Augusta is probably one of the most historic cities in Georgia, so it is no surprise that it is full of strange tales and ghost stories! These range from heartbroken ghost brides and hanged soldiers to cursed landmarks and everything in between!
Join us as we explore some of the most haunted places in Augusta GA.
7 - Sibley Mill
In the 1800s, Augusta was something of an industrial center largely thanks to the canal which was built in 1845. During the Civil War the most important industry was Powder Works, but when the canal was expanded in the 1870s, the old Powder Works was pulled down – aside for the 153-foot tall obelisk chimney which was retained as a memorial to the Confederate dead.
The Sibley Mill was built on the site of the Powder Works and it is one of just two late 19th Century textile mills that are still in operation on Augusta Canal. It also happens to be one of the most haunted locations in Augusta GA.
The story states that in the early 1900s there were women working side by side with the men on the weaving machines and one of the women known as Maude Williams had an illicit affair with a married co-worker named Arthur Glover.
On October 20, 1906, Glover apparently came barging into the mill and shot Maude. He later confessed that this was because she had put an end to the relationship.
The mill is said to have been haunted ever since and employees frequently report seeing Maude in the weaving room.
Some new employees who are unaware of the haunting have even been known to talk to her and are then baffled when she vanished before their very eyes.
6 - Wyllys Mausoleum
One of the strangest tales coming out of Augusta GA is the story of Wylly Barron, or more accurately his mausoleum. Wylly was a renowned gambler who was known to be very superstitious.
During one of his gambling sessions in the 1860s, he won a hand and the furious loser place a curse upon him. He told Wylly that when he died he would not even have a grave to shelter him.
This terrified Wylly, what with him being so superstitious this threat terrified the man and although he continued with the gambling he also started to donate large sums to a number of charities in an attempt to garner favor with the Lord when his time came!
He also spent some of his money on a mausoleum in Augusta’s oldest cemetery – The Magnolia Cemetery. On his death, Wylly left demands that his body should be sealed within this mausoleum and the key should immediately be thrown into the Savannah River to ensure that he truly had a resting place despite the curse!
His tomb is still there in Magnolia Cemetery and is likely the only mausoleum you will ever come across that has no door and no keyhole! Wylly was serious about his corpse staying put!
Visitors to the cemetery have sometimes claimed that they can hear noises inside the tomb, but given that it is sealed up tight, it seems highly unlikely that there are any animals inside! Could this by Wylly trying to get out?
5 - Augusta State University
Augusta State University has long been considered one of the most haunted buildings in Augusta GA thanks to the presence of several spirits.
One of the most well-known spooks said to be haunting the University is the spirit of Emily Galt, a lady who died around 140 years ago when she chose to join her dead fiancé in the afterlife by jumping to her death from a window in Bellevue Hall.
You can still see the names of Emily and her little sister Lucy etched into the window pane along with the date – 1861. Apparently, the girls used Emily’s engagement ring to make their mark.
Witnesses say that it is often possible to hear what sounds like a couple arguing, presumably because Emily did not want her love to head off to fight in the war and he felt it was his duty to do so.
Other activity in the hall includes the television turning on by itself and the phones in the building behaving rather oddly. There are also some spooky tales linked to Benet House which currently houses the university’s admissions office.
Reports of paranormal activity include a gray figure that flashes quickly past doorways, phantom footsteps, and a chair that rocks by itself!
There are also stories of the ghost of a Confederate soldier dressed in a long gray coat and yellow sash walking among the graves at Walker Cemetery.
The hauntings are all said to stem from the fact that the college campus was once the site of a number of Civil War-era homes and a military arsenal.
4 - Rosemary Hall
Rosemary Hall was built around 1902 and is said to be home to a resident ghost who watches over the inn. The spirit is thought to be Mrs. Jackson, the wife of the original owner of Rosemary Hall, a Mr. James U Jackson.
Mrs. Jackson is most often spotted in Room number 205, although she has also been seen walking up and down the main staircase of the inn.
Guests have reported a number of strange, unexplained things happening in the property including objects disappearing only to turn up somewhere completely different, hearing phantom footsteps and televisions turning on and off by themselves.
3 - Ezekiel Harris House
The Ezekiel Harris House is thought to be one of the most haunted places in Augusta GA thanks to at least two different ghosts who call this house home.
The first is believed to be the ghost of a soldier who was hanged from the stairwell of the house during the Revolutionary War. Visitors have described hearing the creaking sounds of someone swinging from a taut rope.
The soldier’s apparition has also been seen from time to time and some guests have reported feeling as though a rope is tightening around their throat when they visit the Ezekiel Harris House.
The second apparition that has been seen is a female spirit, but nobody is quite sure who she actually is.
2 – The Cursed Pillar
Some cities are famous for their haunted houses, but one of the most haunted locations in Augusta GA is actually a pillar. Yes, you read that correctly – Augusta has its very own cursed pillar.
The ten-foot tall brick pillar is encased in a cement shell and it is the last remaining piece of the farmer’s market that was here in the 1800s. According to the legend associated with it, the pillar was cursed by a street preacher after he was forbidden from preaching outside of the market.
He was so angry that he swore a curse on the market, insisting that it would be raised to the ground leaving only a single pillar standing and nobody should ever touch it. Nobody took the threat all that seriously, but sure enough just a few weeks later a tornado ripped through Augusta and destroyed the market – all except for one single column!
It is now said that anyone who touches it, or worse – try to remove it, will face an untimely death. However, that certainly does nothing to deter tourists from having their photographs taken with it.
Some of those same tourists say that they have seen strange faces in the photographs taken there.
1 - The Partridge InnSTAY HERE
The Partridge Inn has been operating in Augusta GA for over a century and they pride themselves on offering guest the ultimate in comfort and service. It is a hotel that has historic appeal as well as luxury features, but it is also one of the most haunted hotels in Augusta GA thanks to the presence of a heartbroken bride by the name of Emily.
Those who have seen Emily, who died around 100 years ago, have described her as a beautiful young woman with long chestnut coloured hair and wearing her wedding gown.
The story regarding Emily suggests that she was getting ready for her wedding when she was notified that her groom had been killed.
The circumstances of his death were very tragic. He was riding into town for the wedding ceremony when he was mistaken for a soldier who was wanted for treason and was shot on sight.
Emily was understandably devastated and apparently kept the wedding dress on for several weeks and eventually died, some say of a broken heart.
Staff and guests alike have reported seeing Emily, still in her wedding gown in the corridors and the hotel rooms.