As the present owners, the Gregory family would like to share the fascinating history of Savannah's with our guests as a way of preserving it’s heritage…Today, the lovingly restored restaurant continues a tradition of gracious hospitality.
Located in Stockholm (a part of Hardyston Township in Sussex County), the building has housed multiple establishments for the past 150 years. The site was a well known stage coach and railroad stop at one time and contained several older structures that date back as far as the mid 1800's.
In 1920 the site was purchased by the Lewis family who had owned a nearby general store that had burned down the year prior, so they purchased the property by the stage coach stop and began construction of a larger inn on top of the previous buildings. This became the Lewis Hillside Villa which opened its doors in 1920. The Villa contained an inn, bar, snack bar, post office, swimming pool and boarding house. The Lewis family rented rooms to vacationers and long-term tenants. Everyone in the area frequented the inn with many locals working there at one time or another.
Lewis Hillside Villa circa 1920
The inn changed hands a few times over the years, at one point becoming the famous Jorgensen's Inn, a successful restaurant that operated for many years. Most recently it was known as Victoria's Mountain Inn until it closed its doors in 2005. It was at that point that local business owner Susan Gregory recognized the potential for an elegant dining establishment in the area and purchased the inn. After months of renovations, Savannah's Restaurant opened it's doors and added it's mark to the pages of history.
Savannah's Restaurant - 2007
Savannah's still contains the old country charm of the original renovations done by the Lewis family with hand carved wood beams and a Victorian flare. There are even rumors of a friendly ghost or two that have occasionally made their presence known to the staff. A local research group, North Jersey Paranormal Research (NJPR), has been studying these strange occurrences while helping the owners to research the long and colorful history of this delightful treasure to our community.
The management and staff here at Savannah's Restaurant look forward to serving our loyal guests for many, many years to come. Be sure to come in and make history with us!
NJPR Researcher exploring the basement.