The History & Hauntings of Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia

The land originally belonged to Colonel John Mullryne, who established Bonaventure Plantation around 1762. The plantation was named after the Italian phrase buona ventura, meaning “good fortune.”

In this same breath, I also want to highlight that the romanticized version of this history is not the only history. Despite being a cemetery now, this land was once a plantation, and with that, it grew and was built on the backs of enslaved people. These people were abused, killed, and tortured, and no amount of whitewashing will erase that pain and sorrow. 

While the famous residents of Bonaventure rest beneath named headstones, the enslaved people who built this land’s legacy remain nameless and unmarked. Their stories are lost to time, but the echoes of their presence may still linger. We honor those forgotten by history, and we tell them: we see you, and we wish you peace.

NOTABLE HAUNTINGS

The Spirit of the Washerwoman

The cemetery is located beside the Wilmington River. Visitors have reported seeing a woman near the riverbanks, bending over and washing something in the water. Many believe she may have been an enslaved woman, carrying out the same chores she once performed on the plantation.

In the early dawn hours, she appears, moving in slow, rhythmic motions as if washing clothes in a basin that can’t be seen. Some have reported the distinct smell of old lye soap or the soft sound of sloshing water as she works. She is often thought to be connected to the unmarked graves of enslaved people.

The Ghost of Gracie Watson

Gracie Watson was the daughter of hotel managers in Savannah. She was a very beloved little girl who was full of life. She would sing, dance, and bring happiness to everyone that she met. However, in 1889, Gracie died of pneumonia at the age of six. In her likeness, a marble stone was carved and rests above her grave.

Visitors of the cemetery can often hear a child giggle or see a little girl looking at them from behind trees. Others report that when they leave, they feel tugging on their clothes or even hear a little girl’s voice saying, “Don’t leave.”

Some say that Gracie’s statue cries tears sometimes, and if they leave her something on her grave, it is often moved. A few have witnessed it moving by itself on a day with no wind. If you touch Gracie’s fence surrounding her grave without permission, you can often feel coldness, a sharp shock, or overwhelming sadness, this is in effort to protect her space and peace.

In the 60s, someone broke the nose tip off of Gracie's statue. That person probably had loads of bad luck.

The Headless Soldier 

“If you hear footsteps and no one’s there, don’t look behind you, unless you want to meet the man who can’t look back.” — Local ghost tour guides

Near the crumbling Confederate soldier graves, draped in moss, there is a tale of an unknown, and headless, man haunting the cemetery. Nobody knows who this spirit is; his name was buried with his body after the Civil War. He wears a Confederate soldier’s uniform and marches up and down the area.

According to legend, he lost his head on the battlefield, and it could not be found to bury with his body. Others believe grave robbers took the poor soul’s crown.

There have been reports of boots stomping on gravel or leaves. His misty apparition can be seen during twilight hours, as if he is guarding the cemetery while on patrol. Others have reported seeing his headless spirit kneeling at certain gravesites, and if you approach him, he disappears. A sense of dread and cold, even on warm nights, can be felt in the Confederate gravestone area, as if you are being followed or watched.

The Weeping Woman (Woman in White)

Legend has it that in the 1800s, there was a bride-to-be, possibly named Ann, who was set to be married. However, her fiancé was tragically killed in the Civil War before they could wed. Mad with grief, she would visit his grave dressed in white, as they had planned for their wedding. Some stories say she took her own life at his gravesite, while others say it was simply a heart attack. After her death, caretakers reported seeing a woman in white kneeling at a grave, silently sobbing into her hands.

She can be seen during twilight hours, her gown fading into the morning mist as she walks around the cemetery, searching for her fiancé’s grave. A few have seen her lift her head and stare at them with hollowed black or glowing eyes before vanishing without a trace. Some visitors report feelings of grief and sorrow when they reach a certain area of the cemetery, and some say they can hear her whisper her fiancé’s name.

The Cemetery Keeper's Ghost

This spirit is thought to be the soul of a former caretaker of the cemetery. He spent most of his life walking the paths and tending to those who had departed. Sightings report the apparition wearing suspenders and a worn hat. He quietly walks through the early morning or twilight hours, looking over the gravestones carefully, as if he were the guardian of the cemetery.

The ghost is often seen carrying gardening tools, like a rake or shovel, on his rounds. Visitors frequently report hearing leaves crunching from soft footsteps or the sound of distant hammering. When he is near, a feeling of gentle protectiveness and safety tends to settle over those nearby.

However, there have also been stories of people who disrespected or vandalized graves and incurred the wrath of the caretaker. Some of them have reported having accidents or a terrible sense of dread that won’t go away after leaving. If you litter or shout loudly, a cold presence may follow you until you right the wrong. Some spirits don’t take kindly to people touching the wrought iron fences around their graves — and a few have reported being shocked or even thrown backward by an unseen force.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

When we parked at Bonaventure, we parked near the welcome center entrance, the old caretaker’s house. If you’re looking at the map, that’s the southwest parking lot. We immediately spotted tons of beautiful monuments, many of them marked with the Star of David. I gathered that we were in the Jewish section of the cemetery, which has been specially reserved.

In the middle of the rows of graves, there was a red building sitting quietly, the Jewish Chapel. It was closed off, with engraved tablets on each side of the interior wall. However, during our visit, there were random boxes, papers, and trash scattered inside. In my opinion, it looked a little disrespectful.

Nearby is a grave where the ashes of 344 victims of the Holocaust were laid to rest. Their memorials were covered in small stones. When you visit a grave, you place a stone out of respect. I placed one, too. Stones represent lasting memory and permanence.

After we left this area, we walked around the curved bend, admiring the mausoleums, their copper doors turned turquoise with age. They were beautiful and breathtaking. At one point, I found a weird glass piece on the ground that looked like it may have come from one of the mausoleum doors. Instead of taking it with me, and potentially getting haunted, I placed it gently on the memorial, just as I had done with the stone.

We looped past the American Legion Fold, cut through the middle of the cemetery to where the Tatnall family is buried, turned right at Plantation Square and hit Evergreen Circle. Eventually, we got tired and hungry, so we made our way back to the front. It’s a huge cemetery, and we couldn’t see it all in one day, which gives me the perfect excuse to go back.

In regard to my paranormal experience, I didn't physically see any spirits. It was in the daytime, but I felt them and just knew they were there. At certain graves, I would feel sadness and loneliness. I avoided touching certain monuments or fences that had buzzes of anger near it or just a general protectiveness of the territory. While walking the winding paths, I felt watched, but it wasn't scary or alarming. When my friend would go off to take a photo of something else, I still felt as though I were walking with something I couldn't see. Perhaps it was the old caretaker that haunts the grounds.