Once Upon A House: Mercer House

There isn't a thing that I can add to this story if you saw the movie or read John Berendt's stunning true account in "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil" - therefore I will not and should not try.

The Mercer-Williams house, of course, sits on one edge of Savannah, Georgia's Monterey Square. It was noteworthy long before the infamous murder of Danny Hansford in 1981 - a murder for which its owner, Jim Williams was finally acquitted after four separate trials.

Designed by New York architect John Norris for General Hugh W. Mercer (grandfather of the famed composer and Savannah native, Johnny Mercer of "Moon River" fame), the house had the unfortunate pleasure of being started right on the eve of the Civil War.

Half-finished, it sat through the war with some of its building materials being confiscated by Union troops who were camped across the street in Monterey Square. When they left to go home, however, Mercer House was completed and sold to a new owner - John Wilder - before any member of the Mercer family ever took up residence.

Fast forward to the late 1960's when Jim Williams, a very prominent Savannah restorationist, stepped up and took possession, bringing the beautiful home back to life.

By the time the aforementioned murder occurred in the early 1980's, Williams had risen to the pinnacle of Savannah's social structure, distinguishing himself not only as a restorationist but also as an antiques dealer with a superb eye for quality and beauty.

In fact, now that all of the dust has settled many years after Williams' death, the emerging legacy of his life seems to also include the credit due him for saving not just Mercer House, but also 49 other historic homes in and around Savannah. It is rightfully being noted that were it not for Jim Williams and others who came alongside him, the beautiful Savannah, Georgia that we know and love today would be a much different place.

Photo of Mercer House by Beth Yarbrough.

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