The Furnishings: Mercer House

A framed ormolu fitting from the State Carriage of the Emperor Napoleon used at his Coronation, December 2, 1804.

In this second part of The Devoted Classicist essay on Mercer House, the Savannah, Georgia, home of the late Jim Williams, a closer look at the individual furnishings will be taken.  But if the reader has missed the first segment, part of the Notable Homes series, take a look here.  Unless otherwise noted, all these photos and accompanying descriptions come from the auction catalog prepared for the sale held October 20, 2000, at Sotheby's, New York City, Sale 7527.

It is unknown if the interiors were changed much from the time of Mr. Williams' occupancy.  Typically, items not in the sale are removed from the general views shown in the auction catalog, but it is assumed that at least an attempt was made to show the house as intact as possible since interior design was important to Mr. Williams.

The Entrance Hall of Mercer House, looking out the front doors to Monterey Square.

The house at 429 Bull Street faced Monterey Square, the last remaining trust lot (an entire city block) that still remained in private ownership.

A George III mahogany linen press with flame-veneered oval panels.  Some replacements are noted.

The Entrance Hall, with a view to the rear.

A pair of George III style carved giltwood torcheres, circa 1900.

A Regency inlaid mahogany and parcel-gilt side table, first quarter of the 19th century.

A Brussels tapestry, 18th century, woven with silk, wool, and metallic threads, depicting Diana and her nymphs bathing by a fountain.  The bottom border is missing.

One of the stars of the auction was this set of nine pastels on paper depicting members of the Southwell and Percival families, ascribed to artist Henrietta Dering Johnston, c. 1674-1729, with seven in their original black frames.  The artist's name is widely recognized in the South Carolina lowcountry although only forty portraits are known.  Mr. Williams acquired this set at the 1980 sale of the contents of Belvedere House in Ireland, the ancestral home of Henrietta's first husband Robert Dering. She immigrated to Charleston, South Carolina in 1708 with her second husband The Reverend Gideon Johnston.   Henrietta de Beaulieu Dering Johnston is the earliest documented woman artist in colonial America and the first American pastelist.

The Drawing Room.

A George I chinoiserie japanned cabinet, circa 1720, on a later George I style stand.
Three Chinese sang-de-boeuf glazed porcelain vases, 19th century.

A view into the Music Room and the Library beyond.

A pair of Regence fauteuils, circa 1730, upholstered in contemporary needlework.

Another view of the Music Room.

A Brussels tapestry, early 18th century, depicting a couple, perhaps Venus and Adonis, embracing with Cupid upholding a shield emblazoned with a heart.  The bottom border is missing.

A William IV mahogany sideboard, Irish, circa 1835.

A pair of Regency giltwood torcheres with later circular painted tops.

The Blue Drawing Room.

A Louis XV ormolu-mounted Boulle marquetry bracket clock with conforming bracket, signed Laurent Dey, a master of the Paris Clockmaker's Guild.

A white statuary marble bust of Edward VII, English, dated 1906, by Walter Merrett.
A green marble column, late 19th century.

A view of the Dining Room.

A pair of paintings by Thomas Hudson, portraits of Mr. and Mrs. James Hilhouse of Cornwallis House, Clifton.

A Regency gilt-metal mounted Dining Room pedestal, circa 1815, in the manner of Thomas Hope.

A Regency mahogany dining table, first quarter 19th century, in two parts.

A set of eight George II style red-japanned and parcel-gilt dining chairs, modern.

A view of the Second Floor Hall.

A portrait of the Reverend Rhodes by Thomas Hudson.

A George III mahogany sofa, circa 1770.

A pair of carved polychrome and giltwood lamps in the Chinese taste.
A pair of painted wood and tole pedestals.
A Louis XVI style painted and parcel-gilt mirror, continental, late 19th century.

A view of the second floor room known as the Ballroom.

A pair of rococo style giltwood and composition pier mirrors, American, mid-19th century, 9 ft high.

A painted and gilt center table with a marble top, modern.

The Master Bedroom.

