Entry No. 11 — the Savannah file — filed under: leatherworking
Davenport House Museum — Artisan Spotlight Series
Historic Savannah Foundation runs a rotating series of hands-on craft workshops out of the 1820s Davenport House Museum's Kennedy Pharmacy annex — indigo-dyeing a cotton scarf, hand-stitching a miniature broom, or making a full-size leather belt from scratch, taught by working local artisans in a building older than the craft revival itself.
The story
The Davenport House is legendary in Savannah as the birthplace of local historic preservation—the 1820 Federal-style brick home that seven women banded together to save from demolition in 1955. But ignore the standard velvet-rope tour for a moment and head around to the annex at 323 East Broughton Street: the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy. Acquired and opened by the Historic Savannah Foundation in April 2022 to house staff offices and the museum store, the space doubles as the host venue for the Artisan Spotlight Series.
Instead of static period displays, these sessions hand you tools inside a two-century-old apothecary building. Working local craftspeople step in to teach pre-industrial trades that feel delightfully out of place on Broughton Street—you might spend a Saturday afternoon binding broomcorn straw into hand-stitched mini brooms with Julia Jarrett of Made by Venus Moon, picking up bead embroidery techniques from Lauren Fox, or submerging raw cotton into indigo dye vats.
What sets this series apart from standard tourist craft workshops is the commitment to functional, complete objects. You aren't gluing pre-cut felt; you're measuring and edging leather to build a full-sized belt from scratch, or handling traditional hand-sewing needles in an annex older than the modern craft revival itself. It’s practical, hands-on skill preservation hosted by the exact foundation that pioneered saving the city's physical history.
What it's like
You'll meet in a bright, practical workshop space inside the Kennedy Pharmacy storefront on Broughton Street. Groups are intentionally small and focused around a common worktable stacked with raw leather cuts, dye containers, or natural fibers. The atmosphere is quiet and methodical—you'll be actively crafting while shoppers drift through the adjacent museum store. The best move is to take advantage of the ticket overlap: workshop registration includes entry to the Davenport House period rooms, so you can wander through the 1820 residential interiors immediately after your class with dye or leather dust still on your hands.
The move: Sign up for the same Saturday-afternoon session together — the Leather Crafting Workshop (make your own custom belt, start to finish) or the Broom Making Workshop with Julia Jarrett of Made by Venus Moon are the strangest of the lineup — then wander the museum's period rooms afterward since admission overlaps.
- 📍 Downtown Historic District, Savannah
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 323 E. Broughton St, Savannah, GA 31401 (Historic Kennedy Pharmacy)
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Kehoe House — Walk right across Columbia Square to compare the 1820 brickwork of Davenport House with an 1892 cast-iron mansion forged by a local foundry owner.
- 17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant — Head two short blocks north after your class for a quiet drink inside a building complex that survived Savannah's destructive 1820 fire.
- WEBB Military Museum — Stroll one block away to examine a dense, tactile collection of physical military artifacts scavenged over decades by a local collector.
- Beach Institute African-American Cultural Center — Ulysses Davis Collection — Walk three-tenths of a mile south to contrast your hands-on craft session with the intricately hand-carved wooden sculptures of blacksmith-barber Ulysses Davis.
Good to know
Where are the Artisan Spotlight workshops held?
Sessions take place in the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy annex at 323 E. Broughton Street, adjacent to the main Davenport House entrance at 324 E. State Street.
What specific craft workshops are offered?
The lineup rotates seasonally and includes hands-on broom making with Julia Jarrett of Made by Venus Moon, bead embroidery with Lauren Fox, full-size leather belt making, and traditional indigo scarf dyeing.
Do I need prior crafting experience to attend?
No experience is necessary; workshops are designed for beginners, and all specialized tools, dyes, and raw materials are provided by the instructor.
Does a workshop ticket include admission to the Davenport House Museum?
Yes, workshop participants receive admission to tour the Davenport House's 1820 period rooms as part of their event registration.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · savannahnow.com · aol.com · gosouthsavannah.com · thecoastalbuzz.com
last checked: 2026-07-20