Charleston and Savannah, two Southern jewels, boast mansions that reflect their distinct architectural sensibilities and cultural histories. Charleston’s mansions are rooted in colonial-era refinement, with Federal, Georgian, and Greek Revival styles dominating the scene. These homes display symmetry and restraint, often featuring sweeping staircases, pedimented facades, and Palladian windows. The influence of British classical traditions is evident, especially in the grand townhouses along the Battery, where harbor-facing porches and intricate ironwork frame the city’s maritime heritage. Savannah, on the other hand, offers a more eclectic architectural palette, shaped by its 19th-century affluence. Italianate mansions like the Mercer-Williams House revel in ornamental excess, while the Owens-Thomas House flaunts Regency sophistication with its curved walls and urban garden. Greek Revival colonnades, Gothic Revival crenellations, and even Federal-era gems pepper the city’s iconic squares, integrating homes seamlessly into their lush surroundings. Charleston projects a restrained elegance, often tied to its port-driven economy and early aristocracy. Savannah thrives on flamboyance, with mansions reflecting the prosperity of cotton and cultural theatrics. Where Charleston favors refinement, Savannah leans into embellishment. Together, they showcase the architectural dialects of the South, articulated through stone, brick, and ornament.
10. Charleston Mansions – Kicking off with the Aiken-Rhett House
The Aiken-Rhett House, also called the Gov. William Aiken House, is a striking example of Charleston’s antebellum architecture and urban complexity. Built in 1820 by John Robinson, its original design followed the Charleston double house style, with a Judith Street-facing entrance. Later owned by William Aiken, Sr., a railroad magnate, and his son, Governor William Aiken, Jr., the house became a center of Southern political and economic power. Its location in Wraggborough, a prestigious early 19th-century neighborhood, reflects the city’s aspirations during its peak as a port city. The architecture combines Federal and Greek Revival styles, with a focus on symmetry, proportion, and understated elegance. The interiors retain original features like neoclassical plasterwork and heart pine floors. In 1975, the Charleston Museum took ownership, later passing it to the Historic Charleston Foundation in 1995. Their approach, emphasizing conservation over restoration, allows the house to tell unvarnished stories of urban antebellum life, making it a rare and essential artifact of Charleston’s heritage.
9. Joseph Manigault House
The Joseph Manigault House, completed in 1803, is a significant example of Adam style architecture in Charleston, South Carolina. Designed by Gabriel Manigault for his brother Joseph, the three-story brick structure departs from traditional Charleston “single” and “double house” layouts, offering a unique parallelogram footprint. The main facade features a raised foundation and a two-story porch supported by slender pilasters. Doorways on both levels are framed with sidelights, emphasizing symmetry and proportion. Distinctive architectural elements include a semicircular stairwell projecting from one side and a bowed porch on the other, underscoring Gabriel Manigault’s influence by Robert Adam’s Neoclassical principles, learned during his studies in London. The house’s interior reflects a meticulous attention to detail, with finely carved mantels, cornices, and moldings. Practical design features, such as construction techniques aimed at minimizing pest infestations, highlight a balance of aesthetics and functionality. Originally sold in 1852, the house changed hands multiple times before narrowly avoiding demolition in 1920. It was this threat that spurred the founding of the Preservation Society of Charleston. Now operated by the Charleston Museum, the house remains a well-preserved piece of Charleston’s architectural and cultural history. The accompanying gatehouse adds a decorative flourish to the property’s historic grounds.
8. Heyward-Washington House
The Heyward-Washington House, built in 1772, is a Georgian-style gem tucked into Charleston’s historic district on Church Street. Its symmetrical brick façade, accented with a double-tiered piazza, speaks to the understated elegance typical of colonial Charleston. Commissioned by rice planter Daniel Heyward, the house is most famously associated with his son, Thomas Heyward Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Its historical significance deepened in 1791 when George Washington used it as his temporary residence during his Southern tour. The house’s architectural details reflect the era’s penchant for formality and proportion. The interiors are rich with period craftsmanship, including finely carved wood paneling, a dramatic open staircase, and intricate plasterwork. One of its most remarkable features is the double parlor, designed for entertaining, with expansive windows that flood the space with light. The property includes one of Charleston’s few surviving 18th-century kitchens, located in a detached outbuilding. Now operated by the Charleston Museum, the Heyward-Washington House offers visitors a window into Charleston’s colonial past. Its meticulously preserved architecture and layered history make it one of the most significant examples of 18th-century urban domestic life in the South.