A continental turned beechwood stool, late 17th century, with a crewelwork cover.
A carved walnut and parcel-gilt column lamp, part 17th century.

Information on auctions at Sotheby's, past and future, can be viewed on their website here.

This house is now known as the Mercer Williams House Museum.  More information about opening times, admission, etc., may be viewed on their website here.

Notable Homes: Mercer House

Mercer House, Savannah, Georgia.

Some readers of The Devoted Classicist may not think they have heard of Mercer House in Savannah, Georgia, or its most famous owner James Arthur Williams.  It is one of the most beautiful of the mid-nineteenth century Italianate mansions in town and the late Mr. Williams was a well-known antiques dealer whose shop was in the carriage house.  I first heard the tale of the man and the house related in a fascinating story at a dinner party given by the late Mills Lane, 4th, at his Manhattan apartment.  (Mills was the founder of the Beehive Press and a noted philanthropist, especially for preservation causes in Savannah, but that is another story).  Mills knew the story well, of course, but the guest who had the rest of us so enthralled that evening in 1994 was John Berendt, a former editor of "New York" magazine and columnist at "Esquire."  And the true story of High and Low Society in Savannah entwined with sex and a fatal shooting was about to be published in his book MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL.

The book cover.  Photo from Google Images.

Jim Williams, 1930-1990, began to buy, fix-up, and sell historic homes beginning in the mid-1950s.  Over a period of 33 years, he renovated 50 houses in Savannah and the surrounding Low Country area.  Williams bought Mercer House in 1969.

James "Jim" Arthur Williams.
Photo:  Sotheby's.

Mercer House was designed by New York architect John S. Norris, who also designed the Savannah Custom House, the Andrew Low House, the Green-Meldrim House, and the Unitarian Church.  Construction began in 1860 for General Hugh W. Mercer, the great grandfather of songwriter Johnny Mercer, but was halted during the Civil War.  Newspaper accounts of the period reported that wood that could be removed was done so to create temporary shacks for Union soldiers.  (General Sherman made his headquarters in the Gothic Revival Green-Meldrim house, now open as a museum, and his officers commandeered many more houses in town).  After the war, Mercer House was finally completed for John Wilder in 1868.  But it had fallen into disrepair by the time Williams bought it;  it had been vacant for 10 years after being the club house for the Shriners.

The Entrance Hall of Mercer House.

The original tile floor for the Entrance Hall remained, as did the semi-circular staircase and skylight.  But many interior architectural details were created by Williams during a two-year renovation.

The staircase and skylight with lens at Mercer House.

The Drawing Room, looking towards the front of the house.

The Drawing Room, showing the fireplace on the side of the house.

Looking into the Music Room from the Drawing Room, and into the Library beyond.

Williams was acquitted of the murder of his some-time companion Danny Hannsford after an unprecedented Georgia record of four trials.  Finally the fatal 1981 shooting was ruled a lover's quarrel and not pre-meditated murder.  Just a few months after the acquittal, Williams died of a heart attack.

The Library, the scene of the fatal shooting.

The big-screen adaptation of the story was directed by Clint Eastwood and released in 1997.  Kevin Spacey played Williams; Jude Law, Hannsford; and John Cusack, the magazine journalist.

The Dining Room of Mercer House.

The house is currently occupied by Williams' sister Dorothy Kingery, a doctor of sociology, who opens the house to the public for tours, $12.50 for adults and $8.00 for students.  For more information about visiting, see the website. 

Jim Williams' bedroom at Mercer House.

Although the interior decoration may not be considered up to par with designers such as Albert Hadley or Stephane Boudin, there were some interesting individual furnishings and they will be featured in the next post of The Devoted Classicist.  These photos, unless noted otherwise, were featured in "Architectural Digest" magazine and can be seen in the 1979 book THE WORLDS OF ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, HISTORIC INTERIORS.

There is currently a house for sale in Savannah, also designed by the architect John S. Norris, and it is featured on a recent post of My Little Housing Blog.  Be sure to leave a comment as the blog's author, writing from Finland, would really be interested in your thoughts.