30 years after death of Jim Williams, his iconic Savannah home is being restored – Bluffton Today

On the evening of Jan. 14, 1990, Doug Seyle knocked on his employers front door at Savannahs stately Mercer House on Monterey Square. Receiving no response, he let himself in and found the historic homes locally famous resident, 59-year-old Jim Williams, lying dead in the study.

He died from a simple case of pneumonia, but the location of his death was remarkable. In that same room on May 2, 1981, Williams shot and killed 21-year-old Danny Lewis Hansford. Williams, an accomplished antiques dealer, building restorer and Savannah socialite, insisted that hed shot the young man his part-time assistant and occasional lover in self-defense. Within a few weeks, Williams was indicted for murder.

Three decades after his death, Jim Williams is famous far beyond Savannah. The circumstances of the Hansford shooting, and the four trials that Williams endured to clear his name, provided the primary plot for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendts 1994 bestseller. Known locally as The Book, it later served as the basis for a Hollywood movie and became a driving force behind modern Savannah tourism.

However, Williams legacy extends beyond the provocative anecdotes that made Berendt a multimillionaire. Williams was a leading preservationist of historic Savannah buildings, revamping more than 30 edifices citywide. His projects included the Olde Pink House on Reynolds Square, the Hampton Lillibridge House on East Saint Julian Street, and the Mercer House now called the Mercer Williams House Museum where he lived and died.

This palatial Italianate mansion, constructed just after the Civil War for Gen. Hugh W. Mercer (the great-grandfather of musician Johnny Mercer), now ranks among Savannahs most popular landmark museums. Owned by Williams sister, Dorothy Kingery, the museum is receiving a thorough external refurbishment in what she considers an effort to preserve her brothers restoration legacy.

People really enjoy learning about Jims history, Kingery said, noting that Williams antique collection within Mercer House paints a tasteful portrait of his life. To carry this on, it means a lot to me and my family, and we are pleased to be able to do it.

He took it in stride

Though Williams worked on many impressive buildings, Mercer House was his masterpiece. After completing its initial restoration in 1970 and making it his personal home, Williams hosted legendary parties there and used it as a showcase for his finest antiques. During his trials, it also became a place of refuge.

We spent a lot of time in Jims house, said Atlanta-based attorney Don Samuel, who served on the Williams defense team. It was somewhat museum-like even then.

Most anyone standing trial for murder would be forgiven for letting the ordeal overwhelm their decorum. However, this wasnt Williams style, Samuel said.

He was a very charming guy, unlike 99% of people on trial, Samuel said, adding that Williams carried himself with grace and good humor while working on his defense. He took it in stride.

When Williams was finally found innocent after his fourth trial in 1989, Samuel recalls that his client was completely exuberant, of course.

Nonetheless, Williams passing just months after his exoneration made the courtroom victory bittersweet for Samuel.

That was very tragic and sad that he didnt get to enjoy his freedom, Samuel said.

Its a huge job

Kingery remembers sitting with her mother and Williams lawyers at the dining-room table soon after his death and being asked what the family would do with the historic home.

I said, We will keep it, of course, Kingery recalls.

Though maintaining such a grand estate was no small endeavor, Kingery felt that her brothers extensive efforts to preserve Mercer House would help considerably.

Jim had just finished a restoration, Kingery said. I was confident that we were dealing with a house that was in excellent shape.

For the next 14 years, Kingery maintained Mercer House as a private residence for herself and her daughter Susan, who now manages museum operations despite initial reservations about her mothers plan to turn the mansion into an exhibition.

She said, Im going to turn it into a museum, and I said, Youre crazy, Susan Kingery recalls with a laugh.

Dorothy Kingery, who earned a history masters and a sociology Ph.D. from the University of Georgia before establishing and directing UGAs Survey Research Center, was confident the family could open Mercer House to the public.

I knew how to hire and supervise people, Dorothy Kingery said, and in the years that followed, the mother-daughter team turned Mercer House into a premier Savannah attraction, though they declined to reveal specific visitor totals. You would be amazed at the number of people who come here.

Still, museum operations require a great deal of work, and the elements also present challenges to the nearly 150-year-old building. With paint chipping on the trim and areas of the brick facade requiring cleaning, last year the Kingerys decided to refurbish the entire exterior. The restoration began in December and is expected to continue through March, with the Savannah branch of Choate Construction handling the project.

Its a huge job, Dorothy Kingery said.

Its really a family home

Though Williams untimely passing created an unwanted bookend to his lengthy legal difficulties, his family takes comfort in the final verdict.

Im so grateful that he did clear his name before he died, Dorothy Kingery said.

At times when the Mercer House is closed to the public, Williams family continues to gather there and enjoy the magnificent setting and all of its finery. On New Years Eve, Dorothy and Susan Kingery joined friends in the dining room to drink champagne from Williams Baccarat crystal glasses that visitors view during tours.

Its really a family home, Dorothy Kingery said. We still love it and enjoy it. I think he knows.

See the rest here:
30 years after death of Jim Williams, his iconic Savannah home is being restored - Bluffton Today