Sarah Ashley - Haunted Georgia: Ghost Stories and Paranormal Activity from the State of Georgia (Haunted States Series)

Ghost Stories and Paranormal Activity fromthe State of Georgia

#1 in the Haunted States Series

~~~

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

D & D Publishing

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Ifyoure reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard workof this author.

Table of Contents

Legal Information

The content provided in this eBook is for thepersonal use of the buyer only. You do not have permission todistribute, re-sell, trade or barter, or give away this eBookwithout the expressed written consent of the author/publisher.Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensurethat the information in this book was correct at press time, theauthor and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim anyliability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption causedby errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resultfrom negligence, accident, or any other cause.

The state of Georgia is one of the oldest inthe United States. Nicknamed the Peach State, Georgia is notonly sweet and beautiful, but is wreathed in history and tradition,with a culture of its own. Georgia was officially established in1732, and holds the distinction of being one of the original sevenConfederate states of America at the advent of the Civil War (in1861).

Georgias climate (tucked between SouthCarolina to its northeast, Alabama on its west and Florida to thesouth), offers semi-tropical and nearly year round warm weather, ifnot a little muggy for those used to drier climates. The northernpart of Georgia offers the Blue Ridge Mountains, while itssoutheastern borders provide miles of gorgeous seacoast along theAtlantic Ocean.

Georgia is home to numerous battles foughtduring the Civil War, as well as Indian battles, skirmishes andnight raids. The state is also home to Savannah, one of the UnitedStates oldest cities. Because of its age, its history, and itssometimes tragic experiences, it's natural that Georgia offersplenty of ghosts and haunts to see. From the Pirates' House and theMoon River Brewing Co. in Savannah, to the Masquerade nightclub inAtlanta, to Berry College in Rome, Georgia is a fascinating state;a state that offers visitors plenty to see, do and experience.

From the city of Acworth to the town of YoungHarris, Georgia is apparently the home of many spirits who have notyet "crossed over" be it willingly or unwillingly, and live amongus - watching, waiting, and sometimes, even planning pranks or moremalevolent activities.

Join us for a glimpse into some of the mostpopular (and some not so common) haunted sites throughout Georgia.Of course, our stories are just the tip of the iceberg. Savannah,Georgia has a reputation of being one of the most haunted cities inthe country, and most inhabitants of Georgia know that nearly everymansion, museum, historical hotel, and even home throughout Georgiaexperiences a few unexpected - and unwanted - guests.

Savannah, one of the United States oldestcities, is home to numerous tales of hauntings, spiritual andparanormal activity. Any visit to Savannah offers visitors aplethora of haunted ghost tours, locations and sites to see andexperience. Residents of Savannah seem to take the ghosts andspirits in stride, but even so, some of them have been scared atime or two. The following are just a handful of the most notablehaunted sites in this charming, beautiful and very active city.

The Pirates' House

Location:

20 East Broad Street

Savannah, Georgia 31401

The Pirates' House isnt really a house, perse, but a popular tavern and restaurant. The House was originallybuilt in 1753, and is located slightly to the east of downtownSavannah. Originally, the property was intended to support abotanical garden, and a small house was built on the property in1734 for the gardener. At the time, the small building was calledthe Herb House, and located within a stone's throw of the SavannahRiver. The former Herb House is believed to be one of the oldesthome structures in the entire state.

By the middle of the 1750s, the idea of abotanical garden fell by the wayside, as Savannah became betterknown as a port town. In 1754, the Herb House became a convenienttavern and inn for sailors, and town leaders thought it was a goodtime to re-christen the new inn. They renamed the formerly docilebuilding The Pirates' House Inn. New construction was added to theoriginal Herb House, which increased the size. Naturally, somepirates did stay there, and the place had a reputation, much likemost dockside or harbor front bars, taverns and houses. They becameknown as red light districts around the world.

Before long, the Pirates' House garnished arather fearful, yet intriguing, reputation. At times, pirates andsailors went in, but didn't come out. Yes, the Pirates' Housebecame known as a prime location for a practice called Shanghaiing,where captains of ships ready to set sail preyed on drunkensailors. The sailors were kidnapped, knocked out or otherwiserendered unconscious, only to find themselves chained underground;handy slaves for needy captains of outbound ships. The Pirates'House offered numerous underground tunnels that meandered their waybeneath the streets of Savannah, home to the worst of the worst ofsociety.

In addition to its reputation of spirits, thePirates' House today also hosts a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater,one of the most popular in the South. The Pirates' House is amonument to Savannah's past, and an unexpected guest or two duringtheir visit to the tavern should not surprise visitors to one ofthe oldest buildings in the state.

Guests dining in the Captain's Room may seeoriginal woodwork, flooring, and construction from the 1700-eratunnel mentioned earlier. The tunnel is believed to run frombeneath the old rum seller (beneath the Captain's room) to theriver. Naturally, as one of the oldest and historic locations inGeorgia, the Pirates' House comes with its rumors of ghosts andparanormal activity. While the exterior of the building may lookquaint, old and relatively harmless by day, the twisted trees,creaking floorboards, and slightly off kilter rooms can seemsomewhat intimidating and overwhelming at night.

The Pirates' House of today contains 15rooms, each with a different feeling and ambience. One of the mostinteresting stories regarding the Pirates' House is that pirateCaptain Flint is believed to haunt numerous rooms throughout therestaurant. Another famous guest who often stayed at the Pirates'House was Jean Lafitte, a French privateer, who comes to enjoy agood bite of food and plenty of drink.

Rumor has it that Robert Louis Stevenson,author of Treasure Island and other classics, was inspiredto write Treasure Island because of the Pirates' House, basing hischaracters on the pirates, seafarers and other characters that cameto visit. While Stevenson's character in Treasure Island, CaptainFlint, is fictional, it is believed that his character was mostsurely based on a pirate who regularly stayed over at the Pirates'House when not at sea. It is further believed that he plannednumerous (and nefarious) activities, kidnappings, and othergoings-on.