SAVANNAH, GA -- Where the spirit is taking
travelers these days.is to the
supernatural.
Everywhere,
it seems, has ghastly.or is it ghostly.goings-on.
Nowhere is
this more evident than here, in this historic city
founded in 1733 that today has no less than 23 spirited tourist
attractions
that appeal to our things-that-go-bump in the night side.
Why Savannah?
"A local
retired history professor says Savannah is such a
beautiful city, if you were a ghost, you'd want to stay here, too,"
says
Jean Soderline, owner of Ghost Walk, Ghost Talk, the city's first
supernatural tour that opened in the early 1990s.
She has noted
that while such cities as St. Augustine, America's
oldest, and New Orleans, perhaps the nation's oddest, in recent
years have
added spirited tourist attractions, perhaps none has as many as
Savannah --
at least for a city its size.
Why is that?
One theory is that older cities have had a lot of time to acquire
ghosts.
Another, perhaps more plausible reason is that ghosts are spirits
who had
unfinished business when they went to the other side.
It was not time for them to leave, so they stuck around with
occasional
appearances. There was simply a lot of unfinished business
here.
There's also a theory that older cities with a lot of violence are
a good
prescription for ghostly appearances. But the trouble with this
theory is
that most older cities have violent pasts -- well,
perhaps Savannah is an
exception, at least compared to some other places.
"This is a very old town, and you have all kinds of a mix of
people. The
Celts were here, the Irish-Americans, African-Americans and even
voodoo. It'
s still practiced in some areas," says Pat Tuttle, whose company,
Hospitality Tours of Savannah, offers ghost and other jaunts.
Savannah was founded by General James Edward Oglethorpe, and is
known as
America's first planned city with a lot of shady public squares
and parks
designed to be town meeting places. Those peaceful events, however,
were
overshadowed over the years by such events as the Civil War.
Savannah, however, was mercifully spared by Union General William
Tecumseh
Sherman during his army's March to the Sea.
The story is that Sherman was so taken aback by the city's beauty
that he
left it untouched.
Whatever his motivation, he told Abraham Lincoln he was sparing
the city as
a personal Christmas present to the U. S. President.
That story may sound a little fishy as well, but the Ghost Walk
here is
typical of these types of supernatural tours.
While some ghost tours feature sailing ships or cemeteries, most
seem to
favor walking tours. This one lasts about 90 minutes. It's not
particularly
taxing for any able human (a walk of about one mile). And it's
typically
inexpensive, $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under.
And of course it's not offered until dusk ("Now they will know why
they fear
the night," says James Earle Jones, the heavy in the movie "Conan
the
Barbarian").
One of the ghostly tour stops is a historic Hampton Lilibridge
house that
was once owned by Jim Williams, the late convicted murderer who
starred in
John Berendt's best-selling book "Midnight in the Garden of Good
and Evil,"
played on screen by Kevin Spacey.
"There were so many strange things happening when Jim was re-doing
the house
in the 1960's," says Soderline. "Workmen were hearing screams and
noises and
footsteps and all kinds of things.
And no wonder.
While its gambrel roof and clean New England lines give it an
ordinary look,
this home near the sea has never been quite normal. It's rumored a
sailor
hung himself here back when it was a boarding house. In fact,
there were so
many stories about it that an exorcism was performed by a bishop
of the
Diocese of Savannah in the early 1960s.
In recent times, a series of families lived in the house. But
there are
things that happen there that are not common family conversation
topics. Not
only are there strange noises, but there is one sound perhaps
eeriest of
all.
The telephone rings. Repeatedly. Even when the phone is off the
hook.
This gives visitors a pause to ponder: are ghosts trying, unsuccessfully,
to contact the living?
Visitors here can stay at inns where they have at least a chance
of seeing
ghosts.
The Gastonian, circa 1868, has 17 rooms and is perhaps the most
famous of
all the city's B&B's, though it's also known for its ghost
stories.
One story is that people see a marmalade cat wandering around
acting like it
's the household cat. But there is no cat there.
