“USA 🇺🇸 Georgia ~Historic Savannah Part 2 of 2 The Foley House Inn and More”

• December 10, 2023
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

Historic Foley House Inn ⬇️

We did a very special thing, in Historic Old Town Savannah, which we have never done, in all the historic towns we have ever visited, since RVing, all over the East Coast; from the tippy top of Maine, all the way down to the lowest part of theSouthwest Florida Keys…

We stayed at a really cool Historic place, overnight.

We heard the stories that a lot of these old building are haunted. I did not give much thought to it, but we did have a few rather strange thing occur, that made the hair on the back of our necks stand up for sure! I will tell the story a little further in the blog…

We chose the Foley House Inn, on Hull Street, which is next to the Forsyth Square and the beautiful “Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah.” We loved the church bells chiming, on the hour. It reminded us so much of our extensive travels, being overseas, and always hearing the same, from old European and Baltic land churches.

It was a romantic stay and quite fabulous!!!! Our room was just lovely. There was a continental breakfast in the morning, with good coffee AND it was decorated for Christmas! The property has a nice court yard area, too, with seating. The outside has stairs, as well as the inside. This narrow building packs a big punch! We can’t recommend the place, enough!

We had left pretty early in the morning, from our campground, with a few simply packed overnight bags. The traffic is not too bad in the morning time, in the Historic Savannah, so we did some driving around and getting some pictures, while it was less hectic to do so. We also stopped to check out the old Cathedral, finding a parking spot right close.

The other thing that we did was drive the entire length of “Jones Street.” It has the original paving bricks and beautiful old homes. It is lined with huge Live Oak trees so it’s quite nice, and they say it is the most photographed street in Georgia.

We also headed down to “River Street,” which also has its original cobblestone, and we drove the entire length. It is very rough, so we went slow. This particular area once had Pirates roaming around, as it was an important port for their ships, as well as all other trading merchants, during those days.

After the drive around, we headed for the Foley House Inn to drop our bags, then headed out to explore. Check-in wasn’t until 3PM, so that gave us about five hours to get ‘er done. And we did it!

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Richmond Hill, Georgia ⬇️

Just before we returned to Historic Savannah, for our second visit on this trip, we had a big storm come through, for a half day and all night; where limbs broke on trees and came down on The Whale! After a sleepless night for me; but not for the big guy (nothing new), we awoke to a beautiful sunny day! We assessed any damage, because we have already had to replace the skylight in the shower one time, after it got hit by a broken limb, in a similar storm a year ago… anyway, so far so good. Whew!

Here are photos of the South Savannah KOA Holiday Campground where we stayed, which I had yet to post. We stayed in Richmond Hill, which is about a 1/2 hour drive, South, from Historic Savannah. It was very nice! ⬇️

I planned the night-over in Savannah, because we had a big day lined-out, that involved driving from Richmond Hill at our KOA campground, out to Tybee Island, to visit three Forts and a Lighthouse Station along the way. It was quite the undertaking for a day, but we were glad we did it. So, after our big day of driving and lots of walking, we were plenty pooped and we only had to come back to Savannah Old Town, from Tybee Island, for the night.

Perfect!!!!

Parking is a challenge, as I’ve mention, in Historic towns, but the parking angels came out in full force, and we got a space, around our 3PM check-in time, at the Foley House Inn. It was only a few blocks away.

Sweet!

A nice waiter in Tybee island got me lined up with an “app” in Georgia, so I could add money to the space, from my phone in our room at Foley, instead of running back to the pay meter by the Bug! This app is “ParkSav” for example, like it would be ParkTy, ect, or something of the like for each city name….the ID is not your car plate number, but by space #’s which are clearly marked. It was pretty slick and easy to use. Otherwise, there are “pay stations” on every block, similar to what we used in Old Town St. Augustine, Florida. They all take credit cards or cash and in Florida, they go by your license plate number of car.

It’s very clear in Savannah that EVERY street parking spot costs money. It’s $1/hour, and all goes to the city, but 8PM-8AM is free. There are “pay for parking lots,” which don’t work for the app. These are not city run. I REALLY don’t like leaving Jonah parked on a city street for over 30 hours, but that’s how it’s done, here, and there is city policing that we did see.

You might remember how we got a “boot” on Jonahs tire, during our New Orleans visit, recently, because not all parking sites in that city cost money; making it more confusing.

WELL, I was plenty upset about that boot, then, because the parking spot was NOT marked that it cost to park there. Oh yes. I fought that parking company; named “Admiral.” I provided photos from all around the Bug, indicating no fee parking, and even other cars that were parked nearby, with boots on their tires!!!!! Good news! They refunded half our money ($60). Yes, it pays to fight! We’ve worked too dang hard in our lives for our money, to get ripped off like that. “Admiral” is a real racket, clearly.

There I go digressing again, but if it helps anybody else avoid drama, then I’m happy to help.

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We woke up in Old Town Savanah to another sunny day! Daryl was interested in going to the Mercer-Williams House to visit, as it’s a Museum. Daryl read the famous novel that made this house famous and he was intrigued, and wanted to go inside, and explore.  I previously mentioned, and showed the picture on our trolley tour, on our first visit to this area on Part 1 of 2 on my blog:

“The house was the scene of the 1981 shooting death of Danny Hansford by the home’s owner, Jim Williams; a story that is retold in the 1994 John Berendt book: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The house is also featured in the movie adaptation of the book, released three years later.”

