Description: One of the main reasons I was so excited about visiting Savannah for the first time was because I'm a big fan of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Berendt. A true-crime novel, it's the story of Jim Williams, a respected and affluent art collector and restorationist, who was thought to have murdered his lover, the younger Danny Hansford in the '80s. I love learning as much as I can about a destination before arriving, especially if it's about the more unexpected parts of the city... the true underbelly, as told by the locals. So when we decided to stop overnight in Savannah on our 2007 trip down to Florida, I decided to take "Midnight" out of my college's library, and I finished it in two days. I loved it! The story highlighted not only the murder mystery, but the true characters of Savannah, many of whom are still roaming the streets today.
The book largely took place at Jim Williams' home, the Mercer House, located in Monterey Square. Savannah was first laid out by General John Oglethorpe in 1773. He organized the city around a series of squares, supposedly to make more space for military drills. Savannah is now made up of twenty-four squares, the most famous being Monterey Square.
Monterey Square was created in 1847, and was named after a victorious battle in the Mexican-American War in which the United States gained control of Monterrey, Mexico. Located on Bull Street between Gordon and Taylor streets, the square's focal point is a large obelisk monument to General Casimir Pulaski, a Revolutionary War hero. The monument is said to be set on top of the remains of an unknown soldier, maybe even the remains General Casimir Pulaski himself. This is more myth than fact, although it does add to the mystery of the place.
The first thing we noticed in Monterey Square was that it was dark. A lot of Savannah's dark, due to the overhead shroud of Spanish moss. Of all the squares we walked through on our short stay in Savannah, Monterey was definitely the most picturesque. The entire area seemed almost mystical, and the fact that we were surrounded by 19th century mansions really made us feel as if we were again stepping back in time (you get a similar feeling in the nearby Forsyth Park).
My favorite of the mansions was definitely the Mercer House, for obvious reason. Built by the ancestors of musician/songwriter Johnny Mercer, the house is most well-known for the role it played in the murder mystery surrounding Jim Williams and Danny Hansford. The house itself is gorgeous, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence and covered in the leaves of growing palm trees. Having read the book, though, made the experience even more unique. Standing outside the gate and picturing the accounts and events that took place in that very spot was amazing. There's nothing like getting to be an eye-witness to history, even if you're 20-years too late.
Jim Williams' case went to trial four times, and each time he was found not guilty. Whether this was because of his true innocence or a botched police investigation, no one knows for sure. His final trial took place in 1989, where he was again found not guilty and was free to go. He died only a few years later of pneumonia and heart failure at the age of 59. The Mercer House is now known as the Mercer-Williams House, and is owned by Dorothy Kingery, Jim Williams' sister. You can tour the home and interior museum daily for $12.50 each ($8.00) for students. Unfortunately we were there before the museum opened on the day of our visit, and we had to get going to continue our drive to Florida.
If you're a fan of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," modern mysteries or just unique experiences, a visit to Monterey Square and the Mercer House is sure to be a highlight of a trip to Savannah!
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