Forsyth Park Might Just Be The Most Haunted Park In Georgia
By Lisa Sammons|Published January 24, 2023
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Lisa Sammons
Author
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
Savannah’s Forsyth Park is one of the most-visited and majestic parks in Georgia. The Hostess City is filled with history, and with that history comes legends of ghosts and spirits lurking in just about every corner. Many of those corners just so happen to be located right around beautiful Forsyth Park. The 30-acre park sprawls across downtown, providing a recreational haven for Frisbee players and dog walkers, and a stunning subject for photographers. But could it also be a home for ghosts? You be the judge.
Forsyth Park is absolutely magnificent. The fountain at the northern edge of the park is one of the most-photographed places in Georgia.
The fountain was installed in 1858 and, believe it or not, was actually ordered out of a catalogue. The paved path leading to the famous fountain is lined with century-old oaks, draped in Spanish moss.
The park is an exquisite example of a municipal green space and seems perfectly peaceful at first glance. However, when you start looking into the history of many of the surrounding buildings, it's not hard that the park itself could be haunted as well.
If you believe the rumors, the inn is haunted by a teenage girl named Lottie Churchill. Lottie once lived here with her uncle and aunt, who took her in and raised her and, later, her sister as well. One day, she believed she discovered her sister was having a romantic affair with her uncle. Angered and worried the family would fall apart, she poisoned her sister, only to find out later that her "sister" was actually her birth mother. Traumatized by the realization she had killed her mother, she went insane and was committed to a mental institution. Allegedly, her ghost appears to guests of the inn as she looked as a young girl.
Another hotel overlooking the park is the Mansion on Forsyth Park. This independent hotel was originally a private residence owned by Lewis Kayton and then served as a funeral home for over five decades.
Mansion on Forsyth Park, 700 Drayton St, Savannah, GA 31401, USA
It doesn't take much of a stretch to feel like a funeral home-turned-hotel could probably have spirits lurking nearby!
As if this area needed any more haunted buildings, the Old Candler Hospital overlooks the park. This was one of the most haunted places in Georgia. The building has been heavily renovated over the last few years and now is the Savannah College of Art and Design's admissions center.
Old Candler HOSPITAL SAVANNAH, 5353 Reynolds St, Savannah, GA 31401, USA
Stories of the building's creepiness live on. A hidden tunnel ran from the hospital to the park. This was used to transport dead bodies out of the hospital for burial. It proved especially useful during the yellow fever epidemics of the 1870s. Over 1,000 residents died in the 1876 epidemic, over 6% of the city's population.
Whether you believe in the supernatural and want to hunt for ghosts or just want to enjoy a breath of fresh air while admiring all the historical buildings, time spent in Forsyth Park is always a delight.