Savannah Ghost and History Blog

This beautiful southern city was planned out before Georgia's founder, James Oglethorpe,ever left England. The public squares were an important design element. Today these little gems of relaxing greenery are populated by tourists and citizens of Savannah alike. There are tour groups and dog walkers, an occasional person selling palm frond flowers or jewelery, people simply relaxing on a park bench with a cold drink. Historically the purpose of these little parks was much more utilitarian. They were places to drill the local militia, a place to gather citizens for a last desperate defense if Indians or the Spanish attacked the infant colony. They also housed early cisterns, wells and even early public ovens. Once there were 24 of these squares. Today 21 remain. Unfortunately a few of the ones on the West side of the historic district have been butchered up a bit for modernisation. Most are still amazingly beautiful and surrounded by historic homes and buildings. Many have f...

Bonaventure Cemetary sits on a bluff overlooking the Wilmington River. It is a lush pocket of gorgeous live oaks festooned with Spanish Moss, filled with a mazelike network of roads and paths, weaving amongst tombstones, vaults and crypts. Here the dead sleep in a setting as lush and sultry as the city it calls home, Savannah. Bonaventure is 100 acres of fascinating history. The stunning funerary sculptures were a symbol of status for the families buried here. Many of them are striking in their artistry. Bonaventure was originally a plantation owned by the Mullryne family. They were joined by marriage with the Tatnalls. There are wonderful legends about those early residents of Bonaventure. Supposedly, during a Christmas party the first plantation house caught fire. Josiah Tattnall sr. ordered his servants to take the tables loaded with plates of food, bottles of wine and candles out to the lawn, where the party continued. The guests ate and drank as the house burnt to the grou...

There are an astonishing amount of haunted houses in Savannah. There's the amazing Kehoe Bed and Breakfast, constructed for William Kehoe and his large family in 1892 . Kehoe owned an ironworks and most of the fancy details on this Victorian wonder are made of iron from his factory. The elaborate and intricate decorations are gorgeous. Many members of the Kehoe family haunt this mansion, including William, his wife and several children. There might be a few additional spectral guests, lingering in the hallways and rooms, because the Kehoe house was home to the Goette Funeral Home for 47 years! The Sorrel Weed house on Madison Square and is a very active location. There are the commonly veiwed ghosts of Matilda Sorrel and her favorite slave, the beautiful Molly. There are also ghostly soldiers, lingering from the 1700s and mysterious shadow people. The building dates from 1842 but it was built on the a battle field from the Revolutionary War. And of course, a serious contender...

The colony of Georgia and it's first city, Savannah has plenty of villains to choose from. Many of the early colonists would have nominated James Oglethorpe, credited as the founder of Georgia. James Oglethorpe was accused of indifference, malfeasance and outright sabotage. It was complicated. Some beleived the father of all woes was Thomas Causton, a magistrate appointed by Oglethorpe. He did seem like a petty dictator, enriching himself at everyone's expense. John Wesley, the eventual founder of Methodism, was the target of outrage for his inadvertent scandals. But then many of Georgia's religious leaders were. Reverend Norris was accused of inpregnating his German maid, Reverend Dyson died of alcoholism, Reverend Bosomworth abandoned his flock to marry Oglethorpe's half Indian translator, and Whiefield abused the orphans of Bethesda. William Stephens, the secretary and eventual administrator of Savannah, would have pointed at the Malcontents. They were a grou...

The ghostly spirits of Savannah's past linger in the gorgeous squares, the stunning homes and tree lined streets of this lush Southern city. Stories of hauntings abound. There are ghostly children, forlorn ladies and murderous ones, as well. There are beautiful old houses and buildings that may have more ghosts than residents. Savannah is home to Alice Riley, an indentured servant who murdered her master in 1734, Wesley Espy, who was a victim of a murderous attack, Matilda Sorrel and her servant, Molly. There is Ann, at the 1790s Inn and of course the Kehoe family ghosts. Spooky children hang out in the Marshall Houe, the Isaiah Davenport House and the Hamilton Turner Inn. Savannah has Civil War ghosts and some from the Revolutionary War,as well. There are ghosts who interact with you and others that are simply echoes in time, reenacting occurences from their past. Come join Mad Cat Tours and find out about this city's chilling past. The Ghosts of Savannah Tour is l...

What makes Savannah Georgia so very fascinating? Most of our visitors return again and again. It might be the food. We have an array of wonderful restaraunts , offering almost anything you desire. It might be the nightlife. There are bars and clubs to suit anyone's taste. Some are quiet and sedate. Others offer a rolicking good time. And of course there's that open container policy, that allows you to stroll through this beautiful city's streets with an adult beverage in hand. . Downtown only! All that is wonderful but we think it is the history that makes this city so very special. Georgia and its first city, Savannah,was founded in 1733, making it the13th colony; and it was just a little different than the others in more ways than one. Religious freedom was paramount, unless you were Catholic. There were three unusual prohibitions- rum (or any strong spirits), slavery and lawyers. The colony was ran by a board of trustees in England. There was no governor. In fac...

The number one question we get on our ghost tours is "why is Savannah so haunted?" There are numerous theories, but the one that we, at Mad Cat Tours, find most credible is the theory of attachment. Ghosts form ties to places or things. Most often a house or building. In this sultry little city there are over a thousand buildings in the downtown historic district alone that date from 1760 to the early 1900s. This gives our ghosts huge opportunities to anchor themselves to this world. Savannah has the largest urban historic district in America. We also have had our share of murders, tragic accidental deaths and of course the second bloodiest battle in the Revolutionary War. Come join our local guides and hear chilling stories of this fascinating city's past as we walk through the moss draped streers and squares. Our guides are passionate about our charming city, it's fascinating history and the folklore that makes Savannah the most haunted city in America. ...