During the railroad boom of the 1840s and 1850s, Savannah doubled in size and population. Seeing a real need for accommodations and housing, businesswoman Mary Marshall developed several properties in Savannah, most notably the iconic Marshall House hotel in 1851. Mary Marshall and her estate leased and collected rents from The Marshall House until 1914.

The hotel’s colorful history spans 166 years and includes roles as a hospital during the Yellow Fever Epidemics of 1854 and 1876, and as a Union hospital during the final months of the Civil War. It was also home to Joel Chandler Harris, author of the famous Uncle Remus Stories during the Reconstruction Period. For economic and structural reasons the decision was made to close The Marshall House in 1957. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors were abandoned, but the ground floor was maintained for various shopkeepers and stores until 1998.

In 1999, The Marshall House was extensively restored, and once again became a Savannah fixture. Painstaking efforts were taken to ensure the hallmarks of the historic hotel were preserved or recreated: including the Philadelphia Pressed Brick on the façade and the Savannah Grey Brick throughout, original staircases (some of the spindles and accents have been recreated), original wood floors, fireplaces, brick walls, the doors to each guest room, and several claw foot tubs dating back to 1880. The veranda and gas lights were reproduced in the likeness of the original features. The Courtyard Atrium was encased with a glass ceiling to give a sense of the area’s previous use as a courtyard. Artifacts found during the restoration were encased in display cabinets on the second and third floor.

The Marshall House’s history as a hospital during the Civil War and through two yellow fever epidemics makes it very conducive to ghost stories and haunted tales. Take any of the local ghost tours, and you’ll hear plenty of stories!

Rumors and reports include guests seeing ghosts in the hallways and foyers, hearing children running down the long, narrow halls late at night, faucets turning on by themselves, and much more. With such tales abounding, our rumored haunted hotel in Savannah has been featured several times on the Travel Channel’s haunted hotel programs and specials.

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Haunted Places, Legends and Ghosts

Marshall House : Savannah, GA

Marshall House : Savannah, GA

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