Short answer
The Marshall House opened on Broughton Street in 1851, built as a hotel by Savannah businesswoman Mary Magdalene Marshall. Union troops under General Sherman used it as a hospital in 1864-65. It closed in the 1950s over fire codes, and a 1998-99 restoration rebuilt its long cast-iron veranda and reopened it as a hotel in 1999. Today it has 65 rooms and 3 suites inside Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District.
Every fact on this page comes from a named source listed at the bottom: the hotel’s own website, the National Park Service, Historic Hotels of America and other published histories, checked . Where sources disagree, we say so. We don’t quote room rates, which change.
Part of It’s Georgia’s sourced list of Georgia’s historic hotels: every hotel and inn in the state still taking guests in a historic building, with the year each one went up.
The Marshall House at a glance
| Address | 123 E. Broughton St., Savannah |
| Opened | 1851 |
| Built by | Mary Magdalene Marshall (no architect is published) |
| Style | Brick town houses with granite piers on the ground floor and a two-story cast-iron veranda, per SAH Archipedia |
| Other names | The Gilbert Hotel, from 1933 |
| National Register | Not listed on its own; inside the Savannah National Historic Landmark District, designated 1966 |
| Historic Hotels of America | Not a member (not in the current Georgia directory) |
| Rooms today | 65 rooms and 3 suites, including accessible king rooms |
| Check-in / check-out | 4pm / 11am |
| Parking | Valet parking for a daily charge; the city’s Bryan Street Garage is directly behind the hotel |
| Pets | Not accepted |
| Official site | marshallhouse.com |
Built as a hotel from the start
Mary Magdalene Marshall opened the Marshall House in 1851 on Broughton Street, then Savannah’s main shopping street, according to the hotel’s published history and SAH Archipedia. Unlike most of the Savannah inns in our list, which began as homes or warehouses, it was a hotel from day one.
In 1857 hotel manager Ralph Meldrim added an iron veranda 120 feet long and 12 feet deep. Two years later the hotel reopened after being fully renovated, repainted and refurnished.
War, epidemics and a famous lodger
When Union troops under Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman occupied Savannah in 1864-65, they took over the hotel, which served as a Union hospital until the Civil War ended. The hotel says it was also used as a hospital during the city’s yellow fever epidemics of the mid-1800s.
Joel Chandler Harris, the author of the Uncle Remus stories, lived at the hotel during Reconstruction. In 1867 the Marshall Hose Company, a volunteer fire company, was formed to protect the hotel and its neighbors.
Growth, closures and a name change
In 1880 the hotel annexed the adjoining Florida House, adding about a third more space. It closed in 1895 and reopened in 1899 with electric lights and hot and cold baths on every floor. In 1933 Herbert W. Gilbert leased the building and renamed it the Gilbert Hotel. When he sold it in 1941, it had a lobby, a dining room, 66 guest rooms and one suite.
The hotel reopened in 1946 after a full renovation, then closed again in the 1950s because it could not meet fire codes (the hotel says 1957; SAH Archipedia says 1956). During mid-century modernization the cast-iron veranda came off and the front was covered in stucco.
The 1999 restoration
A 1998-99 restoration rebuilt the veranda and returned the building to its original look and use; it reopened in 1999, billed as Savannah’s oldest hotel (SAH Archipedia). The hotel says the work kept or recreated the Philadelphia pressed-brick front, the Savannah grey brick, the original staircases, wood floors and fireplaces, and several claw-foot tubs dating to 1880.
What it is today
The hotel has 65 guest rooms and 3 suites, with original floors and doors and tall ceilings. Breakfast is served at 45 Bistro, on site, from 7 to 10am and is included for two guests in the daily amenity fee, according to the hotel FAQ. There is no room service, no pool and no fitness center.
The hotel offers valet parking for a daily charge, and the city’s Bryan Street Garage is directly behind it. Pets are not accepted, and the hotel has accessible king rooms.
Where the sources disagree
- Opening year: the hotel and SAH Archipedia say 1851; some secondary accounts say 1852. We use 1851.
- The 1950s closure: the hotel says 1957, SAH Archipedia says 1956. Both cite fire codes.
Plan the rest of the trip
- Savannah, Georgia: our city overview.
- Savannah for visitors: what things cost and where to park.
- Savannah vs Charleston: which historic city to pick.
- Georgia’s historic hotels: 11 more in Savannah alone, from the 1817 River Street Inn to the 1892 Kehoe House.
Questions people ask
When was The Marshall House built?
Mary Magdalene Marshall opened it as a hotel on Broughton Street in 1851. It closed in the 1950s and reopened in 1999 after a full restoration.
Was The Marshall House used in the Civil War?
Yes. In 1864-65 Union troops under General Sherman occupied the hotel, which served as a Union hospital until the war ended, according to the hotel’s history.
Is the iron veranda original?
The first iron veranda went up in 1857, 120 feet long and 12 feet deep. It was removed during mid-century modernization, and the 1998-99 restoration rebuilt it.
Does The Marshall House allow pets, and where do I park?
No pets. The hotel offers valet parking for a daily charge, and the city’s Bryan Street Garage is directly behind the building.
Sources (all checked October 2-3, 2026)
Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.
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Cite this page: It's Georgia, “The Marshall House, Savannah: The 1851 Broughton Street Hotel’s History”, itsgeorgia.com/destinations/coastal-georgia/marshall-house-savannah/ (updated ). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.