A Town We Know Well.
Lat. 32.077960 | Long. -81.091380
In Savannah’s Historic District, you are allowed to walk the streets with a 16 ounces or less alcoholic beverage as long as it is in a paper or plastic cup.
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The story of the city of Savannah starts with its founding in 1733 by British General James Oglethorpe. Unique and still puzzling to today's historians, Savannah's urban planning was laid out through the Oglethorpe plan on a grid pattern with wide streets and many public squares. Remarkably, this plan generated one of the best-designed cities in the country. Through initiatives that started in England, the British government authorized Oglethorpe to create the last new colonial capital in America in over five decades. Oglethorpe had never established a new settlement in the Colonies before. Still, it's speculated that he left behind the cramped and congested European medieval street plan of earlier Colonies for a grid plan that provided an abundance of open space. Oglethorpe's plan stood the test of time. From horse-drawn carriages to automobiles, it translated well into contemporary times, including the immense population growth since its formation, something Oglethorpe most likely did not anticipate. Ultimately, the successful plan integrated neighborhoods between residential and commercial blocks that shared space with blocks reserved for public greenery, creating an excellent environment for walkability.
Read More On Savannah’s Federalist, Georgian, and Greek Revival Architecture…
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On August 11, 1876, a fatal case of yellow fever developed near Savannah’s eastern docks. Within two weeks, 1,066 Savannahians had died in the epidemic that followed. By September 1876, 5,000 of the 28,000 residents had fled Savannah. Yellow fever was a scary and mysterious disease bringing on a sudden and painful death. Early symptoms included chills, followed by a fever, back pains, and jaundice (yellow-green tint to the skin) which gave the disease its name. After uncontrollable hemorrhaging from the mouth, nose and stomach, death often soon followed. About sixty percent of those infected died and the disease usually ran its course in about six or seven days.
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The Eliza Thompson House on Savannah’s quintessential Civil War boulevard – Jones Street – has its share of sightings. Tales tell of Confederate soldiers in an upstairs window and a young girl wearing a white dress in the hallway.
In 1861, Dr. Richard Arnold witnessed several ghosts associated with the Battle of First Manassas. He looked out of his window on State Street and waved at returning Savannah soldiers. He later found out that they died in battle the day before.
The Old City Hotel, now Moon River Brewery, formerly served as a Confederate and Union hospital during the war years. Many soldiers went in as patients and never came back out.
The brilliantly restored 1852 Marshall House on Broughton Street also has eerie and macabre anecdotes.
Read More On Savannah’s Civil War History, And A Haunting Past That Lingers Today…
To this day, Savannah, Georgia, remains the most haunted city in America--so it can't come as much of a surprise that many of the city's famous restaurants and pubs have a ghost or two of their own still lingering. From the spirits who refuse to let their spectral existence be ignored by patrons or employees to paranormal phenomena which leans more toward the expressively violent . . . these haunted restaurants and pubs are teeming with ghostly lore that can leave you hoping for more or scared out of your wits.
If you're coming to town to take one of their ghost tours, dining in a haunted restaurant is just icing on the cake!
Spirits & Spirits…
A Black Cat Named… Savannah.
Go Figure.
Historic Savannah. Like being on a movie set. It looks old, it smells old, it is old.
Maybe take a walk through the squares, have coffee at Gallery Espresso, browse The Paris Market, or have lunch and a Guinness at Six Pence. Always Breakfast at B. Matthew’s.
Crazy Cats in Savannah.
Like a well-curated Parisian flea market, The Paris Market is a vision of intriguing and unforgettable treasures. Founded in 2001 by Paula and Taras Danyluk, the two-level, 5,200-square-foot Savannah boutique is housed in an 1874 Victorian building originally built as a grocery store, which they lovingly restored to its old-world splendor.
River Street.
The Pirates’ House Restaurant is located at 20 East Broad Street in the Historic District of Savannah, Georgia. They are open for dining for lunch and dinner. Website.
Phone: (912) 233-5757
The Pirates’ House.
On the east side of Savannah’s historic district sits one of the oldest, and reportedly most haunted, buildings in Savannah. This building houses the Pirates’ House restaurant. For many years, ghost stories have been told around Savannah regarding all of the hauntings which take place at the Pirates' House Restaurant. The building which houses the Pirates’ House is over 250 years old. Read More…
The Olde Pink House Restaurant is located 23 Abercorn Street, on Reynolds Square. If you plan on dining at the haunted Pink House reservations are highly encouraged. Website.