7. Palmer House
Built in 1848 by rice plantation baron John Ravenel, this 18,000-square-foot Italianate mansion originally served as a “city home” for the Ravenel family. Its rosy hue and waterfront location have made it an enduring landmark on Charleston’s storied Battery. The Palmer House underwent a significant redesign after the 1886 earthquake, reflecting the popular “Italianesque” style of the era. Peaked window cornices, expansive two-tiered piazzas, and meticulous symmetry give the structure elegance. The interiors retain much of their 19th-century detailing: Greek Revival plaster medallions, black cypress wainscoting, and mahogany banisters grace its 30 rooms. Black marble mantels and 10 fireplaces anchor the living spaces. The drawing room, home to Charleston’s first chandelier wired for electricity, remains the crown jewel of the mansion. Outside, the adjoining garden still hosts weddings and boasts Charleston’s first in-ground pool. Saved from the wrecking ball in 1949 by Dr. Joe Sam Palmer, the house continues as a private residence and bed-and-breakfast.
6. Porcher-Simonds House
The Porcher-Simonds House at 8 East Battery in Charleston, South Carolina, is a study in architectural evolution. Built circa 1856 in the restrained Greek Revival style typical of pre-Civil War Charleston, the house originally mirrored the symmetrical and classically influenced designs of its neighboring mansions. However, its later transformations tell a story of changing tastes and practical adaptations. John C. Simonds, whose father constructed the neighboring Villa Margherita, acquired the house in the 1890s and gave it a dramatic facelift. The renovations introduced elements of Beaux-Arts Classicism and Renaissance Revival detailing, replacing the original austerity with a flair for grandeur. A square portico with paired columns and a double-tiered semicircular piazza added both elegance and prominence to the façade, elevating the house to a landmark on the storied East Battery. World War II brought another layer of history to the property when it served as offices for the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence.
5. Williams Mansion
Constructed in 1875-1876, this 24,000-square-foot Victorian masterpiece was commissioned by George W. Williams, a prominent Charleston businessman, and designed by W.P. Russell. With 30 main rooms, a 50-foot-long grand hall, and a ballroom boasting a soaring 45-foot ceiling, the house epitomizes the era’s taste for grandeur. The Williams Mansion’s initial design featured a conservatory, hot house, lush gardens, and an observatory atop the house. Crafted by the Devereux Brothers, its architectural details include intricate woodwork, expansive ceilings, and period-specific ornamentation. After Williams’ death in 1903, the mansion passed to his son-in-law Patrick Calhoun, grandson of statesman John C. Calhoun, earning the name “Calhoun Mansion.” By 1914, it operated briefly as a hotel, and in 1932, the rear portion was subdivided, with its stables transformed into the Louis Gourd House. Rescued and restored by preservationists over the decades, the mansion now houses Howard H. Stahl’s extensive Gilded Age artifact collection.
4. Villa Margherita
The Villa Margherita, at 4 South Battery in Charleston, South Carolina, is an Italian Renaissance jewel completed in 1893 for Andrew Simonds, a prominent Charleston banker. Designed by Frederick P. Dinkelberg, the architect later credited with shaping the Flatiron Building in New York, the Villa Margherita was a masterclass in Beaux-Arts aesthetics. Its brick façade, coated in Portland cement, is decorated with intricate Corinthian columns and a richly detailed frieze crafted by the Morrison Brothers of New York. The house served as a private residence until 1905, when it transitioned into a luxury hotel. Its guestbook reads like a historical roll call, with visits from Presidents William Howard Taft, Grover Cleveland, and Theodore Roosevelt. Sinclair Lewis is said to have finished Main Street here. From 1943 to 1946, the United Seamen’s Service operated the property, providing accommodations for sailors and their families during World War II. By 1961, it returned to private hands. Now meticulously maintained, the Villa Margherita remains one of Charleston’s most architecturally distinctive mansions.
