The Haunting of the Olde Pink House Restaurant & Tavern

Olde Pink House – Chatham County, Savannah, Georgia

Photograph ©Hotels-Rates.com

Address:
23 Abercorn Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401
(912) 232-4286

Originally constructed in 1771, the house on Abercorn Street was the creation of James Habersham Jr., a Revolutionary War hero who rose to the rank of "major." Crafted from red bricks covered in plaster, the house bore an unusual appearance as the brick's color bled through, resulting in a pink hue. James, disliking the pink color, would diligently paint the house white whenever the brickwork influenced the plaster.

Despite this color predicament, James and his wife raised three boys in the house, which has stood resilient for over two centuries. It has weathered significant historical events, including the great fire of 1820, the War of 1812, and emerged unscathed from the Civil War.

In the 1920s, a new owner embraced change, painting the house a pleasing shade of pink. Today, this historic mansion stands proudly as a five-star restaurant and tavern on Abercorn Street.

Legend has it that the Pink House is haunted by the ghost of James Habersham himself. Employees report frequent sightings of his apparition, particularly during the fall and winter months. Another friendly spirit, appearing as a Revolutionary War-era soldier, has been observed sitting at the bar, raising his drink to customers with a smile before vanishing.

The Pink House also hosts the ghost of a descendant of James Habersham, seen in solid form ordering a drink from the bar. This apparition reportedly walks down to the cemetery, disappearing into the Button family monument, where his body was laid to rest.

On the second floor, a female entity is said to haunt, her cries audible to patrons and employees alike. Additionally, the spectral presence of a former house servant lingers, along with the playful apparitions of slave children in the basement. These mischievous spirits engage in pranks like throwing dice against walls, striking bartenders with wine bottles, and locking people in restrooms.

Despite these eerie occurrences, patrons and employees regard the Old Pink House with affection, considering the friendly spirits as integral elements that contribute to the charm of this historic establishment. Reports of paranormal phenomena persist, adding an intriguing layer to the rich history of the Pink House.

The Haunting of the Dead President’s Pub

Dead President’s Pub – New Castle County, Wilmington, Delaware

Photographer Unknown

The buildings where the “Dead President’s Pub” resides is over two hundred years old. These buildings were originally private homes when they were built but then were made into one large building. The basement of the pub was, at one time, a family chapel and a large carving of Jesus that was found there is still there among all of the bubbly refreshments.

The building itself and its neighboring businesses seemed to have no troubles at all with spirits or paranormal happenings until the 1960’s. Back then, the building was occupied by another bar with rowdy customers and loud music. It was then that a regular patron of the bar, “Lemonade” Mullery, met his untimely end in the men’s restroom. Apparently, Mr. Mullery was extremely intoxicated and he swaggered up the stairs to the bathroom. Once inside, Mr. Mullery slipped and broke his neck, killing him instantly.

The Dead President’s Pub has resided here since 1997 and has experienced paranormal activities ever since. Apparently the specter is the most active after closing time, which is probably good for the businesses sake.

The unruly spirit has been said to make himself known by throwing dishes at the wait staff! Many waiters and waitresses have claimed to hear unexplainable, hysterical laughing coming from behind them, on the stairs or in the restrooms! Glasses in the bar are known to clink and rattle for no reason at all. Some have even claimed to see the dominoes from the game room, float across the room as if some unseen person were carrying them.


Address:
618 North Union Street
Wilmington, Delaware 19805
(302) 652-7737
Website

The Haunting of the Red Onion Saloon

The Red Onion Saloon – Skagway Hoonah Angoon County, Skagway, Alaska

Photograph ©Tara Long Lawner, 1999-2007

The Red Onion Saloon was originally constructed to be a bordello in 1898. Many of the apparitions that haunt the building were from that same era and came to Alaska during the gold rush. This period in time is riddled with shootings, accidents and incurable diseases. One such disease, diphtheria, had made its way into this Alaskan town during this period and killed many children.

Today, the second floor of the Red Onion is definitely haunted by restless spirits who are determined to make their presence known.

Guests and employees have made reports of footsteps going upstairs. No one lives upstairs and footsteps should not have been heard. One employee heard these footsteps, in addition to running and pounding noises coming from the second floor and called the police. When the police and the employee investigated, a shadowy figure was seen going down the hall and into one of the rooms. When they entered the same room, nothing was there.

Other reports of the second floor include; cold spots, the strong smell of a woman’s perfume that moves down the hallway and a shadowy apparition roaming around. Also, and this is kind of odd, it has been reported that someone, or rather, something, waters the plants on the second floor!

Address:
205 Broadway Avenue
Skagway, Alaska 99840
(907) 983-2414
Website

The Haunting of Lucas Tavern

Lucas Tavern – Montgomery County, Montgomery, Alabama

Photograph ©misescu1

Address:
310 N. Hull Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
(334) 240-4500

In the early 1820’s – 1840’s, the Lucas Tavern was considered to be a tasteful establishment where weary travelers could fill up on a good meal and sleep in a warm, comfortable bed.

