Haunted Reynolds Square

The History of Reynolds Square

Savannah’s handsome grid of squares was laid out by city founder James Oglethorpe in 1733-34, and Reynolds Square was the first new addition after the original four. Back then it was simply called Lower New Square. By the 1750s it was renamed in honor of Captain John Reynolds, Georgia’s fifth Royal Governor. The square’s history is rich and varied. In the early years, a massive building known as the Filature stood on one side – essentially a silk-winding factory built as part of Oglethorpe’s hope for a Georgia silk industry. Though the silk experiment failed, the Filature building had a moment of glory: in 1791, George Washington was reportedly feted here during his southern tour.

The square became a civic hub. In 1771 James Habersham, one of Savannah’s wealthiest merchants, built a grand brick mansion on the square’s corner (today known as the Olde Pink House). That home saw families, meetings, and the turmoil of the Revolution. Two centuries later, in 1913, a handsome stone hotel called Planters Inn (now with a rooftop patio) rose just across Abercorn Street from the square. In 1921 the opulent Lucas Theatre opened nearby, anchoring the square’s cultural scene. Through wars and fires, these sturdy buildings have survived. Even the 1864 Union occupation of Savannah touched the square; Union troops marched through as Sherman’s forces took the city.

One lasting symbol is the bronze statue of John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) at the square’s center. Although Wesley lived in Savannah in the 1730s, the statue wasn’t installed until 1969, placed on the spot where his house once stood. It depicts Wesley preaching with his hand raised toward heaven. Today visitors stand under that statue and feel the weight of nearly three centuries of Savannah life passing by. Through it all – meetings, epidemics, revelries – Reynolds Square has remained a quiet witness. Its history is so tangible that even the mossy oaks seem to hold stories within them.

Why Is Reynolds Square Considered Haunted?

Savannah has a long tradition of haunted squares, and Reynolds Square is often highlighted by ghost tour guides. The haunted reputation of Reynolds Square grew out of a mix of real history and chilling legend. The most famous tale involves disease and death: for generations Savannah suffered yellow fever and malaria outbreaks, and local lore claims that at least one makeshift hospital once stood near Reynolds Square. To stop contagion, it is said, fever victims were wrapped in sheets and burned right in the square’s center. Whether or not that actually happened, the story stuck. Today, tourists snapping pictures of the John Wesley statue sometimes see misty spots or orbs in their photos – which believers chalk up to the tortured souls of those incinerated patients.

Over the decades, storytellers and tour guides wove more threads. Guests at the nearby Olde Pink House tavern have reported phantom conversations or glasses clinking by themselves. Planters Inn employees say portraits get mysteriously straightened on their own. Passersby in the silent square at midnight claim they’ve heard faint footsteps and murmurs when no one was around. These reports are entirely anecdotal – Savannah’s historians don’t put them in official records – but they’ve been repeated enough in tours and books to make a local legend. In snippet form: local guides often say Reynolds Square feels different at night, as if unseen eyes watch you near the statue, and cameras capture the impossible. These stories, whether you take them literally or as spooky folklore, have cemented the idea that Reynolds Square is haunted.

The Ghost of James Habersham at the Olde Pink House: The grand pink mansion (built 1771 by Loyalist James Habersham) facing Reynolds Square is now a popular restaurant, but in ghost lore it’s a haunted tavern. The apparition of James Habersham Jr., wearing 18th-century colonial attire, is said to wander the dining rooms and basement bar. Patrons have told stories of chatting with a gentleman who suddenly disappears, leaving behind a whiff of old tobacco or a ripple in the candlelight. Staff members claim they’ve caught glimpses of a man straightening table settings late at night, or seen candles light themselves after being blown out. In the basement tavern, some servers feel gentle pats on the shoulder from empty air or hear soft footsteps along the wooden floor. These are blamed on the souls of the orphaned children who once lived and died on the property during Savannah’s epidemics. Eerie giggles from unseen children have been reported there, and it’s said those spirits delight in hiding keys or flipping over menus for a mischievous scare.

The Lady of the Planters Inn: On the opposite side of the square, the stately Planters Inn carries its own legend. Employees and guests have recounted odd encounters – like walking past a hallway mirror and seeing a pale woman in a long blue dress gliding down the corridor. Paintings and picture frames are found askew or perfectly straightened as if an invisible hand adjusted them. Some call this figure the “Lady in Blue.” A few frightened travelers say they felt a warm breath on their neck at night or heard a soft hum, only to find the hall empty. Old-timers note that, back in the day, this building may have once been a high-end bordello, and they wonder if the women of that illicit past still linger. One haunted tour even tells of guests waking up to find that a painting they hung crookedly had been set perfectly straight by morning, with no one in sight.