3. Edmonston-Alston House
A Federal-style cornerstone with Greek Revival enhancements, the Edmondston-Alston House is a blend of clean, classical lines and bold decorative flourishes. Its two-story piazza captures sea breezes while offering an unbroken view of oCharleston Harbor. Originally built circa 1825 for shipping magnate Charles Edmondston, the house was later purchased by Charles Alston, a prosperous rice planter, who redid the interiors and exterior in line with the grandeur of antebellum Charleston. The sweeping staircase, marble mantels, and corniced moldings lend an air of quiet sophistication. The house also holds an important place in history. On April 12, 1861, General P.T. Beauregard watched the bombardment of Fort Sumter from its piazza, marking the Civil War’s opening salvo. Later that same year, General Robert E. Lee took shelter within its walls as fire consumed much of Charleston. Now a museum, the Edmondston-Alston House offers a glimpse into the city’s turbulent past, beautifully preserved in brick, timber, and artifact.
2. Wentworth Mansion
Completed in 1886 for cotton magnate Francis Silas Rodgers, Wentworth Mansion was designed in the Second Empire style, a nod to Parisian influences, with its signature mansard roof and symmetrical elegance. The red brick exterior is detailed with arched windows and decorative ironwork, giving it a stately yet approachable presence in Charleston’s historic district. Inside, the house is a masterclass in late 19th-century craftsmanship. The grand staircase, made of richly polished mahogany, rises beneath ceilings decorated with intricate plasterwork that required the skills of the most accomplished artisans of the day. Stained glass windows in floral and geometric patterns cast colorful light across the marble fireplaces and walnut paneling, creating a blend of luxury and warmth. The cupola atop the mansion serves as both a design statement and a functional space, providing views of Charleston’s steepled skyline and harbor beyond.
1. Patrick O’Donnell House
The Patrick O’Donnell House looms over lower King Street like the centerpiece of a high Victorian drama. Built between 1856 and 1865 the three-and-a-half-story structure is a masterclass in Italianate design, with its symmetrical lines and monumental presence. The house employs a side-hall plan, typical of Charleston’s urban mansions. Large, interconnected rooms occupy the southern wing, flanked by a double-tiered piazza that offers shade and breeze. The northern corridor houses a sweeping staircase leading to upper floors. The interior features high ceilings, intricate moldings, and tall windows. In 1888, Thomas R. McGahan added a baronial-style carriage house at the rear, further elevating the estate’s layout. Over the years, the house gained cultural significance, serving as the home of author Josephine Pinckney, who hosted literary and preservationist movements within its walls.
10. Savannah Mansions – Starting with the Green-Meldrim House
The Green–Meldrim House, a Gothic Revival masterpiece built in 1853, commands a prime spot on Madison Square in Savannah, Georgia. Architect John Norris conceived the design for Charles Green, a wealthy cotton merchant whose fortune is woven into the house’s history. Its crenellated parapet, cast-iron porch, and oriel windows lend a medieval touch, softened by the elegance of Savannah’s storied charm. The house’s south-facing façade opens to a garden and porch that echo its ornate Gothic sensibilities. The iron portico, supported by octagonal posts and twin arches, is an architectural anomaly in the U.S., enhancing the home’s uniqueness. The interiors, defined by a center-hall plan, feature meticulously preserved woodwork, plaster, and an ironwork freestanding staircase that spirals upwards like a Gothic fantasy. In December 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman set up headquarters here, composing his famous telegram to President Lincoln offering Savannah as a Christmas gift.
9. Davenport House
The Davenport House on Columbia Square, is a cornerstone of Savannah’s preservation story and a fine example of Federal-style architecture. Built in 1820 by Isaiah Davenport, the house reflects the meticulous craftsmanship of a man who became synonymous with Savannah’s architectural evolution. Its austere yet elegant brick façade, symmetrical windows, and delicate fanlight over the main entrance typify Federal design, while the understated interior balances refinement and practicality. The house, initially a private residence, saw Isaiah Davenport channel his New England carpentry roots into a Southern masterpiece. Not just a builder, Davenport was a civic force — an alderman, firemaster, and city contractor. His work extended beyond private commissions to public projects like Savannah’s squares and federal coastal defenses. Though his life was tragically cut short by yellow fever in 1827, the house remains part of his legacy. After Isaiah’s death, his widow, Sarah, transformed the home into a boarding house to sustain their family. It later fell into disrepairand was almost demolished before the Historic Savannah Foundation stepped in. In 1955, the foundation’s rescue marked the beginning of Savannah’s preservation movement.
