Savannah in the Late 19th Century
By the early 1880s, Savannah, Georgia was a bustling post-Civil War port city experiencing renewed growth. The cotton industry dominated the economy – the Savannah Cotton Exchange had been established in 1876 and built its grand headquarters on Bay Street in 1883. The city’s boundaries were expanding, and new monuments and infrastructure were rising downtown (for example, a monument to businessman William Washington Gordon was erected in Wright Square in 1883). Streetcars and rail lines began linking Savannah to outlying areas; a commuter rail to Tybee Island opened in 1887, allowing residents to travel for leisure. It was in this environment of growth and modernization that a young locksmith saw an opportunity – and in 1883, Bradley Lock & Key was born.
The Historic Patrick Duffy Building
The building that houses Bradley Lock & Key has a rich history of its own. Erected in 1855 for local businessman Patrick Duffy, it stands on the northeast tything block of historic Wright Square. The structure is a typical mid-19th-century Savannah commercial building, with brick walls and simple antebellum styling. Notably, the threshold of the shop is inlaid with actual skeleton keys spelling out “BRADLEYS,” a charming detail harkening to its locksmith trade.
Over the decades, 24 E. State Street saw various uses before the Bradleys arrived. In the mid-20th century, it was the site of a segregated lunch counter operated by Levy’s department store – one of the locations where African American students, including local civil rights leader W.W. Law, staged sit-ins in 1960 to protest segregation. The shop today proudly displays the very bar stools used by those activists during the sit-ins. This connection ties the building to a pivotal chapter of Savannah’s Civil Rights era. In 1967, the Bradley business moved into the Patrick Duffy Building (relocating from their original site across the street, which was later demolished for a parking garage). Ever since, the venerable old building and the locksmith shop have been synonymous, both aging gracefully together in the heart of downtown.
The Bradley Family and the Founding of the Business
Bradley Lock & Key’s story begins with its founder, Simon Bradley. According to family lore, one morning in 1883 Simon was riding a trolley through downtown Savannah when he noticed a fashion trend of the day: people wearing large key-shaped necklaces. Seeing those ornate keys sparked an idea. Sensing a business opportunity, Simon decided then and there that he would become a locksmith. He opened a small lock and key shop that same year on the corner of State and Drayton Streets in Savannah’s historic district. (That original location was just across Wright Square from the current store; today, the spot is occupied by a parking garage.)
In the early years, Simon – and later his son Aaron – did far more than cut keys. The Bradley shop became a fix-it destination for all manner of goods. Advertisements and hand-painted signs boasted that Bradley’s could sharpen tools, repair luggage or umbrellas, “fix anything but a broken heart,” and “make any key other than a whiskey key,” as third-generation proprietor William Bradley jokingly put it. In an era when people repaired possessions rather than replaced them, the Bradleys gained a reputation in Savannah for their craftsmanship and resourcefulness. The business was truly a family endeavor and grew into a cornerstone of downtown life.
By the 1950s, the founder’s grandson William Houdini “Dini” Bradley had taken over as the third-generation owner. Many Savannahians came to associate the shop primarily with Dini, a colorful character who devoted his life to the locksmith trade. Under his stewardship, Bradley Lock & Key remained a beloved old-fashioned workshop where customers could get a key copied for pocket change or a antique lock fixed on the spot. Dini also expanded the shop’s identity into that of a mini-museum. Over the years he filled the store with historical curiosities and antiques: an 18th-century cannon, a 1901 church bell, piles of dusty skeleton keys and iron locks, and countless historic photographs. The store became a living repository of Savannah’s past, with new surprises tucked into every nook and shelf.
A Magical Connection: Harry Houdini and Bradley’s Lock & Key
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Bradley family history is their connection to the legendary escape artist Harry Houdini. The link is through Aaron Bradley – son of founder Simon and father of Dini. Aaron apparently moonlighted as a stage hypnotist, and family stories say that he was a friend of Houdini and even traveled doing shows with him. In fact, Dini Bradley’s middle name “Houdini” was given in honor of that famous magician, highlighting the bond between the families. According to the Bradleys, Aaron served as a locksmith for Houdini, perhaps advising on the locks and restraints used in Houdini’s escape acts. A signed photograph of Houdini is displayed in the shop today, testifying to this unique friendship.
As with any century-old family tale, some details of the Houdini connection blur the line between fact and folklore. “That part of our history has its share of both facts and rumors, and even we cannot always tell which is which,” Andrew Bradley (Aaron’s great-grandson) admitted with a laugh in an interview. What is documented is that the Bradley family maintained an enduring fascination with Houdini. Dini Bradley hung numerous vintage photos of the escape artist around the store, and he proudly shared the story of his father’s adventures with Houdini with customers. This blend of history and legend adds a bit of magic to Bradley Lock & Key’s heritage, cementing its status as more than just a locksmith shop – it’s a place where a touch of showmanship and mystery are part of the family legacy.
