SOUTH
1872 John Denham House, Monticello, FL: Not only is this 130-year-old National Historic Register B&B certifiably haunted, guests can explore another dimension during October Teen and Parent Ghost Hunting Weekends.
Avera-Clarke House B&B, Monticello, FL: Located in one of ABC-TV’s Most Haunted Small Towns, this B&B is a popular stop on the local walking tour. Take this historic stroll, and you just might see ghostly vestiges of Honorable Judge Thomas Clarke, a local banker, appear in unusual ways.
Casablanca Inn, St. Augustine, FL: This inn’s haunted heritage began to take its shape during the early 1930s when it was a boarding house. A widow who ran the boarding house would stand watch on the balcony, swinging a lantern back and forth to warn rumrunners when government revenuers were in town. The widow has long been dead, but anglers and shrimpers passing through the inlet say they often see the swinging lantern atop the Casablanca Inn.
Penny Farthing Inn, St. Augustine, FL: Ghost busters, guests, and the innkeeper have said that plenty of playful spirits hang around here. Occurrences include midnight tugs-of-war with the blankets, and glasses leaning over and clinking on sherry bottles. One college professor described a young lady sitting on the daybed in his room when he woke up. Then, a few days later, the four-year-old daughter of the owners asked if the lady in the doorway of the dining room was a guest; the little girl described the lady she saw exactly as the college professor had.
St. Francis Inn, St. Augustine, FL: The St. Francis is the oldest inn in St. Augustine. The inn was built in 1791, and you can count on a few of its former residents still making an appearance from time to time. According to former guest Dave Lapham, shortly after he and his wife checked in, strange things began to happen. Another visitor at the inn described seeing a young African American girl, dressed in white, floating down the hallway. Later, just before going to bed, she said she saw the girl again in her room. Another guest reported that each time they tried to fill the bath with water, it kept getting hotter and hotter, no matter how much cold water was added.
Azalea Inn and Gardens, Savannah, GA: For days, one room stayed icy cold despite the heater. Alarms sounding and phones ringing inexplicably in the middle of the night and a baby’s footprints appearing on the carpet are among the clues that former inhabitants are in residence. The original owners of the mansion had a son who suffered from dwarfism and died at an early age; clearly he’s not yet ready to leave.
Will you leave a light shining to ward off the ghostly twins at Kehoe House? Photo courtesy Marti Mayne
Foley House, Savannah, GA: Legend has it that the house was owned in the late 19th century by a widow who rented rooms to travelers and boarders. She was suspicious of one male renter who came and went at odd hours of the night, but decided he was just a loner. One night, the lady was in her room when she heard the front door open and slam shut. She noticed the footsteps did not continue to the next floor but instead stopped outside her bedroom door. The door swung open and the boarder attempted to strangle her. Unable to scream, she grabbed a candlestick from her night stand and beat him over the head. He fell to the floor and the widow ran to another boarder’s room for help. Returning to the bedroom, they discovered the man was dead. Without money for a lawyer and fearful that she would be imprisoned for murder, the lady asked the boarder to help her conceal the body in return for free rent. On her death bed, she told her friends what happened that fearful night, but never revealed the location of the body. Some have reported hearing the door suddenly open in the guest room where the man was killed followed by a rush of air, even though no one is there.
Kehoe House B&B, Savannah, GA: Set in a beautifully restored 1892 Queen Anne-style mansion, this B&B is reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of twin Kehoe children who may have died while playing in one of the house’s fireplaces (now blocked up). The inn’s website speaks of many reported sightings of the ghosts and the sound of children laughing and playing in the dead of night.
Marshall House, Savannah, GA: Opened in 1851, this inn was used as a hospital twice during Savannah’s 19th-century yellow fever epidemics and during the Civil War by the Union Army. Are they former patients who’ve been reported in the hallways and in the foyer? We’ll never know, but the Travel Channel has featured this inn on haunted hotel programs and specials. The Ghost Packages at The Marshall House are always a favorite.
Olde Harbour Inn, Savannah, GA: Home to “Hank,” guests have reported smelling cigar smoke when no smokers were present, experiencing things moving around, witnessing coins dropping on the floor, and more. Want to meet Hank, the friendly ghost? Book one of two Haunted Hotel packages offered throughout the year.
Will your visit to the haunted Glen-Ella Springs Inn be the night the lights go out in Georgia? Photo courtesy Marti Mayne
Glen-Ella Springs Inn, Clarkesville, GA: Several unexplained incidents have been reported over the last ten years. Unusual activity included guests reporting that they awoke to an old woman in 1800s-style clothes, standing in the room. The woman just stood quietly and then disappeared. Other ghostly occurrences include the opening of screen doors, lights fading on and off, music playing in empty rooms without radios, and voices heard in dark air.