Phone: (912) 232-4286
The Olde Pink House.
James Habersham, Jr., was a wealthy cotton planter and also aided the colonies in the fight for their independence. He was known as a gracious host, generous with his southern hospitality and as such he dreamed of a home where he could unite his friends and family. Construction began on the Olde Pink House in the year of 1771, and was completed in 1789. Ten years after finishing the construction of his dream home, James Habersham Jr. passed away under suspicious circumstances. His home stands to this very day, known as the Olde Pink House Restaurant, and has become the preeminent place for both southern cuisine and 18th century architecture. Read More…
The Moon River Brewing Company and all of the ghosts which reside in the building can be found at 21 West Bay Street. In addition to ghosts, the Moon River also serves up some fantastic brews and food. Website.
Phone: 912-447-0943
Moon River Brewing Co.
Few buildings in Savannah have such a reputation for the ghosts and hauntings as the Moon River Brewing Company. The building which houses Moon River dates back to 1820. It was the City Hotel. Many of the guests have forgotten to check out.
On the second floor of the Brewing Company, the famous shooting of James Stark took place. Shot by a town physician, Phillip Minas, Stark was killed on the staircase.. or, was it by the kitchen (ask three people and you’ll get three different answers). Read More…
City Market.
Romantic, Haunted Inns.
The Marshall House
The River Street Inn
The Kehoe House
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123 East Broughton Street Savannah, Georgia 31401 Phone: (912) 644-7896 Toll Free: (800) 589-6304
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The Marshall House Hotel has been a part of Savannah's history since 1851. This iconic building on Broughton Street is so much more than just a place to stay. Here, you'll be welcomed with warm hospitality and immersed in a sense of true historic Savannah.
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124 E. Bay St. ,Savannah, GA 31401
Tel: 912-234-6400
From its original setting on E. Bay Street in the downtown area of Savannah, GA, the award-winning River Street Inn captures the city’s history, charm and character like few other hotels. Located in a beautifully restored, 200-year-old cotton warehouse in the downtown Historic District overlooking the beautiful Savannah River and Historic River Street, the hotel seamlessly blends warmth and intimacy with the modern comfort and the 4-Star services and amenities of a contemporary boutique hotel.
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123 Habersham Street Savannah, Georgia 31401 Phone: (912) 232-1020 Toll Free: (800) 820-1020
The Kehoe House was built in 1892 by William Kehoe, a successful iron foundry owner. The home's exterior stairways, window treatments, columns, fences and gates are all made of cast iron, a tribute to the iron foundry's excellence in pattern making and casting. The house features 13 guest rooms and multiple private and semi-private balconies. It is often photographed, and is considered one of Savannah's most treasured historic buildings.
It was in the River Street Inn, one of the editor’s favorite inns, that she was trapped in an elevator by a ghost… There was alcohol involved.
A Creepy Story.
HOUSE BUILT ON BLOOD…
Madison Square
The city of Savannah is bursting with historic homes dating back hundreds of years. The Sorrel-Weed House is a notably large one designed by American architect Charles B. Cluskey.
This house was constructed on Savannah’s Madison Square between 1835 and 1840, and it was commissioned and built for Francis Sorrel. In 1862, a prominent businessman, Henry D Weed, took ownership of the house.
Designed with Greek Revival and Regency architectural styles, the Sorrel-Weed house boasts over 16,000 square feet. Like most homes built in the 1800’s, the design also included a carriage house. The main house has three above-ground levels, as well as a basement. A notable part of Cluskey’s design is his intent to connect all spaces on the main floor to exterior shaded verandas. A courtyard separates the main house from the carriage house, which housed the resident’s slaves at the time. It is often likened to William Jay’s Owens-Thomas House, and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Jay and Cluskey both made use of dividing foyer spaces with two columns, a similarity that is notable between several historic homes in Savannah.
As with multiple locations in the city, the Sorrel-Weed House has its share of tragedies on the property. The site of present-day Madison Square saw some of the bloodiest battles during the 1779 Siege of Savannah. While this tragedy occurred decades prior to the construction of the square, and the Sorrel-Weed House, it is rumored that the ghosts of those who passed during the siege still lurk around the square.
