Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), which is currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, will welcome Lucy Brannen and Catharine Varnedoe, granddaughters of one of the organization’s seven original female founders, as guest speakers on Thursday, March 20 at the HSF headquarters, located at 321 E. York St. Part of the 2025 Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series, “The People, Places and Stories That Define Savannah,”Brannen and Varnedoe will discuss “The Seven Ladies Who Changed History.”

Attendees are invited to attend a wine reception at 5:30 p.m. The lecture will start at 6 p.m. This event is sponsored by Kelli Weis, Daniel Ravenel Sotheby's International Realty.

In honor of Women’s History Month in March, Lucy Brannen and Catharine Varnedoe will discuss the events in Savannah in 1955 that inspired the meetings and actions of their grandmother, Lucy Barrow McIntire, as well as Katharine Judkins Clark, Elinor Adler Dillard, Anna Colquitt Hunter, Dorothy Ripley Roebling, Nola McEvoy Roos and Jane Adair Wright. Together, these “Seven Ladies” joined forces to purchase and protect the Isaiah Davenport House, an 1820 Federal-style home on Columbia Square, from being razed and founded Historic Savannah Foundation, a permanent organization dedicated to saving and preserving historic buildings throughout the city. The Seven Ladies shared a common goal – to save the Landmark District from destruction and revitalize the buildings and spaces while returning the area to its former vibrancy.

Brannen and Varnedoe will also share an overview of the Historic Savannah Foundation’s early work and discuss current plans to erect a permanent monument in honor of the Seven Ladies in Columbia Square in the fall of 2025, which marks the 70th anniversary of the start of their work to preserve the beauty and character of Savannah’s Landmark District.

Visit this event's website to learn more about Brannen and Varnedoe.

Pricing: HSF Members - Free|Non-HSF Members - $15

Members may RSVP by emailing Kendall Graham at [email protected] or calling 912-233-7787, ext. 109.

Non-members may purchase tickets by visiting myhsf.org/events/lecture-series.