Village Inn, Stone Mountain, GA: Both guests and owners are sure there is a ghost in residence here. There have been varied reports of lights mysteriously going out, ceiling fans running by themselves, and the occasional ghostly singing. On the first New Year’s Eve the innkeepers lived here, they heard pictures fall off the wall twice but never found anything that had fallen. It is presumed that a friendly spirit resides here, most likely a former resident who didn’t want to leave.
Forsyth Park Inn, Savannah, GA: The spirit of a heart-broken young girl haunts this historic inn, overlooking beautiful Forsyth Park. As the story goes, Aaron and Lois Churchill brought home a child after being unable to conceive their own. The details of her adoption were scarce, but they named her Lottie, and spoiled her as their own child. Eventually, Lois’s much younger sister Anna came to live with them, and she and Lottie became close. When Lottie discovered a romantic tryst between Anna and her father, Aaron, she poisoned Anna, in a desperate attempt to save the family. As Anna took her dying breath, it was revealed that she was actually Lottie’s mother. Unable to provide for Lottie when she was born, Anna entrusted her darling daughter to her sister, Lois, whom she knew could provide the life her daughter deserved. Upon discovering she’d killed her own mother, Lottie went immediately insane, and spent the rest of her life in an insane asylum. One might think that her ghost would be mean spirited, yet Lottie’s ghost is a happy one with a child’s simple enthusiasm. Visitors report a child’s laughter and footsteps echoing in empty rooms. Some claim they’ve spotted Lottie on the staircase, dressed in period clothing. Others claim to feel her presence near the courtyard fountain—near the scene of the mistake that changed her life forever.
Central Park Bed & Breakfast, Louisville, KY: Located in the heart of Central Park, where numerous ghost sightings have been reported, it’s no wonder this 1884 mansion has a few friendly spirits still roaming the halls. Included in the twice-weekly local ghost tours, many a strange sighting has occurred in the flickering of gas lights outside.
Judge Porter B&B, Natchitoches, LA: Little is known about the ghost here, yet the inn is haunted by a spirit assumed to be Judge Thomas Fitzgerald Porter who built this impressive house in 1912. He died in 1928 leaving the house to his wife, Wilhelmina, who died in 1935.
Avenue Inn B&B, New Orleans, LA: Beds move and shake in the night, singing can be heard coming from the old Nanny’s quarters when no one is there, and strange power surges in computers have all been reported from this Queen Anne style mansion in the New Orleans Garden District. Once, during a wedding ceremony, loud knocking sounds came from the inn’s dining room fireplace. Was it the wind or the original resident of the home signaling his approval? We’ll never know.
Creole Gardens, New Orleans, LA: Ghosts don’t like change, and when this building was restored as an inn, 400-pound doors slammed for no apparent reason, and bathroom tiles that had been neatly stacked were found scattered about the floor. One guest reported a clear image of a former slave standing in the corner of the room with arms folded, apparently awaiting orders. Another guest reported a man visiting at night, speaking softly. Housekeepers report dark, flitting blurs, and a feeling of someone watching them.
5 Continents B&B, New Orleans, LA: In a city known for its ghosts, vampires and voodoo culture, this inn promises not to disappoint guests with its offer to sleep with not only one spirit, but three. This 1890s Greek Revival Mansion has three resident ghosts, including a man said to have been a previous master of the house, a mysterious woman of color in a flowing white dress, and a very unusual part-time spirit in the kitchen area.
Magnolia Mansion, New Orleans, LA: Clearly, spirits here don’t just come from Bourbon Street bars. Take off your slippers, and you may hear footsteps out in the hall pacing until you cover up your bare feet. Alarms, the quiet tinkling of a music box, overturned water glasses, and a little girl who visits in the night are all common evidences of the spirits residing here. Describing the inn as “hauntingly romantic,” one woman had the covers pulled up around her by a “spirited” visitor while her husband slept soundly beside her. Account after account in the inn’s guest books recount chance meetings with polite and friendly ghosts. Many a guest has captured their “other world” friends in photos posted on the inn’s website. Want an encounter with the inn’s friendly ghosts? You must make your intention known upon entering. For the ultimate in Halloween weddings, book the Halloween Gothic Elopement/Wedding Package.
