
The Eliza Thompson House | Ghosts of Savannah
Posted: 10.28.2024 | Updated: 10.28.2024
As Georgia’s oldest city, Savannah can lay claim to some of the nation’s richest history and most well-preserved period architecture. One such precious stone is the Eliza Thompson House. This historic boutique hotel has been drawing visitors to its gorgeously set location since the 19th century.
Many would associate Savannah, Georgia, with the southern elegance of a bygone age. Cavalry, cannon, and the opulent warm hospitality of a southern locale. The Savannah of today offers all this and more, with a surprise or two tucked away for visitors to discover.
However, not all visitors to this exquisite lodging are merely in search of bathing in the luxury of the surroundings. The coastal city can lay claim to another impressive point of note: Savannah is often called America’s most paranormal city. The Eliza Thompson House may very well support this. Find out more about haunted Savannah on a walking ghost tour with Savannah Terrors!
Who Haunts The Eliza Thompson House?
Since its construction in the mid-19th century, the Eliza Thompson House has witnessed the horrors of the Civil War. It is one of the most haunted locations in Savannah, a city with an abundance of spooky tales and infamous spirits. The Eliza Thompson House is full of spectral war veterans, ghostly children, and mysterious shadowy women.
History of The Eliza Thompson House
In 1847, Joseph Thompson built the charming building. It was the third home he built for his wife, Eliza, and their seven children. However, he could scarcely imagine that nearly two centuries later, people would flock from around the world to spend time in this Georgian abode.
The structure is perched on the worn cobblestones of Jones Street in the city’s downtown area. It was the first home erected on the celebrated street, which is famed for its dazzling beauty. The Thompson house’s striking appearance captivates today as much as it did when it first gleamed in the Savannah sunshine.
Thompson was a member of the Georgia Hussars (the Georgian National Guard), a cotton trader and developer. He also served on the board of several banks. Joseph Thompson was also involved in the construction of several homes in the area.
Joseph passed away at the age of 57, a mere eight years after the construction of the house. But Eliza, no stranger to grief, was made of sterner stuff and remained an independent woman throughout.
Both her sons had met an untimely demise. Joseph died at age nine after a fever outbreak, while his brother James died in 1861 after being kicked in the stomach by a horse. He took his final breath inside the Thompson house.
Eliza passed away in 1875 at the age of 71. Two of her daughters remained in the storied home until the 1920s. The house was sold to a doctor who doubled the property as both his residence and practice. The home changed hands once again in the 1950s. It served as a home to a Savannah dentist before finally being repurposed as an Inn in 1978.
Savannah Ghost Stories
During Union General William Tecumseh’s Civil War ‘March To The Sea, ’ Savannah was promptly offered to President Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas present in 1864.

For every victory, however, there is the vanquished. From the lingering bitterness and pain of both the Civil War and the Slave Trade, many spooky tales of anguished figures were born.
The Hamilton Turner Inn does its best imitation of The Overlook Hotel from Stanley Kubrick’s classic ‘The Shining.’ At night, eerie children’s voices are heard throughout the hotel. At the same time, billiard balls are seen rolling around of their own accord on the upper floor. Most shockingly, a strange and shadowy cigar-smoking figure has been sighted on the building’s roof.
The Marshall House Hotel has the distinction of serving as a Civil War hospital for Union Soldiers and again served this purpose for victims of a 19th century Yellow Fever outbreak. The ghostly figures of soldiers and patients from the past have been sighted in the corridors by visitors long after these shadowy souls have left our world. Today, the aptly named Pirates House is a much-loved city restaurant.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, however, the establishment was an oft-frequented watering hole and stopover for weary sailors who had come ashore. The basement is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of poor souls who would enter the dark room to access a tunnel that leads to the Savannah River.
This dark dwelling was an infamous spot for kidnapping, and many a sailor would enter here and never be seen again.
Of course, there is the heartache and romance of The Eliza Thompson House, which tells a spooky tale of its own.
The Thompson House Ghosts
The Eliza Thompson House positively exudes a warm charm that has seen the historic inn voted as one of America’s most romantic destinations. One must remember that in Savannah, ghosts and tales of haunting hang in the air as ever-present as the Spanish Moss.
Visitors to the inn have been shocked to catch fleeting glimpses of a Civil War soldier dressed in military garb of the time. He stares longingly from a window at the cobbled streets below.
Joseph and Eliza’s son, James Thompson, died tragically after being struck by a horse after the Civil War. Some believe James never really left the home. The unearthly apparition of a woman dressed in white has also been seen within the property on occasion. Sparking suspicion that members of the Thompson family may reside within the confines of their old home to this very day.

Easily, the most spine-chilling of tales from the Eliza Thompson House is that of the playful child. Some have been left completely aghast and frozen stiff to be woken in the night by the sensation of their blanket being moved from their feet. The heart-stopping sight of a child climbing upon their bed requesting that they come out to play.
The identity of the spectral youngster remains unclear. Perhaps young Joseph Thompson, who was taken by fever at the age of nine, still returns to his home. Unwittingly, albeit playfully, he terrifies those he finds sleeping in his former home.
Haunted Savannah
Savannah is famed for its charm, beauty, and elegance, which hark back to a far different age. That age, however, was one of conflict, the burgeoning New World, and the infamous Atlantic Slave Trade. All the hallmarks of Savannah’s glorious aesthetic can still be seen today as you wander one of the city’s pristine parks or its rustic downtown walkways. Savannah’s unofficial title as ‘the most haunted city in America’ means it may be far more than just the elegance and charm that you see.
Enjoy both the grandeur and maybe even something ghostly by booking a Savannah ghost tour with Savannah Terrors.
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Sources:
https://genteelandbard.com/savannah-ghost-stories/2022/11/21/the-haunted-eliza-thompson-house
https://visitsavannah.com/list/the-5-most-haunted-places-savannah-that-you-can-actually-visit
https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/savannah/the-tale-behind-the-haunted-pirates-house
Book A Savannah Terrors Tour And See For Yourself
Walk the spirit-filled streets of Savannah on a spooky ghost tour of one of the nation’s most haunted cities.
Join Savannah Terrors for a terrifying look into the city’s dark past filled with stories of war, destruction, and the ghosts that stalk the darkest corners of this charming city.