Historic Savannah looking for preservation-minded Kiah House buyer

After sitting empty for more than 20 years wrapped in probate and falling into ruin, the Kiah House in Cuyler-Brownsville was saved from the wrecking ball by Historic Savannah Foundation, which bought the former museum and home in 2022 for $60,000.

Now, HSF is looking to find a new owner for the Kiah House — one who will restore it to its former glory and use the 2,900-square-foot home to "bring a positive light back to the neighborhood," according to Ryan Jarles, HSF's Director of Preservation.

"I think a lot of people have assumed we would be rehabilitating the house," Jarles said. "Unfortunately, we just don't have that sort of funding capability. So, how the revolving fund's properties are sold is through a request for proposal."

A historical marker is unveiled as Greg Kiah, nephew of Calvin and Virginia Kiah, reads the text from the marker Monday morning at the Kiah House Museum on West 36th Street.

The proposal ensures buyers must present evidence of the estimated $500,000 needed to restore the house, including the large window that dominates much of the façade, and a plan for how the property will be used. The minimum starting bid for the property is $99,595.

“With this property being so important to the community, we aren’t even allowing people to submit a proposal until they’ve been vetted as someone who can produce a project that is going to be something that is utilized by the community,” Jarles explained. “And someone who, frankly, has the funding to be able to move forward on a project of this size.”

Virginia Jackson Kiah’s legacy

The Kiah House was built in 1915, but underwent major renovations in 1959 when the Kiah family moved in and Virginia Jackson Kiah decided to open a museum on the property. Kiah was a lifelong educator, artist and Civil Rights advocate who believed in the power of preserving and sharing Black culture and history with the public. Kiah moved to Savannah in the 1950s with her husband, Dr. Calvin Kiah, and opened the museum in 1960. It closed in 1990 when Virginia Kiah moved to a nursing home. It has sat vacant ever since.

Virginia Jackson Kiah was an inspired painter, educator, and civil rights activist whose works are the subjects of the SCAD Museum of Art “Live Your Vision” exhibition.

After Kiah’s death in 2001, a two-decade legal battle and stakeholder infighting kept the house in “probate hell,” according to Jarles. After threats from the city to condemn the now-blighted property, the Kiah House was placed on the “Places in Peril” list by the Georgia Trust Fund, which helped call attention to the property.

Historic Savannah Foundation’s Revolving Fund

After working to purchase the house for two years, HSF closed on the property in April 2022. The property was purchased using the Revolving Fund, which "privately raises money, which is then used to purchase vacant, blighted, and endangered historic properties. HSF cleans them up, stabilizes and secures them if necessary, and then conducts a search for a preservation–minded buyer." The Revolving Fund was established in 1965 and has helped HSF save more than 400 properties, according to its website.

Since, HSF has been researching the property's significance, installed a temporary roof, and had assessments done to understand the work needed to restore the house to how it was when Kiah lived and worked in it.

HSF has also been working to get the Kiah House listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jarles said their application was approved, but has yet to be finalized. "The nomination process has been really eye-opening, meeting people who truly have a connection to the Kiahs and truly just want to see the building continue its existence," he said. "It's been really interesting and it's a heartening process."

Deborah Simon-Johnson speaks Monday during the unveiling of a historic marker at the Kiah House Museum on West 36th Street.

One person who's been invested in saving the Kiah House — and preserving the Kiah's legacy — is Dr. Deborah Johnson-Simon. She is a scholar-in-residence at Savannah State University and the CEO and founder of the African Diaspora Museology Institute in Savannah. She's worked for a decade to preserve the Kiah House, and was the driving force behind the historical marker that now stands in front of the 505 W. 36th St. property.

"She (Virginia Kiah) always called museums 'for the masses,'" Simon explained. "It was never, 'oh, this is a Black museum.' But as African-descended people, they knew well that we make up the masses, and those who probably wouldn't have been welcomed with big smiles and open arms at other museum facilities."

Simon, who also leads the Friends of Kiah House group, said she is ecstatic that HSF stepped up last year to buy the house, and trusts they will continue to protect its uniqueness as the proposal process begins.

'I'm just excited that they did not give up on it because they led the fight that got it out of probate," Simon said. "They're a valued and trusted entity in Savannah that looks at preservation, so we were blessed to have them step up. Because had it not been for them, we would still be fighting, 'Don't tear it down.' I'd be standing on the courthouse steps crying everyday."

HSF is pre-qualifying potential buyers now, and will do so until June 28. In July, they will begin accepting proposals, which will be scrutinized by the Revolving Fund committee, HSF staff, and the HSF board. Jarles said they aren't going to rush the process.

"If we don't like (your proposal), you will not get chosen," Jarles said, assuring that they won't allow the property to be turned into short-term vacation rentals or other cash-grab uses. "We've met all these people who really love the Kiahs, who love this building and want to see something good happen to it. And so, we're really making sure that we have the right to select someone who we know is going to do something impactful with this property."

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: First City Progress: Historic Savannah looking for preservation-minded Kiah House buyer