8. Owens-Thomas House
Designed in 1816 by William Jay, a British architect with a penchant for detail, the home showcases classical symmetry and meticulous craftsmanship. Jay sent designs from England to guide local builders, making sure every Bath stone block and ornamental flourish reflected the refined style of his hometown. The result is one of the finest examples of Regency architecture in North America. Completed in 1819, the house features a side veranda supported by intricate acanthus scroll brackets, famously used by the Marquis de Lafayette to address Savannah’s citizens in 1825. The interior features cast-iron balustrades, marble mantels, ceiling medallions, elliptical arches and a geometric staircase. Initially built for Richard Richardson, a wealthy cotton merchant, the property passed to George Welshman Owens, a local politician, in 1830. It remained in the Owens family for over a century before Margaret Thomas, Owens’ granddaughter, bequeathed it to the Telfair Museums in 1951.
7. Harper Fowlkes House
The Harper Fowlkes House, an elegant Greek Revival masterpiece, was built in 1844 on Barnard Street in Savannah’s Orleans Square. Designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey for Stephen Gardner, a shipping magnate who soon fell into financial ruin, the home passed through a carousel of owners before settling into its historic significance. Its six Ionic columns and stately symmetry epitomize the Greek Revival aesthetic, which also showcases delicate ironwork and ornate moldings. Aaron Champion, another wealthy merchant, acquired the house in 1845 and used it as an urban counterpoint to his Hermitage Plantation. Champion’s daughter Maria later brought the house into Savannah’s social sphere, hosting gatherings that showcased the home’s wide hallways, high ceilings, and intricate woodwork. Isabel Wilbur McAlpin, a later owner, introduced a mansard roof and a third floor in 1895, blending Second Empire influences with the original Greek Revival form. By the 20th century, the house’s story took a preservationist turn when Alida Harper Fowlkes purchased it in 1939. A champion of Savannah’s architectural heritage, she restored the house and later bequeathed it to the Society of Cincinnati in Georgia.
6. Mercer-Williams House
Designed in 1860 by John S. Norris for General Hugh Mercer, the home’s construction stalled during the Civil War and was completed by its next owner, cotton merchant John Randolph Wilder, in 1868. Despite its name, no member of the Mercer family ever lived there. The house’s façade is a textbook example of Italianate design, with its brick walls, arched windows, and low-pitched roof offering restrained elegance. A balustraded entry staircase leads to grand doors, and the imposing iron fence adds both boundary and drama. The interior showcases intricate plasterwork and a sweeping staircas. Jim Williams, the home’s most famous modern owner, acquired the property in 1969, rescuing it from a decade of vacancy. His meticulous restoration returned the home to its former splendor. The central hall and parlors became the backdrop for his infamous parties. Williams’s ownership intertwined the house with the sensational 1981 killing of Danny Hansford, immortalized in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Now a museum, the house remains a Savannah icon, embodying both architectural refinement and the intrigue of its layered past.
5. Armstrong-Kessler House
The Armstrong Kessler Mansion takes up a half-acre on Bull Street, across from Forsyth Park, flaunting Italian Renaissance Revival design that takes “grand” to operatic levels. Completed between 1917 and 1919, the 26,000-square-foot estate was the vision of architect Henrik Wallin, commissioned by magnate George Ferguson Armstrong. It blends granite and glazed brick with bronze accents, including striking entry doors by Bonachek of New York. The mansion’s crowning feature is a sweeping hemicycle colonnade extending toward Forsyth Park, balancing symmetry with theatricality. A porte-cochère connects to the side garden, while terraces cascade from every level, bordered by ornate iron fencing. Steel and bronze casement windows frame light-flooded interiors. The interior features Italian limestone claddings and intricate plaster ceilings. Rooms showcase styles from Georgian to Arts and Crafts, linked by floor-length windows, friezes, and cornices. High-tech for its era, the house boasted full electrification, a central vacuum system, and a ten-port shower in the master suite. After years of institutional use, including as Armstrong Junior College, the estate’s original gardens and a portion of the carriage house were lost. Preservationist Richard C. Kessler, the current owner, initiated an ambitious restoration in 2017 to revive its Italianate grandeur, making it a highlight of Savannah’s historic district.