While the reasoning behind the specifics of the events are often disputed, it is confirmed that the Sorrel-Weed House was the site of several deaths related to Mr. Sorrel himself throughout the years. Francis Sorrel’s first wife, Lucinda died years prior to the construction of the house. Sorrel went on to marry Lucinda’s sister, Matilda, who ultimately jumped to her death from one of the upper level windows in 1859. It is rumored that the reasoning behind her suicide was depression, as well as discovering that Mr. Sorrel was having an affair with one of the slaves, Molly.
These events are the centerpoint to the stories told of the Sorrel-Weed House, and have therefore developed a reputation of extreme paranormal activity for the house. The Sorrel-Weed House is now a key stop for ghost-busting tourists.
Modern pop culture has made use of this architectural and historically well known house. You may recognize it from the opening scenes of the classic movie “Forrest Gump”. Moreover, its proclaimed paranormal activity has led to its feature in TV shows including “If Walls Could Talk,” “Ghost Hunters,” and “Ghost Activities”. Read More…
The 17Hundred90 Inn is located at 307 East Presidents Street in the Historic District of Savannah Georgia. You can also find it by locating the intersections of Presidents and Lincoln Streets. Website.
Phone: 912-236-7122
17Hundred90 Inn.
So, who is this ‘Anne’? Well, as the story goes, there was a woman living in the building which makes up the east part of the property. Different variations of this story pop up, but the premise is always the same. Suffering from a loss of a loved one, Anne threw herself over the railing of her second story balcony. Her body smashed onto the brick courtyard below, cutting her life short. There are a few problems with this story, though, in all of the variations.
The first Anne associated with the 17Hundred90 Inn is Anne White, the wife of Steele White. Steele was the gentleman who was responsible for the building of the first two parts of the building. However, Steele was not around for the finish of construction. He died in a horse riding accident in 1823. His widow, Anne, was obviously heartbroken. This fits the story being told so far. However, after Steele died, she moved from the house. She moved out to the Isle of Hope, south of Savannah. There, she lived with her sister and her brother-in-law for a number of years. In addition to this, the part of the building that Anne reportedly jumped from wasn’t even built until 1888. These two facts seem to rule out Anne White from being the Anne in the ghost story that is commonly told. So, who else could it be? Read More…
The Six Pence Pub is located at 245 Bull Street, right near Chippewa Square in the historic district of Savannah. Website.
Phone: 912.233.3151
Six Pence Pub.
Savannah’s Six Pence Pub is a one of a kind British-style pub in the heart of the historic district. It’s a spot where locals frequent when they’re feeling inclined to grab an ale or take a photo in the classic red telephone booth seated right outside the front door. And it’s no wonder - its first owners, when it was known as “Wally’s Sixpence,” hailed from England. As transplants from London, Wally and Doris, the pub’s founders, intended to make Wally’s into a pub that anyone could enjoy. It featured a relaxed atmosphere that expatriates found alluring. In fact, one interesting fact is that during this forty-year span in which the Six Pence was Wally’s Sixpence, the pub didn’t even have a kitchen! Doris subsequently made do by preparing lunch for the pub’s patrons at her house nearby. They served food until it ran out, or she and her husband Wally decided they were ready to pack it in for the day and head home. Read More…
Another Creepy Story.
TIED TO A CHAIR… AND LEFT TO ROT.
Taylor Square
Taylor Square (formerly Calhoun Square) is host to a set of spirited abodes. Rumors and legends abound at 432 Abercorn Street. From a daughter who died of heat stroke and dehydration after her father tied her to a chair and left her for days, to a family with four daughters who went out and returned to find three of the girls dead. Reports of pounding, crying and even giggling have surfaced, as well as an overwhelming chill in the air near this dilapidated building.
Other rumors surround that of Wesley Espy, the son of a federal judge. Wesley fell to his death from a porch at the Epsy family home. It is said that Wesley’s father, a man who was known for his bad temper, was involved with bootleggers and his son, a deacon at the Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, began to date someone in the congregation who just so happened to be involved with one of the bootleggers. Perhaps it was retaliation or a father trying to stop his son that ended badly. One thing is known—his father was never charged or even investigated.
In the early 2000s, workers dug up bones when demolishing a sidewalk in front of the Massie Heritage Center. From construction site to crime scene, the remains were analyzed and found to be that of African-American slaves who were buried 200 years prior. Read More…