By Eric Curl
Jan. 2, 2023 – The Historic Savannah Foundation is taking steps towards the restoration and reuse of the Kiah House after purchasing the former community museum in April, according to the nonprofit organization.
As part of the preservation effort, HSF put a temporary roof over the deteriorating structure in September to keep it dry during the hurricane season, Ryan Jarles, HSF’s Director of Preservation and Historic Properties said during a Dec. 20 interview with Savannah Agenda.
HSF also hired an engineer to evaluate the property and determine what is wrong with the structure, Jarles said. In addition, they are working to get the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which will open the door for grant opportunities and tax credits to help restore the structure, he said.
Local architecture firm, Ward Architecture + Preservation, recently compiled a history of the property and current physical description as part of the NRHP application process, according to the firm’s co-owner Sarah Ward.
“The Preliminary NRHP Application we prepared is currently under review by the GA Historic Preservation Division staff which takes about 60 days to complete so we should have a response mid-February,” Ward said.
Built in 1915, the house at 505 W. 36th St. in historic Cuyler-Brownville was transformed into a community museum in the late 1950s by the late artist and educator Virginia Jackson Kiah and her husband, Calvin Kiah, a former Dean of Education at Savannah State College.
In July 2021, the Savannah City Council voted to designate the Kiah house a local historic structure, along with 89 other Cuyler-Brownville properties. Then in December 2021 the city council approved the African Diaspora Museology Institute’s request to install a historical marker outside the home to recognize the significance of the property.
The sale of the property to HSF came after years of deterioration resulting from a more than two-decade-old Chatham County Probate Case concerning Virginia Kiah’s estate.
After obtaining the engineer’s report, HSF intends to start holding public engagement events to determine the future use of the property, Jarles said.
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