4. Andrew Low House
Designed by architect John S. Norris and completed in 1849, the Andrew Low House is the oldest surviving structure on Lafayette Square and a cornerstone of Savannah’s historic fabric. Built for Scottish merchant Andrew Low, its balanced proportions and restrained ornamentation embody mid-19th century elegance. The two-story stuccoed brick façade features arched windows and doors framed by subtle moldings, while a cast-iron balcony wraps the front, offering views over the square. Inside, the high-ceilinged rooms showcase rich woodwork and original plaster cornices. The central hallway anchors a symmetrical layout of formal and family spaces, illuminated by oversized windows that draw in Savannah light. Low’s carriage house, a robust brick structure just west of the home, gained its own fame as the headquarters for the Girl Scouts, founded by Juliette Gordon Low, Andrew’s daughter-in-law. Its utilitarian charm contrasts with the mansion’s sophistication, but both buildings together tell a layered story of family legacy, commerce, and civic engagement.
3. Sorrel-Weed House
The Sorrel–Weed House is a 16,000-square-foot Greek Revival and Regency architectural heavyweight in the heart of Savannah. Designed in 1840 by Charles Cluskey, Georgia’s architectural answer to the Regency trend, the house blends grandeur with restrained elegance. Its façade, dominated by a stuccoed brick exterior and symmetrical cast-iron balconies, is capped by a crenellated parapet. Step inside, and you’re greeted by a foyer divided by two columns — an idea borrowed from William Jay’s Owens-Thomas House. These columns divide public from private space, a feature both practical and theatrical. The double staircase is another nod to Jay’s influence, ascending to a mid-floor landing that opens to either side. Regency influences pop up everywhere, from the intricate plaster cornices to the tall windows that flood the space with light. The dining room, surprisingly intimate for such a grand home, was reserved for family rather than entertaining. Meanwhile, the columns in the main hallway have been restored to their original configuration, a decision informed by blueprints drawn by Colonial Williamsburg’s architectural experts.
2. William Scarbrough House
The William Scarbrough House, built in 1819, is a standout among Savannah’s historic residences, featuresearly Greek Revival architecture with a touch of British flair, courtesy of its designer, the English architect William Jay. One of Jay’s few surviving works in the United States, the house is a blend of Neoclassical aesthetics and maritime ambition, suiting its original owner, merchant and steamship pioneer William Scarbrough. The structure is a two-story masonry triumph, with brick stucco scored to mimic stone. A raised basement adds height to the facade, crowned by a low parapet that hides its hipped roof. The central portico, with its Doric columns and balanced proportions, steals the show, complemented by a semicircular balcony above that frames French doors leading to the second floor. Now home to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, the property includes nine galleries and two acres of gardens inspired by period parlor landscapes, tying its architectural heritage to Savannah’s maritime legacy.
1. Kehoe House
Built on the northwestern edge of Columbia Square, the Kehoe House is an example of late 19th-century Victorian Romanesque architecture with an industrial edge. Completed in 1892, the house was constructed for William Kehoe, an Irish immigrant who amassed a fortune as the owner of Kehoe Iron Foundry. The structure’s details offer a masterclass in ironwork artistry, a fitting tribute to Kehoe’s trade and success. The house’s exterior is an imposing red-brick facade with staircases, window treatments, and ornate fencing all made in cast iron. The interior features high ceilings, hardwood floors, and carved wood accents. Though the ironwork dominates the exterior, the interior leans into warm Victorian aesthetics, featuring grand staircases and spacious rooms arranged around a central hall plan.
