completed july 2019

Hattie House

This structure was located at 733 E 39th Street in central Midtown, Savannah. In the early days of Savannah history this land lay outside of the borders of the old city. The area was divided into farm plots during the “New South Period” of 1866, and dubbed the “Millen Lots.” After the Civil War, population growth spurred the growth of the city and the Millen Lots gave way to family homes.

In 1910, the Millen Lot that Hattie sat upon was slated for development by the Savannah Development Company.

BUILT: 1916
ARCHITECT: UNKNOWN

Built for a working class family circa 1916, the property housed many residents of Savannah (see a full list of residents below). Although the earliest known owners were the Freeman Family, we chose the name “Hattie House” upon discovering the name “Hattie Fields” immortalized in the concrete just outside the entrance.

The original address listed for the property was 763 E 39th Street.

Historic Maps

RECLAIMED: 24 tons
RECYCLED: 6 tons
LANDFILL: 5 tons

The balloon framing style and longleaf pine materials used in the home are a significant reflection of the vernacular construction styles and resources of that time. The abundance of longleaf pine trees made it convenient to harvest lengthy timbers which could be used for multi-story balloon framing. This was ideal for the necessary wall studs, which extended from the sills to the rafters. The studs recovered from Hattie House measured approximately 20 feet in length.

The bricks used to build the chimneys and piers of Hattie House was hand-formed and locally made. These bricks, timeless reminders of a complex past, bear the finger prints of those who made them.

RECORD OF OWNERSHIP

Below is a list of residents that called Hattie House home. All records were pulled from the Census books at the Bull Street Library Archives and City of Savannah deed records.

1916 – Home built, homeowner listed as C.E. Freeman, night superintendent for S.C.O. Co. 

1917 – Charles E. and Lottie A. Freeman

1924 – Lottie A. Freeman, widowed; appeared to have tenants in the following years

1925 – Lottie A. Freeman, works at Morehouse Manufacturing Co.; Tenant: Helen Floyd, saleswoman for L. Reid & Co.

 1926 – Lottie A. Freeman, forewoman for Morehouse Manufacturing Co.; Tenants: Louise and Carl B. Merry, works for Water Dept.

1927 – Lottie A. Freeman, Morehouse Manufacturing Co.; Tenants: Essie and William. A. Brost, salesman for Stevens Supply Co.

1932 – Lottie A. Freeman, Morehouse Manufacturing Co.

street address changed from 763 to 733

Student Work

Taylor Ward, a student of Architectural Drafting at Savannah Technical College, spent a semester building a digital model of Hattie House. She visited our project to measure elements of the structure and conducted independent historical research to inform her renderings. View her work below! Great job, Taylor!

Local Artist Honors Hattie House

Tate Ellington created this beautiful, one-of-a-kind, illustrated watercolor painting of the Hattie House to raffle off for donations. The frame used for this piece was handmade from historic wood and glass recovered during the deconstruction of Hattie House.