A Historic Savannah Hotel Returns to Its Original Grandeur
WRITTEN BY | J. PAUL HANSEN, FAIA, NCARB B
roughton Street in Savannah, Ga., was the city’s original downtown retail “Main Street.” Like many similar
downtown corridors, it went through a mid-century period of significant decline as suburbs and malls drew shoppers and residents away from historic downtown. Many of Broughton Street’s historic façades and interiors were cov- ered up or torn down in favor of “modern” designs for lesser retail establishments. During the last quarter
century, however, Savannah has experienced a rebirth of its downtown and retail components, and Broughton Street again is thriving. It remains the main retail corridor in the downtown historic district and is an important link to the city’s past. The Marshall House hotel
was an existing grand hotel on Broughton Street that had seen periods of grandeur, decline and rebirth. The original hotel struc- ture occupied approximately 65 percent of the south side of one city block. Built in 1851 by James and Mary Marshall, the hotel went through generations of different ownership before closing in 1957 because of financial troubles. By the mid to late 20th century, its surroundings had become transitional and mediocre at best. In fact, the Marshall House no longer resembled itself; its ornate veranda had been torn off, and the upper stories of the façade had been completely covered with a stucco curtainwall.
In the mid to late 1990s, Savannah’s
tourism industry was surging and the historic district became a destination for tourists from all over the world. The need for upscale retail and hotel space, coupled with
renewed interest in the historic district’s central corridor, made the possibilities for a hotel, like the Marshall House, evident and attractive to investors/developers.
Putting Plans in Motion Although the Marshall House was not formally on the market, The John Hardy Group, an Atlanta-based developer, was in- terested in opening a “boutique” full-service hotel and recognized that a location placing visitors in the heart of the historic city corridor was ideal. The Marshall House had a couple operating retail stores at ground level, but the rest of the building had been boarded up and closed. Because of the potential for
tax and façade-improvement investment credits, The John Hardy Group believed it was worth everyone’s attention to investigate further. A real-estate broker was brought in to deter- mine the possibility of a sale, and a structural engineer was hired to assess the structural integrity. The developer soon was inter- ested in restoring the hotel to its original use as a grand hotel. Its location on Broughton Street would give visitors a centralized location with easy access to the
HISTORICAL FACT James and Mary Marshall. 1851:
Construction is completed on a new hotel opened by
historic district and city squares. The hotel also would provide the experience of stay- ing in a historic structure, grounded in the heritage and charm of Savannah. The John Hardy Group hired Savannah-based Hansen Architects P.C., a firm with a long reputation