection of early American antiques.

The discovery continues during Saturday’s keynote luncheon at Hotel Bardo, one of the hotel’s first events since opening in February. During his keynote speech, Keno plans to talk about discoveries in the field and scholarship’s role in expanding and refining our understanding of history and humanity.

“The records we kept about the past and the objects that were made in the past, I think, add up to an amazing body of information, and it's so important that we continue to record that information and appreciate and preserve it for future generations,” Keno said.

The weekend’s festivities end with the Fabulous Fete at the Green-Meldrim House on Saturday evening, where guests can celebrate the city’s vast cultural history with live jazz music, two full bars and heavy hor d'oeuvres provided by the ladies of the St. John's Parish.

During the Fabulous Fete, revelers can also learn more about items available in the online auction, running March 6-10. Auction items include a variety of unique experiences, including getaways to a beautiful mountain-top house in Highlands, North Carolina and a Tybee Island vacation home, as well as a mushroom foraging adventure with one NSCDA-GA member who’s lending her expertise for the auction.

Guests can also catch a glimpse of the more tangible auction items during the Fete, including silver objects, art and other notable items that remind us of the rich history hidden in art, antiques and historic homes.

“There's a certain romance about [antiques], and I think it gets us to see where we've been so maybe we can have a clearer vision of where we should go,” Fogarty said.

Whether strolling along beautiful Jones Street every day or touring some of the city’s most notable homes during the Savannah Antiques and Architecture Weekend, it’s always a great idea to reflect on the story of Savannah’s past while writing the story of its future.

The Savannah Antiques and Architecture Weekend is March 7-9. Tickets run from $75 to $550 and are available at savantiquesweekend.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Historic home tours part of Savannah Antiques and Architecture Weekend