Built in 1873 by prominent local businessman and alderman Samuel Pugh Hamilton, known then as “The Lord of Lafayette Square,” the private mansion became a hub for Savannah’s social scene, with its grand architecture and interiors lending a touch of grandiosity to the many gatherings of the elite. When the residence became the first in Savannah with electricity, locals would gather to see the glow of electric light through the windows. Over 100 years later, John Berendt’s novel “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” made note of the raucous parties thrown by Joe Odom, who at one time managed the property. Years later, the Inn made a cameo appearance in the Clint Eastwood-directed film of the same name starring Kevin Spacey and John Cusack.