The city of Savannah created Franklin Ward in 1791, naming it for Benjamin Franklin, on land that was part of the city’s West Common. It was here in 1820, that one of Savannah’s most infamous fires began in a livery stable near Franklin Square. The fire destroyed around 500 buildings and is considered the worst conflagration in the city’s history.
In 1853, a water tower was located on Franklin Square that was eventually replaced by a large tank. In 1935, when US 17 was routed down Montgomery Street, Franklin Square was not spared as the street barreled directly through it. Only after the highway was rerouted around the historic district was the square restored. Now, under the shade of oak trees, the square features a monument honoring Haitians who fought under Casimir Pulaski during the siege of Savannah in the American Revolution.
Sources
- Franklin Square (Savannah, Georgia). Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 5 September 2025.
- Williams, Robin B., David Gobel, Patrick Haughey, Daves Rossell, and Karl Schuler. “Franklin Ward.” SAH Archipedia.
Garibaldi Savannah (315 West Congress Street) – Originally constructed for the Germania Fire Company, this elegant 1871 building now houses an equally elegant restaurant. Architectural historian Jonathan Stalcup reports that a large Neoclassical ballroom is behind the Palladian windows on the second floor.
During renovations a server regularly heard footsteps on the second floor when no one was up there. One evening she went out with a friend, and they decided to return to the restaurant to check on a friend who was working. The restaurant was closed by the time they arrived, though looking through a window they spied a woman walking down a hallway. Thinking it to be their friend, they tapped on the window to no avail. They phoned their friend only to discover that she was already home and that the restaurant had closed early after a slow night.
Sources
- Caskey, James. Haunted Savannah: The Official Guidebook to Savannah Haunted History Tour, 2008. Savannah, GA: Bonaventure Books, 2008.
- Stalcup, Jonathan E. Savannah Architectural Tours. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2008.
The Rail Pub (405 West Congress Street) – In 2010, The Rail Pub brought Northeast Florida Paranormal Investigations in to investigate this 1870 building. Investigators walked away having experienced the odor of perfume and flickering lights.
Sources
- “About.” The Rail Pub. Accessed 4 September 2025.
Congress Street Social Club (formerly B & B Billiards) (411 West Congress Street) – Partially hidden behind a beer garden, this large commercial building is believed to have been constructed in 1860, though James Caskey writes that it may be older, or at least built on a much older foundation. Over the more than 150 years this building has been standing, it has seen a variety of uses including a warehouse, grocery store, carriage shop, and even a rumored shooting range.
The first ghost stories emerged from this building after B & B Billiards opened around 2001. Staff regularly saw a man “sitting at the bar, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a tan shirt and pants, and boots,” who disappeared when he was approached. Both staff and patrons had experiences throughout the building, but especially in the ladies room. While cleaning the restroom, one staff member was shocked to see the toilet paper roll quickly unspooling itself.
Investigator Ryan Dunn explored the building with his paranormal team and collected some Class-A EVPs, including several from the infamous ladies room. One EVP caught the sound of a woman groaning, while another captured a man’s voice asking for help. While the team captured scant evidence, much of it was high quality.
Sources
- Caskey, James. Haunted Savannah: The Official Guidebook to Savannah Haunted History Tour, 2008. Savannah, GA: Bonaventure Books, 2008.
- Dunn, Ryan. Savannah’s Afterlife II: More True Tales of a Paranormal Investigator. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2018.
Corleone’s Trattoria (44 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) – According to writer and investigator Tobias McGriff, this Italian eatery has a haunted basement.
Sources
- McGriff, Tobias. Savannah Shadows: Tales from the Midnight Zombie Tour. Savannah, GA: Blue Orb Publishing, 2012.