OUR HISTORY
The Eliza Thompson House was the first house on Jones Street in downtown Savannah, constructed in 1847. What was lovingly built by Joseph Thompson for his wife Eliza and their seven children is today one of Savannah's best-loved historic inns.
The family home has a fascinating history – including the local doctor who in the 1900s expanded the building to accommodate his practice. See how the beautiful rooms have changed since the mid-1800s when the Thompson family called this home.
JOSEPH THOMPSON
Joseph Robert Thompson (born August 4, 1798), whose portrait hangs in the R. Bruce Room, worked as a developer and cotton trader. He also served on several bank boards, financing the building of new homes in the area.
Joseph was a member of the Georgia Hussars (a prelude to the Georgia National Guard) Company “B”, serving as Secretary and Treasurer. He died in March of 1855 at the age of 57, leaving Eliza widowed eight years after their home was built on Jones Street.
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ELIZA THOMPSON
Elizabeth Margaret Shaffer (born September 9, 1803) was the daughter of John Shaffer and Susannah Dasher. She married Joseph Thompson at the age of 22, on January 19, 1825.
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Despite the heartache of losing her husband in 1855, Eliza remained a strong and independent woman. She did not turn Joseph's investments over to a banker or lawyer to manage after his death, as was customary for widows at the time, but instead managed them herself, and continued to entertain in her home on Jones Street.
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Eliza died February 9, 1875, at the age of 71, and is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery North, in Savannah, along with her husband and one daughter.
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Eliza and Joseph’s seven children were: Joseph Robert, Jr. (1825–1836), James Couper (1825–1861), Augusta Louisa (1839-1863), Susan Rossamond, Georgia Elizabeth, Virginia Ann, and Harriet Schaffer. Joseph died at age 9 due to a fever epidemic. His twin brother, James, lived until 1861, when he was kicked by his horse in Forsyth Park. He was brought to the Thompson home, where he passed away on November 23, 1861.
1920-1950
Two of Eliza’s daughters remained in the house until the early 1920s, when they sold the home to a doctor. The property was both his home and office. The Carter Room served as his waiting room for his office, with the door located where the front desk is now.
The Carter Room was a doctor's waiting room in the 1920s.
1950-1977
In the 1950s, the house was sold again, this time to a dentist. The home continued to serve as his office and living quarters. Under the carpet in the parlor, you can still see small indentations where he secured his equipment.
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1977-1995
In 1977, Jim and Mary Widman purchased the property with intentions of converting it into an inn. In 1978, the original Carriage House was on the verge of collapse, so the Widmans had it razed. It was rebuilt on the original footprint of the previous building and was connected to the Main House, adding 13 rooms. In the parlor, you can see one of the inn’s original brochures from this time.
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1995-2025
In late 1995, Steve and Carol Day purchased the property, and more improvements were made. Giving the inn a $200,000 facelift, they converted four storage and meeting rooms into guest rooms, making a total of 13 rooms available in the Courtyard.
They also reversed the staircase, as the staircase had faced the front door entrance. They added more storage and a half-bath for guest use. A 40-foot container of antiques was brought back from England to furnish the inn, some of which is still in the home today.
In February of 2002, the Eliza Thompson House was purchased by HLC Hotels as part of a collection of inns called Historic Inns of Savannah.
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2025-PRESENT
In the inn’s most recent chapter, {verdigreen} hotels & residences acquired the Eliza Thompson House, along with three other beloved historic Savannah properties, in 2025. Rooted in community, the boutique family-owned lodging brand has been on a mission since 2010 to connect and empower people through restorative stays in inspiring, design-forward spaces.
With a foot in the past and a face to the future, {verdigreen}'s boutique hotels along the East Coast—from Woodstock to Key West—are artfully renovated for meaningful reuse.
a storied home,
THEN & NOW
The Main House was built in two stages: the original structure in 1847, with a second section added around 1870. Today’s entrance to the home was originally a side porch that was enclosed to create the front parlor and two rooms.
The 1870s addition included moving the front door to its present location, adding the current (and much smaller) front porch, and building a set of stairs leading up to the front entrance. The R. Bruce and Lindsey Rooms were the original bedrooms in the house. After the 1870s additions were complete, the J. Stephens Room became the primary bedroom and the Lee Room served as a nursery.
The R. Bruce Room was one of two original bedrooms in the house before the 1870s addition. Note the painting of Joseph Thompson on the wall.
The Lindsey Room, the second original bedroom in the house.
Following the 1870s addition, the J. Stephens Room became the home's primary bedroom. It's still a house favorite for its spaciousness and light.
The Lee Room was used as a nursery.
The Admiral Turner Room was the home's original front parlor. It would have opened to the dining room (now the St. Julian Room) with pocket doors. The bathroom in the Admiral Turner Room is located where the original entrance to the home was.
The St. Julian Room was formerly the home's dining room. The bathrooms in the St. Julian and the Lindsey Rooms are in the old rear staircase that servants would have used. The closets in both rooms are in the old dumbwaiter shaft of the building.
The original kitchen is now the ground-floor Oglethorpe Room, with its massive fireplace and the original pot hanger used for holding pots on the fire still visible. The Oglethorpe Room sits directly beneath the St. Julian Room, which was formerly the dining room. The dumbwaiter would have been used by the cook to send food up to the dining room.