Other stories here involve a woman who committed suicide in the
17Hundred90
Inn in room 204. She jumped to her death.inn-goers sometimes feel
people
pushing them or brushing by is it the woman reliving her death or
trying
simply to tuck in for a good night's sleep?
Even the Girl Scouts are not immune to ghostly happenings.
The Juliette Gordon Lowe Birthplace on East Oglethorpe Avenue is
the city's
first Registered National historic Landmark. Built in 1820, it was
the
birthplace of Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.
"When her father died, he said no one should mourn him because his
daughter
would be with him," says Soderline. Sure enough, on the day
Juliette died,
observers say a somberly-dressed man came to get her. They walked
away
hand-in-hand, the story goes.
Still another
story involves James Habersham, who was an English
loyalist at a time when his son supported the American Revolution.
The
father did not know about his son's clandestine meetings.
People visiting the Habersham home repeatedly report seeing a
figure walking
around the building, as if he is trying to catch his son attending
secret
meetings. Visitors often describe the man as wearing clothing of
the 1770s.
They often think he is a hired actor. But there is no actor.
At the Mary Telfair Art Museum, the oldest public museum in the
south,
art-lover Telfair turned her museum over to the city with some
stipulations.
No music, no alcohol.
Today, the museum is at times used for wedding receptions where
there is
music and alcohol is served. The owner must object because there
are
frequent reports of amplifiers that don't work and failed
electricity.
Bottles of alcohol regularly fall from tables and splinter into
shards for
no apparent reason.
Graveyards are always popular with ghosts. And in Savannah, some
of the best
stories are told at the Bonaventure Cemetery. The ghost of a small
girl,
Gracie Watkins, is buried here. People have heard her cry at
night. Visitors
often bring her gifts and leave them in the hands of a life-size
statue that
marks her grave.
If someone removes the presents, it's reported that her statue
cries
blood-like tears.
If that's not enough to keep the timid away, a pack of ghost dogs
are said
to haunt the grounds. Visitors have reported hearing them barking
and
breathing as they pursued them.
The cemetery was prominent in the "Midnight" movie. Bonaventure,
which means
good fortune, is the final resting place for many of its most
famous
residents, including Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Conrad Aikin and
song
lyricist Johnny Mercer.
One more mystery.
But there is no secret why this city of has become a highly
popular tourist
town drawing six million visitors in 2000.
It is first of all inviting at first glance. It is best viewed as
a very
livable, romantic city (the Berendt book also helped).
It has a unique layout with an abundance of square, parks and open
public
spaces.
In addition to its many historic buildings, the city also has some
of the
country's best hidden gardens with magnificent displays of Spanish
moss,
live oaks, magnolias and azaleas.
One of Savannah's most charming features has long been its B & Bs.
There are
more than 45 of them, ranging from two to 60 rooms and suites.
Most offer
great breakfasts and refreshing afternoon teas or wine service.
The many festivals and events are another reason that ghosts might
prefer to
hang around here rather than settle elsewhere.
Yearly events include garden expositions, tours of homes and
gardens,
musical events featuring jazz, blues, gospel and a melody of
unusual
selections, art shows, black heritage events and others.
Other things to do include a visit to the Savannah History Museum,
where
there are various audio-visual presentations, guided tours via
trolley or
bus, explorations of the historic district and homes, and
strolling through
the City Market and City Market Arts Center, which has more than
two dozen
artist shops, galleries and restaurants.
All that, and the people are friendly too.
When to go: One of the best times is March 17, when the second
largest
parade in the country brings in up to 400,000 people to observe
St. Patrick's Day.
There's a two-hour parade with 200 exhibits, including marching
bands,
floats, beauty queens and various Irishmen.
At that time, it's common to see green grits, green eggs and green
beer. And
even green hair.
It's no mystery why Savannah has long had a popular St. Pat's day.
Ever since 1620, when William Mullins and Christopher Martin came
to the New
World on the Mayflower, this has been a popular destination for
the Irish.
