Jones Street After Dark
Eliza Thompson House sits at 5 West Jones Street, the first house built on this stretch of brick pavers, in 1847, for Joseph and Eliza Thompson and their seven children. The neighborhood around it is made for walking after dark, once the day's tour groups have thinned out and the squares are quiet enough to have mostly to yourself.
If your visit falls in Halloween week, our Halloween in Savannah planner has the dates and the events. This is about the walk you take afterward.
The House, Briefly
One of the upstairs windows is said to keep its own watch after dark, a Confederate soldier some guests have reported seeing look out over the street. Whether or not he is there, the house scored 4.5 out of 5 on South Magazine's Fright-O-Meter, high enough to mention and low enough that nobody needs to lose sleep over it. The rest of the story is on our haunting page.
Down Bull Street to the Park
From the house it is a few minutes on foot to Monterey Square, where the Mercer-Williams House takes up an entire side of the block, quieter and better lit at night than it ever manages to be during the day.
Forsyth Park is one more short stretch south, about six minutes from our door to the fountain, and empty enough after dark that the fountain gets to do its work without much of an audience.
Back by Way of the Squares
The route back does not have to retrace itself. Cut east and north instead, toward Lafayette Square, where the twin steeples of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist catch whatever light is left in the sky, then on to Chippewa Square, busier and more lived in, with a run of restaurants and theaters still going at that hour. From there it is a short walk back to Jones Street.
Home for Dessert
Eliza Thompson House keeps its own hours for the return trip. Wine and cheese runs from 5 to 6:30, and desserts and coffee follow from 8 to 10, both good reasons to time the walk around them rather than the other way around. The courtyard, with its fountain, is the place to take either.
Before You Book
The house is adults only, 21 and up, with no pets. It is a four-story building with no elevator, so the walk up to your room is part of the stay. There is no parking on site; metered street parking is nearby. If you are traveling with children or a dog, our sister inn East Bay Inn is the one of the four Historic Inns of Savannah that welcomes both.
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