Strange Children and Whispering Servants: Many of the ghost stories at Reynolds Square involve spirits of the young and the bound. Along with Habersham’s ghost, the Olde Pink House is said to harbor the souls of enslaved children and servants who died from yellow fever. Staff members have heard tiny footfalls running down empty halls or felt the weight of a child on a lonely shoulder. Some guests report hearing a girl softly sobbing in the upper rooms when the square is otherwise silent. In the basement bar, one prankish spirit likes to lock bathroom doors without warning, an old trick some say is done “just for fun.” Nearby, at a small eatery off the square called B. Matthews, patrons have reported strange noises of back-alley shuffling and sudden cold gusts. Altogether, these tales of spectral children, whispering ladies, and attentive colonial ancestors paint a very active ghostly neighborhood around Reynolds Square.

Visiting Reynolds Square: What to Expect

By day, Reynolds Square is a charming urban park where visitors admire its stately oak trees and historic facades. Tour groups linger by plaques, families picnic on benches, and servers from nearby cafes set up sidewalk tables. In daylight you’ll easily notice the pale pink stucco of the Habersham House and the engraved plaque on the Wesley statue. The area is lively: the Olde Pink House fills with lunch patrons, and the Lucas Theatre marquee flashes current shows.

As evening falls, however, the atmosphere shifts. Streetlamps glow through the moss, crowds thin out, and a hush can descend. Many find the square considerably spookier at night – which is precisely when Savannah ghost tours often begin their stroll. For a photographer, twilight or early evening is magical: the amber light brings out textures in the brick and ironwork. Use a tripod for crisp shots, and try long exposures if you’re chasing orbs (some say they appear in slow-shutter photos around the statue). Be aware of your surroundings, though – even friendly tour groups can surprise you.

Accessibility is straightforward: Reynolds Square is flat and paved, with sidewalks all around. It’s safe and open after dark (though as with any city, stay in groups if you’re alone at night). There’s no official parking lot at the square itself, but street parking is available nearby, and several public parking garages are within a few blocks (for example, off Lincoln Street or near City Market). Many visitors simply park once and walk through multiple squares. Downtown Savannah is very walkable. Taxis, rideshares, and the DOT’s free downtown shuttles also serve the area.

If you’re interested in guided experiences, this square is a hub. You’ll often see guided ghost tours in Savannah gathering here. Whether you join a tour or explore solo, plan to circle around the square’s four corners. On the southwest corner you have the famous Pink House, across Abercorn is Planters Inn (their roof deck is popular by day), and just northeast is the Lucas Theatre building. All these spots are great photo ops or meeting points for tours.

Finally, remember to mingle with the living, too: Reynolds Square’s setting is surrounded by restaurants, cafes, and shops. After dark you might duck into the Olde Pink House for a cocktail, or grab a treat from legendary Leopold’s Ice Cream (around the corner). Local guides often suggest finishing a ghostly walk with dinner in the square so you can say you sampled both Savannah’s history and its hospitality on the same evening.

Things to Do Near Reynolds Square

• Olde Pink House Restaurant & Tavern: Step right outside the square and you’re at this historic 18th-century mansion. Enjoy Lowcountry cuisine upstairs or a drink by the fireplace in the candlelit tavern, all famously haunted.
• Lucas Theatre for the Arts: On the north side of the square, this 1921 movie palace now screens films and concerts. The neon marquee is a classic photo spot.
• City Market: Two blocks east on Barnard Street, City Market offers shops, galleries, and restaurants in a pedestrian-friendly block. It’s lively both day and night.
• River Street & Savannah River: A few blocks farther east, the cobblestone River Street waterfront has boutiques and riverboat cruises – a great compliment after a historic square tour.
• Colonial Park Cemetery: Just one block south, this old cemetery (dating to the 1750s) is full of historical grave markers and local legends of duels and ghost sightings. Guided evening cemetery tours often depart from here.

Is Reynolds Square Worth Visiting?

Absolutely. Visiting Reynolds Square is an atmospheric journey through Savannah’s soul. By day it is a peaceful historic park; by night it is charged with stories of the past. Even if you’re skeptical about ghosts, the square offers an emotional blend of beauty and melancholy that most modern places lack. As you linger under the oak canopy or beside John Wesley’s statue, you feel the weight of centuries – wealthy Loyalists, poor fever victims, soldiers, slaves, and newspapermen have all had a stake in this ground. The haunted tales are just the icing on the cake; even without supernatural evidence, the square’s history is fascinating. The conclusion that many visitors draw is that Reynolds Square ranks among Savannah’s best haunted places precisely because it feels so lived-in and layered. Ghosts or no ghosts, you will leave with the shivers of an unforgettable evening and a deep appreciation for why this gentle Southern square holds such a formidable place in Savannah’s haunted history.

Frequently Asked Questions About Reynolds Square