Why Jones Street Is Actually America’s Most Beautiful Street (Yeah, We Said It)

Jones Street, Savannah

Every city claims to have that one stunning street that’ll knock your socks off, but Savannah’s Jones Street isn’t playing around.

This oak-lined masterpiece has been dropping jaws since the 1850s, and here’s why it deserves its crown as America’s most gorgeous thoroughfare.

Those Massive Oaks Though

Planted in 1851, Jones Street’s Quercus virginiana “Savannah” variety has a unique 127-foot spread.

Tree #JS-42 houses 17 documented bird species, including rare warblers and cardinals that use its branches for nesting during migratory seasons.

The street’s north-south orientation creates what locals affectionately call “Jones Street sparkle”—a dazzling phenomenon where sunlight dances through the Spanish moss.y.

The Perfectly Imperfect Brick Sidewalks

Jones Street showcases 172,000 original Savannah Grey bricks made at Hermitage Plantation (1847-1852). Unlike neighboring streets, Jones never replaced its pavers.

The clay from Savannah River’s eastern bank creates a distinctive salmon-grey marbling. The 2.7-degree grade channels rainwater into the original 1851 drainage system, which continues to function after 170+ years.

Secret Doorways to Nowhere

Jones Street hides 23 “ghost doors”—sealed entrances from 1870s row house divisions.

Number 127 features the only walnut-carved phantom entrance with its original Savannah Iron Works brass knob, preserved in perfect condition. The alley between 116-118 has the freestanding “Midnight Portal” doorframe, where General Sherman supposedly paused before choosing another residence during his famous march.

The Jones Street Historical Society conducts midnight tours to view these phantom doorways illuminated by original gas lamps, which they restored in 2022 to replicate their 19th-century glow.

The Historic Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House

At 107 West Jones sits Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room, operating since 1943. Sema Wilkes served Presidents Carter and Obama at the same 10-person tables used today.

Military men’s carved initials remain preserved under table #3, as do the faded signatures of countless famous visitors who have shared meals here. The kitchen still uses Sema’s 1907 cast-iron pans and recipes written on Jones Street Pharmacy prescription pads.

The famous line forms precisely at 8:17 AM—Mrs. Wilkes’ historical unlocking time—and in 2025, come experience the “First-Table Tradition,” to experience it the way locals do.

Jones Street’s Ironwork Obsession

Blacksmiths Aaron McIntosh and Samuel Peters established their forge at Jones and Abercorn in 1868, crafting 93% of the street’s railings.

They created the “double-curled filigree” found on 14 consecutive houses, including the famous railing at number 119, which the McIntosh Ironwork Preservation Society restored in 2024.

Number 112’s balcony features Savannah’s only treble-clef ironwork, commissioned by Adelaide Sullivan in 1878, and the Ellis residence showcases copper-dipped finials that turn blue-green instead of traditional verdigris due to Savannah’s coastal soil minerals.

The Architectural Time Capsule

Jones Street’s “Eastside Row” (numbers 109-139) represents every architectural style from 1851-1882, deliberately preserved as a timeline.

Number 113 features Savannah’s only Carpenter Gothic vergeboard with pineapple motifs, which a team of preservation architects specializing in antebellum style, restored in 2023.

The street maintains 94% original window glass with bubble patterns creating afternoon rainbow prisms under the National Historic Preservation Trust. The famous “Jones Street Lean”—all houses tilt exactly 1.2 degrees westward from an 1876 earthquake—remains visible but structurally sound.

Spot the precise tilt during architectural tours hosted by the Savannah Preservation Society.

Hidden Garden Sanctuaries

Behind Jones Street’s walls hide 22 gardens averaging 18×26 feet, each containing European plant species from 1850-1860.

Number 135 features America’s oldest continuously blooming tea olive tree (planted 1859). The Jones Street Garden Club meticulously curates these gardens.

Members compete fiercely for the “Jones Street Parterre Prize” for accuracy in planting species documented in Elizabeth Savannah’s 1872 “Gardens of Jones” sketchbook at the Historical Society.

The competition saw a new record in 2024 for the highest number of entries ever submitted.

The Million-Dollar Doorknobs

Jones Street maintains Savannah’s highest concentration of original brass hardware—17 homes with complete sets from Cornelius & Baker of Philadelphia.

Number 122’s doorknobs feature magnolia engravings that change with viewing angle. A single replacement Jones Street doorknob sold for $18,750 in 2017, which set an auction record for hardware at a Savannah historical auction.

The distinctive brass alloy contains a higher copper content, which gives doorknobs their amber patina, a phenomenon that collectors worldwide now study. Eliza Montgomery’s monthly “Knockers of Jones” tours focus exclusively on original entry hardware.

Unexpected Celebrity Connections

Flannery O’Connor’s aunt owned number 127, where O’Connor wrote her first short story. Johnny Mercer composed “Moon River” at number 119 during a 1961 thunderstorm, a story frequently shared by residents who now hold an annual “Moon River Night,” celebrating the composition.

Robert Redford lived in number 123 while filming The Legend of Bagger Vance. Julia Roberts stayed in number 132’s carriage house during Something to Talk About.

The Jones Street Film Society hosts annual reenactments of scenes filmed between the street’s iconic oaks, and this year’s lineup includes a tribute to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

The Street’s Mysterious Light

Jones Street’s precise coordinates create “Savannah’s Golden Hour”—lasting 22 minutes longer than surrounding streets due to the building-to-street width ratio.

During the summer solstice, specific windows create “Jones Street Light Diamonds” that illuminate doorways in sequence.

The 1890 gaslights, which restorers converted in 1914, retain their original amber glow due to bulbs manufactured exclusively for this street by Savannah Lighting Works.

These “light diamonds” have become a photographer’s dream, and a special 2025 exhibit at the Savannah Photography Museum now focuses on capturing this phenomenon.

The Smell of History (Seriously)

Jones Street has a documented aroma combining century-old cedar closets, 1850s Duncan garden roses, heart pine floors, Mrs. Wilkes’ 11:30 AM fried chicken, coal fireplace smoke, early-blooming Carolina jessamine, and bourbon from crystal decanters during the annual Street Stroll.

Perfumer Frederick Bouchardy created “Jones”—a limited-edition scent based on seasonal air samples collected over twelve months, which now sits on display at the Savannah Scent Museum.

What’s new? In 2025, the museum opened a special exhibit about how historical scents like this are scientifically recreated, a tangible piece of the street’s sensory legacy.