W. W. Law House, 710 West Victory Drive, Savannah

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-51. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Built in the early 20th-century, the significance of the Law House is associated with longtime resident Westley Wallace Law, whose contributions to the Civil Rights movement in Savannah, GA are immense. The house is also a contributing structure to the Cuyler-Brownville Historic District, a neighborhood rich in history and African-American culture. Description: The Law House is a wood-framed and clapboard-clad bungalow-style home, in keeping with the context of the surrounding neighborhood. This structure is a two-story residence with a full-width porch and a full-width, full-height projecting front gable on the second story. Clad in painted wooden shingles, the projecting front gable is backed by a set of large lateral projecting dormers. These two elements are joined at the ridgepole.

Two abutting one-story additions extend off the back of the house, making the length of the house approximately twice its width at approximately 55' long by 28' wide. Several distinguishing features, including a fa ade with a raised covered portico, central door, and lateral sunroom, define the building s character. The central porch is an extension of the floor plan, and is a commonly featured element throughout the neighborhood. The front porch has craftsman-influenced elements; it is stucco covered brick, with short square columns set on heavy piers of the same material, extending to the ground. Original plans for this structure are unknown. The earliest description and sketch come from the Cadastral Survey. Overall, the structure is described much as it appears in the present day.

The survey indicates two stories with a brick foundation, wood siding, and a wood-shingled upper story. The Cadastral field sketch shows a shed roof over the front porch, a hipped roof towards the rear of the house, and a gable at the front of the house. However, the second-story gable section may be an addition that was later updated on the Cadastral Survey. Additions since the survey include a porch, which projects off the rear of the house, and a small extension on the western face of the house. A one-car wood-frame garage sits at the northeastern corner of the lot. On the interior of the structure, a wall runs down the center of the house with similarly sized rooms located on either side.

The majority of the flooring in each room consists of 2 " wooden boards with the exception of linoleum in the kitchen and tile in the bathroom. The walls and ceilings are finished in a lath and two-part plaster system. Most rooms feature a 7" baseboard and 2" cornice. Two W. W. LAW HOUSE HABS No. GA-51 (Page 2) brick fireplaces, sharing one chimney, are located in the northeast and southeast corners of two abutting rooms. History: The original date of construction is unknown. The first known owner of the house is Connie Wimberly, who owned the property at the time of the Cadastral Survey. According to deed records, Wimberly owned multiple properties in this neighborhood and most likely was involved in real-estate development.

A number of different residents appear in the Savannah City Directories from to possibly indicating this was a rental property. In the deed was transferred to Joseph F. Young. He transferred the house to his wife, Virginia Young, in Law purchased the house in from Virginia Young, and stayed there until his death in The property then passed to the executor of his estate, Remer K. Pendergraph, in The house is located within the Cann Ward and is part of the Cuyler-Brownville Historic District, one of Savannah s National Register Districts, which is situated southwest of the Landmark Historic District. It is bounded by West Anderson Street to the north, West Victory Drive to the south, Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the east, and Ogeechee Road to the west.

This neighborhood was developed at the end of the Civil War, as newly freed slaves settled on the outskirts of Savannah. The neighborhood became more densely developed after Savannah s city limits were extended past this area in Sanborn maps from and indicate the Cann Ward was one of the later portions of the neighborhood to develop.3 Building in the district boomed in the and when the house was likely built, and the area was known as a thriving neighborhood for moderate-income African-American professionals.4

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-51. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Chatham County Courthouse Records Room. Savannah, GA. Deed Book Folio 82. Deed Book Folio Deed Book Folio Deed Book Folio Chatham County Courthouse Records Room. Savannah, GA. Cadastral Survey Lot Seventy Four Cann Ward. National Park Service. Cuyler-Brownville Historic District, Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. National Register of Historic Places. Historians: Megan Brown, Brigitte Garland, Emily Mann, Candice Leite, Doreen Roy, Simone Morris, Kathryn Stephens, Savannah College of Art and Design, 1 Chatham County Courthouse Records Room. Savannah, GA, Deed Book Folio 82, Deed Book Folio Deed Book Folio Deed Book Folio 2 Map of the City Extension South of Anderson Street, June 18, City Hall Library.

3 Digital Library of Georgia, Savannah and Savannah Sanborn Map, Available from Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Georgia Towns and Cities, Accessed 4 April 4 National Park Service, Cuyler-Brownville Historic District, Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, National Register of Historic Places,