Town and Gown: Ghosts of Athens and the University of Georgia
by Melissa Davis
The roots of both Athens and the University of Georgia are inextricably linked.
According to Jim Miles in his book, Weird Georgia, land for the university was
purchased in 1801 by John Milledge, who would later serve the state as governor. The
land, on a hill overlooking Cedar Shoals on the Oconee River, was to house the state
supported university, and parcels of land adjacent to the campus were sold to private
interests. The town was incorporated as “Athens” in 1806 with a handful of residents,
faculty and students. Athens grew quickly into a regional center for trade and education
as well as a social center.
After the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves, Athens became a regional
center for the African-America community. A school, The Knox School, was created and
a prosperous African-American middle class emerged towards the end of the 19th
century. The entire city saw rapid growth throughout the 20th century, some of it tied
with the growth of the university. The city continues to expand with the university
which has brought a world class cultural experience to the region (Miles).
Alpha Gamma Delta House
(Thomas-Carithers House)
530 South Milledge Avenue
Built as a private home in 1896 and used as a
sorority house since 1939, this exuberant wedding-cake
like house is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. William Winstead
Thomas, a local engineer, built the house which was later bought by James Yancey
Carithers as a wedding gift for his daughter, Susie. William Bender explains in his
book, Haunted Atlanta and Beyond, that legend tells how Susie’s groom failed to show
up for the ceremony on time and the distraught woman hung herself in the attic. The
groom finally did show, having been delayed on the way to the nuptials, but Susie was
dead. Her spirit has been seen throughout the house when girls living in her old room
often become engaged, thus the suite’s name, “The Engagement Suite.”
Classic Center
300 North Thomas Street
Firehouse No. 1, now the Classic Center
When it was decided to build a performing arts center in
Athens, the original plans called for the demolition of the
warehouses and the old 1912 Firehouse Number 1 which were
standing on the site. However, local citizens fought to have the firehouse incorporated
in the design. The firehouse was remodeled and now serves as a box office for the
performing arts center that stands around it (Bender). Captain Hiram Peeler had had a
distinguished career as head of the Athens Fire Department when he plunged to his
death in an elevator shaft in 1928. It is believed to be his spirit that remains in the
firehouse. Reports of activity were reported in the building while it still served as a
firehouse. The activity continued through the building’s use as the Chamber of
Commerce and has continued while it serves as the Classic Center (Miles).
Morton Theatre
199 West Washington Street
Actors of this restored theatre have reported odd activity in
the dressing room. Sadly, that’s all the information I can find in
terms of the paranormal. The Morton Theatre was built by AfricanAmerican businessman Monroe Bowers “Pink” Morton starting in
1909. The theatre was one of the main anchors of “Hot Corner,” the intersection of
Washington and Hull Streets, which was the center of African-American life in Athens.
It opened as a vaudeville house for the black community and such names as Butterbeans
and Susie, Louie Armstrong and Cab Calloway appeared there. The building has since
been restored as a performing arts center for the community and is one of the few
remaining black vaudeville houses in the nation (Miles).
Oconee Hill Cemetery
297 Cemetery Street
When the main city cemetery (now known as
the Old Athens Cemetery) began sprawling close to
the campus and the homes of the university
president and professors, steps were taken to create a new cemetery nearby. Since its
opening in 1855, the university has sprawled close to the cemetery with massive Sanford
Stadium now looming across the street. The cemetery now hosts a number of
prominent Georgians including two governors, eight university presidents and at least
one ghost. The legend exists of a ghostly carriage appearing on the bridge between the
old and newer portions of the cemetery (Bender).
Old Athens Cemetery
Jackson Street
The original city cemetery before Oconee Hill
Cemetery was created; the cemetery was created around
1810. The last burial occurred in 1898, not long after
the university first tried to reclaim the land. This retrieval effort would be a struggle
that would continue through the 1980s. The cemetery was deeded back to school in
2004 and in 2006 a preservation program was instituted under the
university’s grounds department. Kathleen Wall mentions that the
ghost of a young girl has been seen in the cemetery. The location was
investigated by the Georgia Haunt Hunters team in 1998 and the team
discovered some temperature fluctuations (Bender).
Phi Kappa Psi House
398 South Milledge Avenue
In researching Athens, I kept coming across
locations that are mentioned as being haunted, but
there are few specifics given. This is one location
that is briefly mentioned. Daniel Barefoot
mentions in his book, Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and
Universities, that the brothers in this house have heard the crying of a baby. This Queen
Anne style home was built in 1890.
