Eliza Ann Jewett (March 1779 – October 30, 1856) was an American

real-estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

investor. Several properties in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

, where she was based, are now named for her. Her most active years were during the mid-19th century, when she was beyond the age of 70. After Mary Marshall, Jewett was the most prominent female property owner and developer in

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum ar ...

Savannah.

Life and career

Eliza Ann Cleary was born in March 1779 in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. In 1808, she married James H. Discombe, with whom she had four known children. One of them, Eliza Ann Bowles, married Francis Champion. In 1817, two years after Discombe's death, she married Jasper Jewett, with whom she had two children before his death in 1819. She was not an heiress and was not known to have inherited much wealth from her parents but, according to Roulhac Toledano, "She understood the value of real estate in Savannah during its golden age, between 1840 and the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

." Comparisons have been drawn between Jewett and Mary Marshall, a contemporary real-estate investory, but Jewett "maintained a lower social profile and does not appear to have been very active in the city's civic and philanthropic scene." Most active in the 1850s, in her 70s, she had constructed several homes on Savannah's Jones Street, which has since been described as one of the most charming streets in America.

Death

Jewett died on October 30, 1856, aged 77. Her funeral was held at her 326

Bull Street Bull Street is a major street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Named for Colonel William Bull (1683–1755), it runs from Bay Street in the north to Derenne Avenue (part of State Route 21) in the south. It is around 3.40 miles in length, ...

home in

Madison Square Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for Founding Father James Madison, fourth President of the United States. ...

, Savannah.

Selected properties

Jewett had built the below properties in Savannah, some of which she also lived in. *Eliza Jewett House, 326 Bull Street (1843) *Eliza Ann Jewett Property, 20–22 West Harris Street (1843) * 16 East Jones Street, also known as the "

Joe Odom Joseph Edward Odom (born December 14, 1979, in Alton, Illinois) is a former NFL linebacker. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft with the 191st overall pick by the Chicago Bears out of Purdue University Purdue Univer ...

House" (1847) *Eliza Ann Jewett Property, 18 East Jones Street (1847) *Eliza Ann Jewett Row House, 112–120 East Jones Street (1852) *Eliza Ann Jewett Row House, 111–

115 East Jones Street 115 East Jones Street is a home in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located on historic Jones Street and was constructed in 1853.1779 births 1856 deaths People from Savannah, Georgia American real estate businesspeople