The owner of the tavern, Eliza Lucas, enjoyed taking care of her guests and perhaps that is why she was so successful. Eliza and her children lived in the tavern and she worked hard in her business, as well as, taking care of her kids.

Sometime in the 1840’s the Lucas Tavern became a private, residential home for about 100 years. In the 1960’s the home was abandoned. In 1978 the Landmarks Foundation bought it and moved it into Old Alabama Town. The tavern was completely restored by 1980.

After the restorations were finished, Eliza’s apparition became very active! Eliza’s spirit is usually described as being about 5’3 and wearing an old fashioned Victorian-style dress.

Most visitors who see Eliza say she was smiling and waving from the tavern doorway as they passed by.

Eliza isn’t always so pleasant though, sometimes she lets people know when she feels their out of line! One afternoon there was a meeting in the tavern. All the attendees’ were seated in front of the fire place. One of the men was irritably trying to get his opinions across to the rest of the group when all of a sudden a big cloud of ashes and smoke discharged from the fireplace and covered the gentleman’s clothing in soot! Apparently Eliza didn’t like what the man was saying or maybe she just didn’t approve of his attitude!

On another occasion, two employees of the tavern were carrying on a conversation about how the Historical District operates and all of a sudden the door to the room slid up off of its hinges and landed with a loud thump onto the floor in front of them! I guess Eliza didn’t approve of their conversation!

In 1986, Eliza gave a photographer quite a show. He came to the tavern after it was closed and asked if he could take some photographs. After given permission, the photographer headed out behind the tavern to the old one room school house. When he entered he saw a woman looking out the window, dressed in outdated clothing. He assumed the woman was one of the tour guides dressed in costume. The man took several photos and then accidentally bumped a desk and startled the woman. She began to hurry away and he begged her to sit at the teacher’s desk so he could photograph her. She went to a portrait of George Washington and stood under it. She looked at the photographer, smiled and waved and then she floated right through the wall! When the man developed his film the pictures were blank except for a bright golden light that lay right in the spot were Eliza’s image should’ve been.

Eliza has also been known to materialize in front of visitors and employees alike. She is said to tidy up or mess up various rooms and occasionally rearrange things.

The Haunting of the Catfish Plantation Restaurant

Catfish Plantation Restaurant –Ellis County, Waxahachie, Texas

Photograph ©Shelia

Address:
814 Water Street
Waxahachie, Texas 75165
(972) 937-9468
Website

Waxahachie, the “Picture Perfect Town.” Well known for its beautiful scenery and homes, as well as, its historical buildings, this town has been the backdrop for such movies as “Bonnie and Clyde,” starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway and “Places in the Heart,” starring Sally Field. As a matter of fact, several movies and television shows have been filmed here. However, Hollywood’s finest are not the only visitors to this town. If you travel down to the west end of Water Street you might just find some visitors from beyond the grave residing in the infamous Catfish Plantation Restaurant.

A farmer named Anderson built this Gingerbread-Victorian style home in 1895. Later on the house was passed down to Mr. Anderson’s daughter, Elizabeth. In the early 1920’s, Elizabeth was found dead in the house, murdered by strangulation on her wedding day. Then, a decade later, during the Great Depression, a farmer named Will was residing in the house. Will also died inside of the home, due to unknown causes. Finally, in 1970, another resident named Caroline, died inside of the house at the age of 80, presumably from old age. These three deaths are believed to be the cause of the paranormal activity that still occurs today.

After the death of Caroline, the home on Water Street housed three restaurants and then sat vacant for several years until Tom and Melissa Baker purchased it in 1984, turning it into the famous Catfish Plantation Restaurant.

Since 1984, there have been uncountable occurrences reported by the owners, employees, patrons, news crews and paranormal investigators.

In 1984, after purchasing the home, Mrs. Baker commuted back and forth while the house was being renovated. One morning Mrs. Baker unlocked the door and walked in to find a pot of coffee already brewing when no other person had been in the house. On another occasion, just a few weeks later, Mrs. Baker came in to find her large iced teapot sitting on the kitchen floor with coffee cups stacked inside of it.

Employees of the Catfish Plantation have experienced coffee cups, wine glasses, cooking herbs and food being thrown through the air by unseen hands, as well as, dishes rattling for no reason, pounding on the walls and fast-moving cold spots! This kitchen menace is thought to be the spirit of Caroline, who apparently loved cooking and who doesn’t seem to appreciate the restaurant that now occupies “her” house.

The full-bodied apparition of Elizabeth made her presence known during a séance held in the house. During the séance the lit candle in the center of the table burst into an explosion of light. Then the door to the kitchen burst open revealing a woman in a wedding gown. The specter then floated into the room before disappearing before everyone’s eyes! The spirit of Elizabeth has also appeared several times in front of the bay window, gazing outside toward town. In addition to her appearance, Elizabeth’s spirit is usually accompanied by the scent of roes and icy cold spots.

Elizabeth is also thought to have followed one patron home one night. Apparently the customer had expressed sympathy for the spirit of Elizabeth. This poor woman was awakened at 11:30 at night to find the apparition standing at the foot of her bed. She claimed that Elizabeth was only visible from the waist up and that the restless spirit gave her an old-fashioned powder box in the shape of a lady.

