The Hamilton-Turner Inn is rich with Savannah history, and accordingly has named each of our luxurious 17 guest rooms and suites, after actual people who have made an impact to Savannah Georgia.
Guest Suite Names:
Noble W. Jones was dubbed the “morning star of liberty” by many for his dedication in assuring civil liberties from colonial British rule. His most notable acts began in the 1760’s at the time of the Stamp Act and he played a large role in the appointment of Benjamin Franklin to voice Georgia’s protests in London. Noble Jones was also a member of the convention which created the Constitution of 1776 after the demise of British control. His last great political feat was his role in the amending of the Georgia Constitution of 1789. Not only was Noble Jones a Georgia Whig leader with a long list of political achievements, he was also a skilled physician. In the late 1770’s Noble Jones worked as a physician in Charleston and was actually among the many imprisoned as a result of the capture of the city in 1780. Noble Jones continued to practice medicine in Savannah until his death in 1805.
General Nathaniel Greene (Suite 302)
Nathaniel Greene was a major general and military strategist of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. George Washington gave Greene the assignment of leading the revolutionary army of the south, and through this Greene’s military campaign is now known for playing an instrumental role in abolishing British control in the South. In 1782 it was Greene’s direction of General Anthony Wayne in Savannah that expelled the British out of city and into Charleston which ended British activity in the entire state of Georgia. For his service to Georgia, Nathaniel Greene was given the plantation Mulberry Grove outside of Savannah where he lived until his unexpected death in 1786. His remains still lie in Johnson Square.
James Edward Oglethorpe (Suite 304)
A British general and the founder of the colony of Georgia, James Oglethorpe arrived in Charleston, South Carolina on the ship Anne in late 1732 and settled near the present site of Savannah, Georgia. After negotiating with the Creek trip for land and creating defense forces, Oglethorpe returned to England to ban slavery in Georgia. He was able to gain a charter between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers. Oglethorpe was first in establishing the Masonic Lodge located within the colony of Georgia.
Many people easily recognize the Americans whose resistance afforded that the Stamp Act was abolished in 1776. By doing so, we overlook those colonial supporters who also rallied for the repeal of the Act. One of these great Englishmen was William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham. The Earl spoke on behalf of the Americans to Parliament about the injustice being served to the Americans and spoke for the recognition of the Continental Congress. Though Parliament rejected his views and few would follow his stance, he continued to warn against Parliament’s actions and warned that America would not be dominated by Britain. It is from his American sympathy that Chatham County in Georgia has been dutifully named after William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham.
Button Gwinnett was one of the three Georgian signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was the president of Georgia’s Revolutionary Council of safety and served in the Second Continental Congress and Georgia’s colonial legislature. After his arrival to Savannah in 1765, he failed as a merchant and then became a planter after purchasing St. Catherine’s Island. Gwinnett, a supporter of separation from England, led the opposition to the Christ Church Parish coalition. After his death in 1777, he was buried in Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery.
Preacher and Founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley strongly opposed slavery and spent much of his life campaigning against it. James Oglethorpe requested for Wesley to come to Savannah, Georgia on October 14, 1732 to be the minister of the Savannah parish. Wesley took this offer as a chance for spreading Christianity to the Native Americans. He and his brother, Charles, were faced with many trials and later returned to England.
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Mary Telfair can best be described as a woman whom was far ahead of her time. Born in an age where women were expected to be married, dependent, and conversationalists, Telfair lived her life unmarried, emotionally and financially independent, and intellectually opinionated. She was well versed culturally, travelling to Europe on several occasions, and was inspired by the deep rooted history she found there. Telfair had an intense love for humanity living her life devoted to her siblings which carried over into her vision of the establishment of a women’s hospital. Before her death, Mary Telfair left funding in her will to afford the development of what would become known as the Telfair Hospital for Females in Savannah.
Thomas Usher Pulaski Charlton had several key political positions in his lifetime. In 1801 he not only became a barrister but was also appointed to the Georgia Legislature. Soon after in 1804 he became an attorney general and quickly after became a judge of the Eastern Circuit. His legal prowess helped him become a six time mayor of the city of Savannah before his death in 1835. It is after him the Charlton Street in Savannah is named.
Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah in 1909 and would later become the lyricist to thousands of songs. Mercer was one of three co-founders of Capitol Records in 1942 and by the mid 1940’s was known as the premier lyricist having written several songs for famous artists such as Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. Johnny Mercer also co-wrote music for several well-known movies including Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Charade in the 1960’s. Johnny Mercer actually played the piano in this same room, which is one of the reasons the Hamilton-Turner Inn selected to name it after him.
After meeting Benjamin Franklin in Paris Pulaski decided to come to the aide of the Americans in their fight for freedom and independence from British rule. On George Washington’s recommendation, Pulaski was charged as general of the cavalry and formed a specialized infantry which would later be known as Pulaski Legion. The culmination of Pulaski’s career was during his attack on the British in the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Several structures, cities, and landmarks are named after him including Pulaski Square in downtown Savannah, ensuring that his dedication to the freedom of the Americans will not be forgotten.
Mr. Eli Whitney was the inventor of the cotton gin, one of the key inventions of the American Revolution. Georgia became the sought after location for fortune seeking New Englanders. With the intentions of traveling to South Carolina, Whitney was invited to visit Nathaniel Greene’s plantation in Georgia, Mulberry Grove. It was at the plantation that he met Phineas Miller, who would later become his business partner.
John Habersham was a Major in the first Georgia Continental Regiment and was taken prisoner twice during the Revolutionary War. He was also a member of the Continental Congress and appointed member of the Beaufort convention to adjust the Georgia-South Carolina border. His body was laid to rest in Colonial Park Cemetery in Savannah.
Isaiah Davenport was born in 1785 and by the age of 21 continued in his father’s steps to become a master carpenter. Despite being a master carpenter Davenport eventually became a builder-architect constructing his first structure by 1808. Just four years later Isaiah Davenport was commissioned to build Martello Tower on Tybee Island. This tower differed dramatically from the British towers it was build to emulate using Davenports main medium of wood instead of brick and mortar more commonly used at that time. After appointment to city alderman, Davenport served on several committees and was assigned to create a temporary housing plan for those left homeless after the Great Savannah Fire of 1820. Davenport continued to repair and construct areas of Savannah before his death from yellow fever in 1827.
Juliette Gordon Low (Room 403)
Juliette was born in Savannah and was the founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America. After starting school in Savannah, she was sent to boarding schools in Virginia and New York. After finishing school, she married William Mackay Low and set up housing on Savannah’s Lafayette Square and remained there for about a year before moving back to England.
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Flannery O’Connor (Carriage Room 501)
Mrs. Flannery O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia and was considered one of America’s greatest fiction writers. She attended the Peabody Laboratory School associate with Georgia State College for Women, now known as Georgia College and State University. She became ill and lost her life at the young age of thirty-nine.
Conrad Aiken (Carriage Room 502)
Born in Savannah, Conrad Aiken is a well known poet and novelist. Some of Aiken’s most famous works revolve around psychological themes which may be due in part to such a traumatic childhood the author suffered. This celebrated writer will always be known for being the first Georgian-born author to win a Pulitzer Prize. He also won several other awards including a National Medal for Literature and a National Book Award. Aiken’s tomb is situated in the now famous Bonaventure Cemetery and is in the shape of a bench.
Julia Scarborough (Carriage Room 503)
Julia Scarborough was the daughter of William Scarborough the builder of the Savannah, the first steam powered ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Once wealthy socialites the construction of the ship cost William Scarborough his fortune by the time Julia had met Godfrey Barnsley. After the Native Americans had been moved out of Georgia, Barnsley moved Julian and her family with him to over 4,000 acres of Cherokee land he had recently purchased. Julia and her husband shared a love of plants and both dreamed of creating elaborate gardens on their property. Their dreams fell short after Julia’s death from tuberculosis in 1844. Eventually, through grief and obsession Barnsley spared no expense at trying to fulfill Julia’s dream until his own death in 1873. The gardens fell into ruin until the late 1980′s when the land was bought and restored to its current glory.
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