Hamilton-Turner Inn

Hamilton-Turner Inn began as one of Savannah's grandest private residences, built in 1873 for businessman and civic figure Samuel Pugh Hamilton on Lafayette Square.

Hamilton was known locally as the "Lord of Lafayette Square," and the mansion became associated with the elaborate social gatherings of Savannah's late 19th-century elite. Its French Empire-inspired architecture still gives the property one of the most distinctive profiles among Savannah's historic inns.

Hamilton's involvement with the Brush Electric Light & Power Company also gave the house an unusual technological distinction. The inn's official history says it became the first residence in Savannah with electricity, with spectators gathering outside to see the electric lights.

In 1898, a major fire threatened the surrounding area. According to the property's history, the mansion survived in part because its Connecticut limestone roof helped prevent the fire from engulfing the building.

Dr. Francis Turner purchased the house from the Hamilton estate in 1915. The Turner family remained connected to the property for decades, giving the mansion the second half of the name it carries today.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist purchased the property in 1965 with plans that would have resulted in the mansion's removal. Historic preservation advocates intervened, and the building survived.

A much later chapter gave the property its literary connection.

In 1987, Ruben Lee Harper purchased the house and his cousin Joe Odom managed it. Odom became known for elaborate parties at the property, which John Berendt later referenced in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

The mansion also appeared in the Clint Eastwood-directed film adaptation.

After further ownership changes, Charlie and Sue Strickland purchased the house in 1996 and converted it into the Hamilton-Turner Inn. The property has undergone additional renovations since then while retaining its historic residential character.

Today the inn has 17 individually designed rooms, including accommodations in the separate James Turner Carriage House.

Hamilton-Turner's paranormal reputation centers on relatively simple recurring stories: children at play, the sound of billiard balls, and a cigar-smoking figure reportedly seen on the roof.

The best-known story involves the Hamilton family's social gatherings.

Local tradition says children were kept upstairs during adult parties and would play around a billiard table. According to the story, billiard balls occasionally rolled down the stairs, giving the children an excuse to retrieve them and glimpse the festivities below.

Later guests and staff have reportedly heard sounds interpreted as children playing or billiard balls rolling when no obvious game was taking place.

A second recurring tradition describes a man smoking a cigar on the roof.

Visit Savannah has published both stories as part of Hamilton-Turner's haunted reputation. The identity of the alleged rooftop figure is uncertain, and explanations assigning him to a specific historical person should be treated as folklore unless supported by stronger evidence.

More elaborate versions of Hamilton-Turner ghost lore circulate online, including stories about murdered guards, fatal childhood accidents, Civil War soldiers, and graves beneath the property.

Hauntly found insufficient reliable historical support for those claims and does not use them to explain the inn's paranormal reputation.

Staircase and Upper Floors

The staircase and upper portions of the mansion are central to Hamilton-Turner's most persistent ghost story.

The traditional account connects the sound of billiard balls with children upstairs during the Hamilton family's gatherings. Modern paranormal reports describe similar rolling or rattling sounds without an obvious source.

There is no reliable evidence establishing that a child died on the staircase, despite versions of that story found on some ghost-tour websites.

The documented history supports a socially active household and later folklore involving children and billiards. It does not establish a fatal accident.

Roof

The roof is associated with reports of a mysterious man smoking a cigar.

Visit Savannah has included the rooftop figure in its Hamilton-Turner ghost coverage, but no verified identity is established.

Travelers should treat the figure as part of the property's paranormal tradition rather than a documented former resident or guard.

Guest Rooms and Hallways

General reports of childlike sounds and unusual nighttime noises extend beyond the staircase into the inn's upper floors and guest areas.

No particular numbered room is consistently identified by the property as the most haunted.

Guests choosing a room should therefore prioritize comfort, layout, view, or accessibility rather than assuming a specific room offers stronger paranormal activity.

Hamilton-Turner is first and foremost an intimate luxury inn with a strong romantic identity.

The 17 rooms vary significantly. Depending on the accommodation, features can include antique-style four-poster beds, fireplaces, 11-foot windows, exposed brick, private entrances, courtyard access, walk-in rain showers, or freestanding slipper tubs.

Current stay amenities include:

• Chef-prepared Southern breakfast
• Morning coffee and tea
• Afternoon snacks and fruit-infused water
• Evening wine and hors d'oeuvres
• Late-evening port and cookies
• In-room water and chocolates
• Luxury robes
• Concierge and luggage service
• High-speed internet
• Bicycle use

A $42 nightly amenity fee currently applies.

Some fourth-floor accommodations require a two-flight walk-up, so travelers with mobility concerns should examine room descriptions carefully before booking.

The inn allows children age 10 and older.

Selected garden-level rooms are dog friendly for one dog weighing 25 pounds or less. A nonrefundable pet fee applies, and pets are not allowed in common areas such as the parlor and dining room.

Parking is on nearby streets rather than in a dedicated hotel lot.

The atmosphere is considerably more polished and romantic than investigation-oriented. Travelers expecting ghost-hunting equipment, dedicated séances, or a marketed "haunted room" should choose another Savannah experience.

Hamilton-Turner's Lafayette Square location puts guests within one of the most architecture-rich and walkable parts of Savannah's Historic District.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist sits immediately beside the square and dominates the surrounding skyline.

Useful nearby stops include:

• Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
• Lafayette Square
• Andrew Low House
• Sorrel-Weed House
• Mercer Williams House Museum
• Forsyth Park
• Colonial Park Cemetery
• Savannah Theatre
• Historic District squares and residential streets

The location is particularly strong for travelers interested in architecture and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Mercer Williams House provides the most direct connection to the events at the center of the book, while Hamilton-Turner connects to Joe Odom and the social side of Berendt's Savannah.

Most central attractions can be reached on foot, although River Street lies farther north than it does from hotels such as East Bay Inn or The Marshall House.

Hamilton-Turner Inn works best for travelers who want the lodging itself to feel like part of a romantic Savannah trip.

It is particularly well suited to:

• Couples
• Anniversary and honeymoon trips
• Architecture lovers
• Readers interested in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
• Travelers who prefer mansion-style inns
• Visitors who want Lafayette Square as their base
• Paranormal-curious travelers who prefer atmosphere over ghost hunting
• Guests who value breakfast and evening hospitality rituals

Families with children under 10 should choose another property.

Travelers who need guaranteed elevator access to upper-floor accommodations should also review the specific room before booking because some fourth-floor rooms require stairs.

Serious haunted-room seekers may prefer 17Hundred90, where Room 204 is specifically promoted for its paranormal reputation.

Yes, especially for couples and travelers who consider architecture and atmosphere as important as the ghost stories.

Hamilton-Turner is one of Savannah's strongest historic lodging experiences even if nothing unusual happens during the stay.

Its advantages are straightforward: Lafayette Square, an ornate 1873 mansion, only 17 rooms, polished hospitality, excellent walking access, and a legitimate connection to the social world described in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

The paranormal reputation adds another layer rather than carrying the property.

That is arguably the best way to approach it.

Book Hamilton-Turner because you want to stay in an exceptional historic Savannah mansion. Treat the billiard balls, childlike sounds, and rooftop figure as part of the tradition surrounding the building rather than something the hotel can promise.