The third spirit in the house, Will, has been seen standing on the front porch of the restaurant in bib overalls. Most of the people who have seen him say that when they tried to approach him, he quickly disappeared.

Some of the other paranormal claims here include; a broken clock that still occasionally chimes, doors unlocking themselves, lights going on and off on their own, water faucets unexplainably turning on and the refrigerator doors being opened and closed by unseen hands.

The haunting of the Catfish Plantation Restaurant has become an accepted part of the business for the Bakers. Today they have a sign at the entrance that reads: “If you have a ghostly experience, please tell us!”

As for the three restless spooks, they’re still there and still quite active!

The Haunting of King’s Tavern

King’s Tavern – Adams County, Natchez, Mississippi

Photograph ©Deep Fried Kudzu

Address:
619 Jefferson Street
Natchez, Mississippi 39120
(601) 446-8845


The King’s Tavern was built in the year of 1769 and is the oldest building standing in the town of Natchez. This tavern carries the look of most seventeenth century buildings; built with sun-dried bricks, beams that came from scrapped sailing ships originating from New Orleans and barge boards that came from flat river boats once they made their way down the Mississippi and were dismantled.

In 1789 a man named Richard King, bought the old house and moved his family into it. He named the building, The King’s Tavern, and turned it into an inn and tavern.

Mr. King’s business took off; catering to weary travelers, boatmen and sometimes outlaws. One of the outlaws to stay at the inn was “Big Harpe”, one of the infamous Harpe Brothers. Big Harpe while in a drunken rage, walked into another guests room and angrily took a crying infant from its mother. He then swung the baby by its ankles and slammed it into a wall, killing it instantly.

Another brutal murder to take place during this era was the murder of a young maid named Madeline. Apparently Madeline was hired by the King family as a server. Mr. King took a special liking to the young woman and carried on an affair with her. When Mrs. King found out about their secret, she, or someone she hired, killed Madeline and hid her body behind the bricks in the chimney wall, located in the main room of the tavern. The grisly discovery of Madeline’s remains was made in the 1930’s when a family purchased the home and began renovating. Also discovered in another chimney of the house was the remains of two men; the identities of these two men are a mystery. It was also during the times of these renovations that the paranormal activity began in the house.

Many people have claimed to see shadowy apparitions pass through staircases. The sounds of a baby crying have been heard coming from the attic area. Doors here have been witnessed to open and close on their own. Water faucets and lights turn on and off without any help from living hands. Jars have fallen off of shelves for no apparent reason. Water has actually been seen pouring from the ceiling area to the floor below, leaving no sign of a leak in the roof or the floor above. The chairs that are hanging on the wall are said to rock and move of their own accord. And perhaps the most odd report of all; the fire places are said to emit quite a bit of heat when no fire is burning in them!

The full-bodied, solid apparition of a young woman, believed to be that of Madeline, has appeared right in front of patrons and employees. Madeline is believed to be responsible for leaving footprints over freshly mopped floors in the inn. One employee had the shock of his life; while he was still mopping one of the rooms, a woman’s footprints began to appear on the wet floor and began heading straight for him!

The apparition of a man dressed in period clothing has also been seen wandering about the building. This man has also showed up in photographs taken by visitors standing near the fire place where the bodies of the two men were found, therefore, it is believed that he may be the restless spirit of one of these unfortunate men.

Some of the other, more aggressive happenings at the inn include: a sudden tightness or pressure in the neck, shoulders or chests and dishes being thrown at guests and staff members.

Today, the King’s Tavern still has many claims of the paranormal, as well as, sightings of apparitions.

The Haunting of the Middleton Tavern

Middleton Tavern – Anne Arundel County, Annapolis, Maryland

Photograph ©The Anne Arundel County Website

Originally built as a private residence, this Georgian-style structure has seen its share of businesses come and go. Today it is known as the Middleton Tavern and it houses a very large and very busy restaurant and bar, famous for serving up some of Annapolis’s best seafood. Here you will find elegant fireside dining, juicy shrimp, fantastic fried calamari, and…..ghosts? Yep, this seventeen-hundreds structure is also known for its many spectral patrons!

Haunting the first floor dining areas is the apparition of a former Revolutionary War soldier who has appeared numerous times at the first floor windows. This specter is known for throwing dishes and glasses across the room, one at a time. He has also been reported to knock over tables that were covered in dirty dishes; maybe the bus boys don’t move quickly enough for this spirited apparition!

Another entity to call the tavern home is a shadowy figure who has been spotted gliding quickly through the dining rooms. This awnry apparition likes to turn the wall lamps upside down and has often been reported to move tables and chairs.

Is the Middleton Tavern still experiencing paranormal activity? Oh yeah! If you pay a visit to this well-known establishment you may very well experience some of this activity first hand. And if the specters are quiet that night….well, at least you’ll fill up on Annapolis’s awesome seafood!

Address:
2 Market Space
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
(410) 263-3323
Website