An 1892 oil-company warehouse rebuilt after a riverside fire, where a ghost called Hank — possibly the fire's only casualty — haunts Room 406 with cigar smoke and mischief
508 E Factors Walk, Savannah, GA 31401
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
All-suite boutique hotel; rates vary by date and suite. Pets allowed with $50 fee (up to two pets). Complimentary evening wine and cheese reception, complimentary breakfast.
Access
Limited Access
Historic 1892 warehouse on Factors Walk; riverside cobblestone area with uneven surfaces
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1892 · Savannah Riverfront Cotton Trade History · Factors Walk Historic District · Standard Oil / Tide Water Oil Company
The site at 508 E Factors Walk sits between River Street and Factors' Walk, the elevated commercial corridor that overlooks Savannah's waterfront. Early warehouse construction on the property dates to around 1812, with buildings used to store cotton under conditions that, like most of the Factors' Walk cotton trade, relied on enslaved and immigrant labor.
Between 1888 and 1889, the earlier warehouse was demolished and a new three-story structure was built by contractor Dennis J. Murphy for the Tide Water Oil Company, which leased the building as its operational headquarters. The Tide Water Oil Company was later absorbed into John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Trust in the early 1900s.
On January 3, 1892, a fire ignited on the east end of Factors' Walk, originating in an adjacent wooden warehouse. The Tide Water Oil Company building was destroyed, with approximately 500 barrels of oil burned and total damages estimated at $19,000. Contemporary accounts record no casualties. Insurance covered $15,580 of the losses. The company immediately rebuilt, this time using over 730,000 fire-resistant bricks from the Liberty Brick Company.
The building operated as Tide Water Oil Company property until 1907, then sat largely unused for over two decades. The Alexander Brothers Company took over in 1930 and operated the building as a manufacturing facility for blue jeans and work overalls. Major renovation between 1985 and 1987 converted the structure to a boutique hotel. HLC Hotels, Inc. has owned and operated the property as the Olde Harbour Inn since 1991.
Sources
The Olde Harbour Inn's haunting tradition centers on a figure staff call Hank. The account, relayed most extensively by former desk receptionist Sherry Hughes who worked the property from 1995 to 1997, holds that Hank was connected to the 1892 fire — either setting it deliberately during a dispute, or being killed by it accidentally. No historical documentation of casualties from the January 3, 1892 fire has been found. Contemporary newspaper accounts describe property losses but no deaths.
Despite that gap in the record, Hank's presence has been reported with some consistency by long-term staff. The hotel's chef, known as 'the Colonel,' has described Hank as a kitchen regular, manipulating appliances and generating minor chaos during breakfast service. He told Ghost City Tours: 'Sometimes I ask him — I say, Hank, you know I'm trying to get through breakfast right now. Give me a chance to get through, then you can do some more pranks. Since I've been here, he's grown on me.'
Room 406 is identified as Hank's primary location. Reported activity there includes alarm clocks sounding in vacant rooms, doorknobs jerking and doors being pounded, unexplained weight felt on beds, and the smell of cigar smoke throughout non-smoking areas. Coins dropping on the floor and small objects moving have been reported across the building.
The inn addresses the haunting reputation directly on its website, and it is a regular stop on Savannah's ghost tour circuit.
Notable Entities
The Olde Harbour Inn offers spacious suites with Savannah River views, WiFi, complimentary breakfast, and nightly ice cream delivery. Room 406 is identified in staff and guest accounts as Hank's primary haunt; Room 405 also generates consistent reports. Pet-friendly with advance notice.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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