Ardsley Park is a grid of early 20th-century houses in Savannah, laid out around one-acre landscaped squares. With Chatham Crescent next door, it forms one National Register historic district. Part of it also sits in a local conservation district, and that’s the designation with rules attached, mostly about tearing houses down.
Key Takeaways
– Ardsley Park and Chatham Crescent were laid out beginning in 1909-1910, divided by Habersham Street, and listed together on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
– The historic houses date from 1910 to 1935, all wood-framed, in Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Dutch Colonial, Craftsman and other styles.
– In August 2026, Zillow’s Home Value Index for Ardsley Park was $677,020, against $322,239 for Savannah.
– The conservation district reviews demolition, which includes removing 50% or more of a building.
Where is Ardsley Park in Savannah?
Ardsley Park is the western part of the Ardsley Park-Chatham Crescent Historic District, which runs roughly from Victory Drive and Maupas Street south to 51st and 54th Streets, between Bull Street and Waters Avenue (National Park Service, National Register nomination). Habersham Street divides the two: Ardsley Park lies west of it, Chatham Crescent east. Both were laid out beginning in 1909 and 1910. Ardmore, a separate subdivision, sits to the south.
The district covers about 400 acres and was listed on the National Register on August 15, 1985 (National Park Service, National Register listings). Our Savannah neighborhoods guide places it among the city’s other districts.
What kind of homes are in Ardsley Park?
The historic houses are mostly single-family homes built between 1910 and 1935. In the nomination’s words, “the vast majority are single-family dwellings,” with a very few duplexes, apartment buildings, two schools and one historic commercial building. They run from two-and-a-half-story houses to one-story bungalows, all wood-framed, in weatherboard, shingle, brick veneer or, less often, stucco (National Park Service).
The range of styles is wide. You’ll find Neoclassical houses with two-story porticos, Georgian and Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial, Tudor Revival, English Cottage and Craftsman bungalows, plus Mediterranean, Spanish Revival and Prairie. A number of houses have historic free-standing garages. The larger lots sit along Abercorn Street and Victory Drive and facing the parks. When the district was nominated in 1985, it held almost 1,200 houses, just over 200 of them from the late 1930s or later.
What makes Ardsley Park’s streets and squares different?
Ardsley Park’s one-acre landscaped squares sit at regular intervals, and the nomination ties the layout directly to Oglethorpe’s 1733 plan for Savannah. The squares are offset from the main streets, a choice made to accommodate cars and keep traffic flowing (National Park Service).
Chatham Crescent went another way. Its grand mall, crescent-shaped avenues and small circular parks are, the nomination says, “Georgia’s only known example” of a Beaux Arts-influenced City Beautiful plan, and more than 5,000 trees were planted there. As of 1985, the Ardsley Park entrance gate posts and a fountain in the Victory Drive median were still in place.
For more open space, 77-acre Daffin Park sits across Waters Avenue, bounded by Victory Drive, Washington Avenue, Waters Avenue and Bee Road (City of Savannah).
How much do homes in Ardsley Park cost?
Typical values run about twice the city’s. In August 2026, Zillow’s Home Value Index for the area it maps as Ardsley Park was $677,020, against $322,239 for Savannah, and the neighborhood number had barely moved from $678,784 a year earlier (Zillow Research).
Census figures agree. In the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the median value of owner-occupied homes was $595,600 in Census tract 29 and $418,200 in tract 30, against $248,900 citywide (U.S. Census Bureau). In both tracts the median home was built in 1939 or earlier, the survey’s oldest bracket; citywide it’s 1971 (U.S. Census Bureau).
Treat those tracts as context. Both include addresses inside the district, but tract 29 also runs south to East 56th Street, outside it (U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder). What prices an offer is recent sales on the same street.
What are the rules in the Ardsley Park conservation district?
The rules center on demolition. The Ardsley Park-Chatham Crescent Conservation District was established in 2018 (Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission) and covers portions of the neighborhood, not all of it. The zoning ordinance describes its purpose as “a public process and standards to evaluate demolition of contributing buildings” (City of Savannah zoning ordinance, Sec. 7.15).
Every demolition request in the district goes to the City’s Historic Preservation Officer before a permit, and demolition includes removing 50% or more of a building. Contributing buildings go on to the Historic Preservation Commission, which approves demolition only to remove a threat to public health or safety, or to avoid exceptional practical difficulty or undue hardship. Approval lasts one year. A building counts as contributing if the National Register district map marks it so, or if it passes the ordinance’s other tests, which start at 50 years old.
What about exterior work? The Planning Commission’s Certificate of Appropriateness page says that in local historic districts and conservation districts, a certificate “is required for a variety of exterior changes” visible from the public right-of-way (Metropolitan Planning Commission). The ordinance section covers only demolition, so ask preservation staff at [email protected] or (912) 651-1440 before you plan an addition or other exterior project.
The National Register listing by itself does little. The Planning Commission says “there are few impacts from National Register designation on development of a property” (Metropolitan Planning Commission). For the local historic districts, see our guide to buying a home in Savannah’s historic districts.
What should you check before buying a house in Ardsley Park?
Look these up for the specific address:
- Flood zone. Savannah’s flood map panels took effect August 16, 2018, and the City’s flood office handles flood determinations and keeps elevation certificates on file by street name (City of Savannah). Some of this land was a filled-in bog before development, so ask your inspector about drainage.
- Evacuation zone. Chatham Emergency Management Agency’s map lets you “type in any address in Chatham County and easily identify which zone you are in” (Chatham Emergency Management Agency).
- Zoning. The City’s zoning map runs on the Savannah Area GIS viewer and searches by address (City of Savannah).
- School assignment. The school system’s lookup shows 2026-27 zoned schools by address, and the board approved boundary changes in February 2026 (Savannah-Chatham County Public School System). Confirm with the district.
- Transit. Chatham Area Transit’s Route 14 Abercorn runs between downtown and Oglethorpe Mall, and a one-way fare is $1.50 on the August 2026 schedule (Chatham Area Transit).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ardsley Park a historic district?
Yes, in two ways. Ardsley Park and Chatham Crescent were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and part of the neighborhood is also in a local conservation district established in 2018. The local overlay is the one with rules: it puts demolition of contributing buildings through city review.
Can you tear down or remodel a house in Ardsley Park?
Demolition needs review. Inside the conservation district, every demolition request, including removing 50% or more of a building, goes to the City’s Historic Preservation Officer, and contributing buildings go on to the Historic Preservation Commission. For remodeling or other exterior work, ask the Planning Commission’s preservation staff whether you need a Certificate of Appropriateness.
How much is a home in Ardsley Park worth?
Zillow’s Home Value Index for Ardsley Park was $677,020 in August 2026, roughly flat from a year earlier and about twice the $322,239 index for Savannah as a whole. It tracks typical value, not the price of any one house, so recent comparable sales on the street should set an offer.
Thinking about Ardsley Park?
Every house here has its own age, lot, flood zone and preservation status, and it pays to sort those out before an offer. Johnson & Affiliates Real Estate Group, eXp Realty, is led by David Johnson, a retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant with 12 years in real estate. Moving on orders? Start with our Savannah and Hunter Army Airfield page and moving to Savannah guide, then get in touch to look at specific streets.