Georgia’s rich history, beautiful landscape and inviting southern charm make it an excellent pick for anyone wanting to visit. And if you’re looking for historical haunted landmarks, you won’t be disappointed. From graveyards to museums and civil war battlefields, the local haunts around the state are plenty, some of which are hidden right in the middle of a city.
Bulloch Hall lays nestled within the busy town of Roswell. Hidden amongst the dense trees, it was a plantation home that produced cotton. Built by slave labor, it was constructed in 1839 by Major James Stephens Bulloch, one of Roswell’s first settlers.
Haunted Plantation
Perched on a small hill, the expansive green lawn and massive Greek Revival-style pillars beckon visitors to its entrance. The great Oak trees that line the property have witnessed the antebellum South, war, and slavery. Adding to its deep roots, it was home to President Theodore Roosevelt’s mother, Martha ‘Mittie’ Bullock Roosevelt, and has played host to many events throughout its time. Mittie Bullock married Theodore Roosevelt Sr. on the property in 1853 and when the Bulloch family fled the home during the Civil War, it became a barracks for the Union Army.
Bulloch Hall is magnificent. The road leading to the estate, now paved for modern-day transportation, gives visitors a glimpse of what the elegant home looked like in the nineteenth century. It’s easy to forget you are in a large city while walking amongst the tall trees (some of which have been there since before the Hall’s construction) or relaxing by Malon’s Pond. The historic site has been restored to look as it once did when first built, including a reconstruction of the slave quarters in the service yard. Guests can walk through and gain a sense of what slave life was like on this particular property. A plaque on the cabin lists the names of all known slaves who served at Bulloch Hall. The exhibit is dedicated to all of them.
Though it sits only a few hundred feet from a major city road, the lush greenery and gardens bask visitors in quiet serenity, instantly transporting them back in time. But one shouldn’t be fooled by its beauty. The moss-laden paths, calm pond and shade cover trees have a story to tell.
As with many locations in the South, this one is no different when it comes to the history of slavery and war. The site was once a cotton plantation and was home to over thirty slaves, one of whom is said to have been a young girl, around 14 years old.
There are two wells located on the property, the first being in the front yard, which was used as the Bullock family’s primary source of drinking water. The second is located in the rear behind the home and the story goes that the young girl fell to her death in that well.
Soon after her death, weeping could be heard coming from the well. Some visitors still report that they can hear sobbing echoing from the now boarded up well. It is believed that her apparition has been seen inside the Hall by visitors over the years and there have also been reports of lights flickering on and off within the Hall. According to stories, the young girl's responsibility was to maintain the lighting within the home. Could this strange occurrence be the young slave girl still tending to her duties on the property?
Some witnesses have reported seeing men in civil war dress peering out of the second-floor windows and there have been sightings of a young boy running through the front yard. Even as the Hall sat abandoned for a time, there have been eyewitness accounts of shadows walking the grounds and many photos have been captured over the years of strange apparitions in the front yard and windows. Guests of the local ghost tour often capture these pictures, along with unexplained thermal images.
You’ll find Bulloch Hall on the itinerary for the local ghost tour that is held each week. But whether you visit on your own, or with a tour, or see a ghostly sighting or not, you're sure to leave with Bulloch Hall's iconic and majestic image forever etched on your mind.
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