History

The timeline of the historic East Bay Inn begins when the Crown of England granted the land to John Tucker in 1762, just shy of three decades after Savannah was founded in 1733.

 

After changing hands several times, in 1852, Edward Padelford began construction on what we see today: The elegantly restrained brick building with tall windows that echo the Greek-Revival style popular in the decades leading up to the Civil War. Like some commercial buildings of the time, the stately façade is made entirely of cast iron, as are columns still visible today in some of the first-floor guest rooms and the lobby.

 

In its early days, these walls served as one of the city’s many warehouses in Savannah’s cotton trade – an industry founded on the labor of enslaved people whose contributions built the city. Indeed, before the Civil War, cotton made up to 80 percent of the agricultural products shipped from Savannah. 

 

By the late 19th century, additional tenants included a steam bakery, foreign consuls, and a lodge meeting hall on the third floor. Merchants had continued to occupy its offices along the thriving waterfront district when the Columbia Drug Company became the tenant from 1920 to 1965. 

Like many downtown buildings, the derelict warehouse stood vacant until in 1983 when new owners reenvisioned it as the charming East Bay Inn you see today. As part of a renewed interest in the historic preservation of the city, reconstruction was completed in 1984, with 28 guest rooms lovingly restored to welcome the world’s travelers.