31 Days of Spook – 17 Hundred 90 Inn and Tavern

Today mom and dad helped me by reminding me of a story at their true love – Savannah, Georgia.  One of the must things to do in Savannah if you have never done it is to take a stroll through downtown at night on a haunted ghost tour.  There are walking tours, horse and buggy tours or even a hearse tour if you dare.

Many moons ago, mom/dad went with my mom’s sister and her daughter, my little niece Savannah.  Nice name huh?  Savannah must have been about two and they decided to do a night time horse and buggy haunted ghost tour.  It must have been scary too because little Savannah stayed camped out inside of mom’s hoodie the entire horse and buggy tour.

One of the last places on the tour was a little house called the 17 Hundred 90 Inn and Tavern.  It’s a quaint little place, not so scary during the day but a night – chills.  The 17 Hundred 90 Inn and Tavern is located at 306 East President Street, Savannah. The bottom floors have a restaurant and bar area while the upper floors have 14 suites in the inn.  It has a long history of untimely death and ghosts.  It was originally built in 1820 and is one of the oldest buildings in the Savannah area.

The most paranormal activity revolves around poor sweet Anna who fell from the window of room 204.  There are many stories about poor Anna – we really don’t know which one is the truth.

One story states that she was married to the designer of the home, Steel White, who died in 1790 in a tragic riding accident.  Anna fell in love with a German sailor who went off to sea and promised to return but never did.  Anna found out that she was pregnant and realized that the German sailor never meant to return.  In despair, she jumped to her death from room 204.

Another story similar to the one above with Anna has Anna being a servant at the inn instead of being married to the designer of the home.  The end is the same result though, her untimely death.

People have reported the ghost of poor Anna leaning over them while they sleep in room 204.  Other stories are of Anna caressing men’s cheeks and as they wake they see Anna crying and then jumping to her death out the window.  Items are also often reported missing – wallets, jewelry, keys – all of which are later found mysteriously in a planter or behind a shelf.

Stories were so rampant at one point in room 204 that the 17 Hundred 90 Inn and Tavern required any patron staying in the room to sign a waiver stating they would not request their money back should they not stay the entire night.  Nowadays, it is no longer required because most people wanting room 204 are hoping for a little ghost sighting of poor sweet Anna.

So this story was told on horse and buggy ride late at night through the streets of Savannah.  Mom, Dad, my Aunt Tina and two year old niece Savannah who was taking up shop under mom’s hoodie.  The mood was set.  It was dark, a little misty.  All you could hear was the clickey-clack of the horses feet, an occasional snarl from the horse and the soft tale of Anna coming for the tour guide.  That’s when my niece Savannah decided to poke her head out to the world and say in her little child like voice, “Poor Anna”.

So do you believe in ghosts, spooks and things that go bump in the night?  Do you have a little adventure still left in you?  Want a weekend trip at a haunted inn – I’ve heard that the 17 Hundred 90 has open reservations…. if you dare my friends.