Historic Home & Mortise Lock Locksmith in Savannah, GA
Original mortise locks in Savannah’s historic homes need a different kind of care than a modern deadbolt. We repair and rekey the hardware you already have instead of defaulting to a swap.
What Makes a Mortise Lock Different
A mortise lock is a box-shaped mechanism set into a pocket cut in the edge of the door itself, not a cylinder that passes through a hole. It’s a different system from the Kwikset or Schlage deadbolts sold at any hardware store, often paired with ornate escutcheons or skeleton-key style hardware original to the home. A lot of Savannah’s pre-1950s housing stock, especially in and around the Historic District, still has the original units, and they can usually be serviced rather than torn out.
Can a Mortise Lock Be Rekeyed Like a Modern Deadbolt?
Yes, in most cases. The internal pin mechanism in a mortise lock can be rekeyed the same way a standard deadbolt can, it just takes different tools and more care, since the mechanism sits inside the door rather than being an easy pull-and-swap unit. We carry the equipment for this specifically rather than treating it like a standard rekey.
Savannah’s Preservation Landscape
Savannah’s Historic District is the largest National Historic Landmark District in the country, and the city’s preservation standards generally favor retaining and repairing original architectural hardware over replacing it outright, particularly on street-facing doors. If you’re unsure whether a change to your home’s exterior hardware needs review, that’s a question for the city’s Historic Preservation Commission or the Historic Savannah Foundation. What we can tell you is that in most cases, repairing what you have is both the easier path and the one that keeps the door looking the way it’s supposed to.
Historic Properties We Service
Rowhouses on the Squares
Townhouses facing Forsyth Park and the historic squares, many still carrying their original front-door mortise hardware.
Victorian & Italianate Homes
Older single-family homes in and around the Starland and Thomas Square area, often with matching period hardware throughout.
Converted Carriage Houses
Secondary structures turned into guest houses or rentals, which sometimes have a mix of original and newer hardware to work around.
Historic Short-Term Rentals
Downtown properties operating as Airbnbs or B&Bs, where original hardware needs to hold up to guest turnover without losing its character.
What If My Mortise Lock Is Broken Beyond Repair?
It’s rare, but it happens, especially on hardware that’s seen a century of Savannah humidity. When a unit genuinely can’t be serviced, we’ll say so plainly rather than keep billing for repair attempts, and we’ll talk through options that keep the visible hardware as close to original as possible.
Areas We CoverHistoric Home & Mortise Lock FAQs
We do our best to keep the visible hardware consistent with the original, and will tell you upfront if a specific finish or plate style isn’t something we can source.
We carry common mortise lock parts and can source less common ones. If a part genuinely isn’t available, we’ll tell you that rather than stall.
It varies by the lock and what’s actually wrong with it. We’ll quote the repair and let you weigh it against replacement yourself.
Yes. Skeleton-key locks are an older mechanism than pin-tumbler mortise locks, and we service both types.
That depends on your property and what’s visible from the street, so it’s worth checking with the city’s Historic Preservation Commission directly. We can tell you what a repair versus a replacement involves so you have the full picture before you ask.
Have an Original Lock That Needs Attention?
Call Locksmith Savannah Georgia. We’ll ask what’s going on, tell you what it’ll cost, and get someone to you.