I happily stayed at the Foley House Inn and enjoyed one more soak in a tub, while I could.

A tub is literally the only thing The Whale does not have. No complaints, but if we ever “double-book” somewhere, I make sure the stay has a tub! ❤️

When it was time to check out at 11AM, I was happy to see Jonah as we walked through Forsyth Square, still sitting pretty where we left her, and there were no issues.

All in all, we came away from our Georgia visit, very satisfied!

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Photo Dump: Second Visit to Old Town Savannah ⬇️

About Foley House Inn

Savannah is often called the most haunted city in America, and the Foley House is a Haunted Savannah Bed and Breakfast. Seems like we are an indisputable part of that ghostly legacy.

The Foley House was originally built in 1896, by Honoria Foley. She was the widow of the wealthy Irish immigrant, Owen Foley. The Foley’s original homestead was the first actual Savannah bed & breakfast. She built this new home, in order to acquire more living space.

The Foley House was constructed over the ashes of a home destroyed by the Great Savannah Fire of 1889. Hence, the Foley’s beginnings carried an ominous undertone.

Mrs. Foley enjoyed success with her inn for a number of years. In addition to her widowed son, his five children, lived here in peace. However, things began to change in the house during a renovation in 1987, almost a century after the home was built. Construction workers discovered human skeletal remains behind a wall. They unwittingly set loose something that can only be described as otherworldly, while just doing their jobs.

Murder At The Foley House

Although the skeleton has never been conclusively identified, it is believed the bones belong to a boarder. This person stayed at the Foley House in the late 1800s. He was a wealthy exporter and was in Savannah on business. Then, one night, he disappeared, mysteriously and was never heard from again. Speculation is that he was murdered for his money and consequently secreted away behind the wall, to hide the crime. Did he at last resurface?

Our haunted Savannah Bed and breakfast staff often hear odd stories. One is of a man in a top hat, walking around the garden late at night. Other times, guests report hearing strange noises. They feel a rush of air without a reasonable cause. Therefore could it be Wally? (The name we’ve given our spirit “guest,” since his skeleton was discovered in a wall).

Most noteworthy, our haunted Savannah bed and breakfast is featured on many of the ghost tours in Savannah. Hence, if you’re interested in seeing a different side of Savannah’s nightlife during your stay with us let us know. You’ll probably leave Savannah with your own eerie first-hand account.

Savannah, Georgia is considered by many to be the top haunted destination in the USA. Consequently nearly every building in the Historic District has a ghost story associated with it.

I just love this stool, but it was too big to fit in my bag! ha! …just joking, but I really have never seen anything like it, before.

When we entered our room, I immediately was drawn to the clock on the mantle, and commented to Daryl how it was later than I thought it was. We both looked at the clock on the mantle, and then at our phones. It was, in fact, 10 till 4. It wasn’t until later in the evening, I noticed the clock on the mantle still read 10 to 4….it never moved.  I got goose bumps.

The bathtub knob would not release the water, so only the shower worked. Daryl looked at it, same issue. He moved it in and out, with no results. It moved, back and forth, with ease, but no water. I wanted a bath, so I filled the tub via the shower spray, so that took awhile. After a long soak, it got cooler so I added more water, via the shower, again. Then suddenly, the bathtub knob moved in and out, all on its own, without me touching it, and water poured from the proper tub nozzle. Now that was creepy!

Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah.

The Independent Presbyterian Church on Bull Street, is the first Presbyterian church in Georgia. It was founded in 1755. Land for its first building was deeded by King George II of Great Britain, for use by colonial adherents of the Church of Scotland.

⬆️ Originally constructed in 1872 as a fire alarm bell for the city of Savannah, Big Duke Bell is a unique historical landmark in the Chatham community. The iconic bell was given its fun nickname in honor of Alderman Marmaduke Hamilton, chairman of the City Council Fire Committee (1871–73), when the bell was purchased.

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Driving down to River Street Level, on the Waterfront ⬇️

Historic River Street is situated along the Savannah River, where the colony of Georgia was founded, in 1733, and the location of the original Port of Savannah. In the 1700s it was the main location for goods coming into the city, and by the mid-1800s, Savannah was the leading exporter of cotton in the world.

Built in 1995 as a luxury floating casino on the Mississippi River, at a cost of 14 million dollars, this 1800s majestic paddlewheel-style riverboat spent many years traveling the Mississippi River.

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Taking a Drive Along Jones Street ⬇️

A mid-19th century style gives the street a unique feel with original paving and sidewalks bricks, and houses from a different time in the city’s history. Jones Street is the perfect place for a romantic stroll, or historical drive, so take your time here and soak in the ambiance.

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Cathedral of St. John the Baptist ⬇️

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is an architectural masterpiece, and the seat of the diocese of Savannah. In the French-Gothic style, pointed arches and magnificent details make a breathtaking backdrop to the gorgeous Savannah skyline.

It was founded in 1700 by the first French Colonists, and although the original early structures were destroyed by fire, the current cathedral dates back to 1874.

Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the cathedral, enjoying the amazing Twin Spires and picturesque exterior as well as the Italian marble, Austrian stained glass and opulent Persian rugs of the interior.

On any day of the year, a stop at the Cathedral of St. John is a fantastic experience.

Next stop: Old Fort Jackson in Savannah

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If you missed Part 1 of this 2 Part Blog, here is that link:

https://2gypsiesinthewind.com/northamerica/united-states/georgia-united-states/usa-georgia-historic-savannah-part-1-of-2/