Phi Mu House
(Hamilton-Phinizy-Segrest House)
250 South Milledge Avenue
The legend of the Phi Mu House, according
to the sorority, concerns a young woman named
Anna Powell. Her husband shot himself, either
purposefully or accidentally at the bottom of the stairs. At times, it is said, a cross will
appear on the floor where this horrific incident took place. Anna’s spirit has been
encountered frequently by sisters in the house. Knocking and sobbing have been heard
in the house and one young woman had the door unlocked for her late one night by
unseen hands. The house was constructed by Colonel Thomas Hamilton, reportedly
Georgia’s first millionaire, and finished in 1858 by his widow, Sarah. It has served as a
sorority house since 1964 (Barefoot).
Taylor-Grady House
634 Prince Avenue
Built by Irish immigrant turned cotton
merchant and planter, Robert Taylor, in 1844, the
Taylor-Grady House was purchased by Major
William S. Grady in 1863, at the height of the Civil
War. Major Grady was killed in the Battle of Petersburg and his spirit is said to have
returned to his family’s home. Henry Grady, the major’s son, was a staunch advocate
for the “New South” as managing editor for the Atlanta Constitution and a famed orator.
As the only existing of Grady’s homes, the Taylor-Grady House was named a National
Historic Landmark in 1976 (Barefoot).
T. R. R. Cobb House
175 Hill Street
This 1842 home with octagonal wings faced
the wrecking ball in 1985. It was moved to Stone
Mountain Park, just outside of Atlanta, to be
restored as a part of the living history village there
(which also has some notable haunted structures). After languishing 20 years sitting
under plastic, the home was returned to Athens and restored. A ghost story from this
house was collected as part of the WPA Writers’ Project and recalls the spirit of “a
gentleman wearing a gay dressing gown” who is seen descending the stairs and sitting in
front of the fire in the drawing room (Barefoot).
Two priests living in house, during its time as a rectory for St. Stephens Catholic
Church, reported seeing a man in grey enter the library and stand by the fireplace. Since
the home’s restoration, the staff has reported odd sounds including disembodied
footsteps and laughter. Two pieces of furniture owned by Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb,
the home’s builder and a firebrand Confederate politician, have doors that refuse to stay
closed. They speculate that Cobb may still be looking for something (Bender).
University of Georgia Campus
Joe E. Brown Hall
This 1932 building, built as a dormitory, is
home to a staircase to nowhere. Legend states
that not long after the building was built, a
student hanged himself during Christmas break.
His decomposing body was found when students returned. Though the mess was
cleaned up, the blood stains were said to return. According to Daniel Barefoot, when the
building was remodeled for office space, the room was sealed and the staircase leading
to it blocked. In an article on campus legends from 2002 in the university newspaper,
The Red and Black, a photograph of the staircase to nowhere was published.
Supposedly, sounds of knocking still issue from the sealed room.
Lustrat House
Like many of the oldest campus buildings,
the Lustrat House has served a variety of
functions. Currently the office of Legal Affairs,
the building initially served as a residence for
professors. Towards the end of the 19th century, it was home to Dr. Charles Morris,
chair of the English Department. When the university decided to relocate the house in
1903, Dr. Morris attempted to assuage officials away from that plan. He refused to
move with the home. After his death, the family of Professor Joseph Lustrat began to
see Dr. Morris has surprisingly taken up residence, sitting in his favorite chair by the
fire (Barefoot).
Waddel Hall
The oldest building on campus still in its complete
form according to Daniel Barefoot, Waddel Hall was built in
1821 as Philosophical Hall. The sounds of a tragic lovers’
quarrel are still heard in this building that now houses the
university special events office. During World War I, a
young man left his female love who fell for another in his absence. When he returned,
he confronted his beloved and the quarrel ended in a murder suicide.
Works Cited
Barefoot, Daniel. Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities.
Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, 2004.
Bender, William N. Haunted Atlanta and Beyond. Toccoa: Currahee Books, 2005.
Hendricks, Bill. ""Ghost trackers look for proof of afterlife: Athens haunt club checks Georgia
sites." The Atlanta Journal and Constution 1 December 1998.
Miles, Jim. Weird Georgia. NYC: Sterling Publishers, 2006.