Tragedy Strikes: The I-95 Killer and the Bradley Family
In the 1990s, the Bradley family was shaken by a tragic brush with a notorious serial killer. Milton Bradley – a 72-year-old World War II veteran and a member of the Bradley family – was brutally murdered in May 1994 by Gary Ray Bowles. Bowles was an ex-con drifter who preyed on older men along the Interstate 95 corridor, earning him the moniker “The I-95 Killer.” While passing through Savannah, Bowles encountered Milton Bradley at a local bar. (Milton was sociable and liked to frequent various bars for happy hour specials; although not gay himself, he was friendly to everyone.) Bowles targeted Milton as his next victim. The following day, Milton’s body was found bludgeoned to death and left behind a shed near a golf course on Savannah’s southside.
The murder shocked Savannah, as the Bradleys were a well-known local family. At the time, authorities did not immediately link it to a serial killer. Bowles fled the state and continued his crime spree for months. He was finally caught in November 1994 in Florida after killing several other men. Only later did Bowles confess to Milton Bradley’s slaying as one of six murders he committed that year. Bowles had specifically targeted older gay men, though in Milton’s case he likely mistook kindness for romantic interest. Never formally tried in Georgia for Milton’s murder, Bowles was convicted of other killings and sentenced to death in Florida. He was executed by lethal injection in August 2019, closing a painful chapter for the Bradley family and the other victims’ families. This grim episode is a footnote in the long history of Bradley Lock & Key – a reminder that even Savannah’s most respected families are not immune to broader events – but the business endured, and the family pulled together in the aftermath to continue their legacy.
Ghost Stories and Legends
Savannah often proclaims itself “America’s most haunted city,” and the old Bradley Lock & Key shop has not escaped local ghost lore. In fact, the building’s age and the many antique objects inside make it prime fodder for ghostly legends. Visitors and staff have occasionally reported strange occurrences after hours: shadowy figures seem to move between the dusty aisles of keys and tools, and unexplained noises or fleeting apparitions have been noted, especially by those who lived in the apartment above the shop. Objects are said to shift on their own, and odd scents or cold spots will arise without explanation. With thousands of old keys, vintage locks, and historic artifacts filling the store, believers in the paranormal suggest that spirits may have attached themselves to some of these items, replaying residual hauntings of the past.
One popular legend even claims that the ghost of Harry Houdini himself haunts the Bradley Lock & Key shop. The idea is certainly a romantic one – the world’s greatest escape artist returning in spirit to a locksmith shop filled with locks and keys. Some ghost tour guides point out the Houdini photographs on the walls and speculate that his spirit pays visits to his old friends’ establishment.
The surrounding area contributes its own haunted reputation. Wright Square, just steps from the shop’s door, is said to be one of Savannah’s most haunted squares. According to legend, the ghost of Alice Riley – a young woman who in 1735 became the first woman executed in Georgia – wanders the square where she was hanged, searching for her infant child’s grave. There are also tales of Tomochichi, the Native American leader buried in Wright Square, whose disembodied voice has allegedly been heard near the monument that now honors him. These stories add an eerie ambiance to the area. Bradley Lock & Key’s old building, with its dimly lit interior and historic quirks, fits right into this supernatural lore.
Bradley Lock & Key Today: Five Generations and Counting
Today, Bradley Lock & Key stands as a living link between Savannah’s past and present. In 2019, ownership passed to Andrew Bradley, the founder’s great-great-grandson, making him the fifth generation of Bradleys to run the shop. He took over from his grandfather William “Dini” Bradley, who finally retired in his mid-80s after a lifetime in the locksmith business. Andrew was just 24 years old at the time, but he grew up in the store and was determined to carry the family legacy forward. In taking the reins, he modernized certain aspects of the business – bringing in new high-tech key programming equipment for car transponder keys and digital locks – while carefully preserving the nostalgic character that makes the shop unique. He often says that Bradley’s can still “make every key,” whether it’s a 150-year-old skeleton key or the fob for a 2020s smart car.
Walking into Bradley Lock & Key today, one can see that little has changed in appearance since Dini’s time. The walls are adorned with vintage photographs and curios, and the air carries a sense of history. Customers might find Dini’s beloved collections still on display – the old cannon, the church bell, the Civil Rights-era stools – alongside countless drawers of key blanks. The shop continues some of its old-fashioned traditions as well. For instance, it still charges only about $1 for a basic key copy and has been known to give free keys to children as good-luck tokens. Despite the museum-like quality, this is no mere tourist curiosity; the store handles around 100 customers a day in peak season, locals and visitors alike, who rely on its services. Regular patrons include downtown homeowners seeking keys for antique door locks, businesses in need of master key systems, and even history buffs who drop in just to chat and look around.
The continuity of Bradley Lock & Key through nearly a century and a half has made it the oldest continuously operating business in Savannah. Its endurance is a point of pride in the community. The City of Savannah recognized the shop’s 140th anniversary in 2023, celebrating the Bradley family’s contributions to the city’s commercial and cultural heritage. Through economic ups and downs, social changes, and even brushes with fame and infamy, the little locksmith shop has persevered. It remains family-run, with Andrew’s sister Caroline sometimes helping out, and the sixth generation of Bradleys already learning the trade as children under the watchful eyes of their elders. Bradley Lock & Key today is both a modern business and a time capsule. It has evolved with technology and the times, yet retains the soul of a 19th-century workshop. In a city famous for its history, this unassuming shop on State Street is itself a piece of Savannah’s story – a place where keys, locks, and legends have been passed down from one generation to the next.