Will a ghost dog watch over you as you slumber in this beautiful four poster bed with canopy at the haunted Asheville Seasons B&B in North Carolina? Photo courtesy Marti Mayne
Asheville Seasons B&B, Asheville, NC: Grace is the former owner’s great-grandmother who died at the inn. She’s an extremely friendly apparition who just can’t get enough good loving, today or in her past life. By the way, wherever Grace goes, her dog follows. Ever heard of a tail-wagging ghost? Perhaps it’s her footsteps that innkeepers hear upstairs when no guests are there, perhaps it’s the dog. Maybe both.
Twin Lakes Lodge, Greensboro, NC: Noted ghost-story writer John Hardin, author of Tar Heel Ghosts and The Devil’s Tramping Ground, lived in this home prior to its becoming an inn. Is it possible he got his ideas from spirits still hanging around? One guest reported a woman with a long flowing dress floating over the lake one night. Dismissing these visions as a dream, he awoke the next morning to find wet footsteps on his suite’s otherwise dry deck, coming up over the railing and to the window. Another guest said the woman in the white flowing dress hummed to her at her bedside.
Inn on Main Street, Weaverville, NC: Innkeepers have heard pictures falling off walls, yet never found anything that has fallen. Doors open and close with no one there. Strangely, all ghostly happenings happen on New Year’s Eve. This former surgeon’s office still bears blood stains that won’t sand out (now covered by tiles), yet guests have told innkeepers all energy here is good energy. The innkeepers say they’ve never lost a guest to the inn’s ten identified “energy forces,” including men, women, children, Native Americans, and a white dog.
Carambola Inn B&B, Fuquay-Varina NC: The distinctive scent of perfume and a feeling of an unseen presence give believers in another dimension the distinct impression that the former residents are still hanging around. One sighting included a friendly woman hovering about five inches off the ground. Come see for yourself.
Litchfield Plantation, Pawley’s Island, SC: The Gun Room Suite is a two-room suite once used by former plantation owner, Dr. Tucker for his bedroom and examination room. Dr. Tucker was an avid hunter and gun collector, hence the name of the suite. His former gun racks now resemble library shelves and are stocked with books from the period. His friendly ghost is noted to make an occasional appearance now and then, just to make sure all’s well at Litchfield Plantation.
Pinhook Plantation House B&B, Calhoun, TN: Tales of spirits abound here, including the “Lady in the Gray Gown” opening the front door and walking up the winding stairs, and a monk and other ghosts having a meeting in the Gathering Room late one night. A school teacher who formerly lived in the house brought her students to show them the rocking chair that frantically rocked, and then suddenly stopped as if someone got up.
Fairview Inn, Jackson, TN: Wet footprints have been discovered by the housekeepers in the third-floor suite after the cleaning staff has just been in there, and no guest had entered the room. At least we can assume the ghosts here are clean.
Prospect Hill B&B, Mountain City, TN: A visit here may reveal a glimpse of a shadow disappearing around the corner, the distinctive cry of a baby, firm leather shoes going up and down the stairs, or the unexplained shattering of bathroom glasses flying into the air. True to the Southern tradition, this friendly ghost loves to get into the bourbon, and reports of peanut butter cookies baking in the oven at all hours of the night also confirm its presence.
By The Side of The Road Bed and Breakfast, Harrisonburg, VA: When the innkeeper went to turn off the basement light, something grabbed her hand, yet nothing was there. Just about every day, footsteps are heard in hallways, and doors unexplainably open and close.
Black Horse Inn, Warrenton, VA: Four ghosts have been accounted for in this former Civil War hospital. The first is a woman believed to have been a nurse in the hospital, who is inclined to laugh only in gentlemen’s ears. She is believed to be comforting them with her soft, kind laughter just as she did the soldiers she tended. The second ghost is known to the whole community as “The Dancer” because the tap, tap of his shoes is heard throughout the night as he dances at the top of the stairs. Another male ghost inhabiting the Burgundy Room makes an impression on the comforter each time he sits on the bed. And the Ghost of Christmas has tipped over the Christmas tree — breaking all the ornaments — each year for the past three years. The tree is now wired to the corner of the room.
Elkhorn Inn & Theater, Landgraff, WV: A spirit the innkeepers playfully call “Molly” made her presence known often when the inn was first opened. Lights would suddenly come on, doors would mysteriously unlock, and one painting came off the wall each night after it was re-hung. Roofers were hired to fix the roof, and one of them saw a female spirit at his door. Tales are told of a woman who died in one of the offices of the building before it was converted to an inn. Is Molly still hanging around? They’re still trying to figure that out.
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