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LOCATION:
Address: 123 Habersham Sreet, Savannah,
Georgia 31401.
WilliamKehoeHouse.com
800-820-1020 * 912-232-1020
DESCRIPTION:
The
William Kehoe Historic Inn is a huge, four story, 1892 Victorian; basically Renaissance
Revival mansion which also has a blend of other architectual styles creating a
truly glorious mansion! Nice touches were added such as "Corinthian columns,
decorative use of red brick and terra cotta moldings, and Italianate 'eyebrows'."
It's most distinctive and unique feature is the "exclusive" use of cast
iron for the exterior trim.
The William Kehoe house was made roomy enough
to house a large family, and now provides 13 rooms for guests of the current William
Kehoe House Historic Inn. The second and third floors housed the bedrooms. It
is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
This glorious mansion
was renovated and restored to it's fomer glory and turned into a gracious bed
and breakfast inn in 1992. In 2003, Kehoe House evolved further into a 4 star
luxury inn as it joined master hotelier Richard Kessler' s high class hotel family,
who renovated this grand mansion further "to enhance its charming features
and update amenities and decor for the select guests." The inn has aquired
unique antique and period furnishings as well as "state of the art conveniences
in a casual relaxed atmosphere."
Room rates range from $205.00 to $295.00
* Suite range from $275 to $325. The room and suite rates include all the bells
and whistles one would expect for a 4 star luxury inn, including:
Full gourmet
breakfast * Afternoon tea * Hors d'oeuvres *Concierge and turndown service * Luxury
toiletries
The Inn has aquired unique antique and period furniture as well
as "state of the art conveniences in a casual relaxed atmosphere."
HISTORY:
William
Kehoe came from Ireland with his family when he was 10 years old, and grew up
in a poor but loving, God-centered family. At a young age, he fought for the South
in the Civil War. As a yong man he apprenticed as an iron molder, worked his way
up the ladder of success until he owned his own Iron Foundry. He made his fortune
by his keen business sense, his skill, his pleasant personality and character,
his ability to work with others and his hard work.
He married the love
of his life, Annie, at the age of 26, with whom he had many children, 10 of which
survived. Unlike many people in the well-to-do class, William and Annie didn't
let money ruin them and kept their values and belief in God, the giver of all
gifts and blessings, front and center.
For Most of the 20th century, Kehoe
House was used as a mortuary. Sometime along the way it became a private residence.
In 1980, famed football player Joe Namath bought Kehoe House for $80,000. Joe
thought for a time about turning Kehoe House into a night club and disco, much
to the horror of his Columbia Square neighbors. He changed his mind but held onto
the home, fixed up the place until he sold it in 1989, for $530,000!
HISTORY
OF MANIFESTATIONS:
Annie
Kehoe and William loved their house, a place where they raised their large family,
enjoying a lifetime of fond memories.
William
had his own study, up in the rafters in the room with the cupola, where it was
quiet and peaceful, his special place to meditate and read.
The Kehoes master bedroom was on the second floor, while the children stayed and
played in rooms on both the second and third floor. Instead of letting a nanny
put the children to bed, Annie was the one who went up every night, heard their
prayers, read to them and kissed them good night as they lay in their beds.
No
one knows how many other Kehoe children not counted in the 10 which grew up, died
as enfants or young children through illness or other causes. It is reported that
William and Annie's twin (4- 5) year olds, (probably boys, who must of been a
handful), are said to have died in a dumb kid accident, while playing in one of
the chimneys. The chimneys were consequently blocked up and decorated with angels.
The
Kehoe home must of had not only their children, but the friends of the Kehoe children
from the neighborhood.
MANIFESTATIONS:
The
entity of Annie Kehoe likes to visit the living in rooms 201 and 203.
A
sweet, friendly female presence sat on the bed next to a sleeping guest in room
203.
The apparition of Annie has been seen siting at the desk, writing
in room 203.
In room 201, the really strong scent of roses has been noticed
by guests.
In room 201, the apparition of Annie has been seen going about
her business in this room.
Annie Kehoe sometimes makes her
rounds on the third floor around bedtime.
This entity gently,
lovingly kissed on the cheek a former owner who was spending the night, laying
in his bed in one of the bedrooms found on this floor.
Her apparition has
been seen by the living on the third floor and her friendly presence has been
felt on both the third and second floor.
William Kehoe's
presence is sometimes detected up in the study in the home's room with a cupula.
During
the evening hours, an unexplained light is sometimes seen in this unused room,
which is far away from the noisy living, not to mention noisy ghost children!
The entity of William still is enjoying this quiet time.
William
Kehoe comes to visit, sometimes through the front door, perhaps to check up on
the manners of the living.
The concierge was sitting at
the check in desk, when she heard the door bell ring. As she could see through
the lovely cut door glass that no one living was there, she ignored the door bell
three times. To her surprise, not only did the front door unlock itself and open
by itself, but all the outside doors in the house on all the floors opened as
well!
The entities of the twins are pleasant little fellows,
if a bit noisy, who have made themselves known to the living.
A
woman was sleeping in the bed with her husband in room 201. She slowly woke up
as she felt little hands softly stroking her hair and cheek. When she opened her
eyes, she saw an appartition of a little boy, eye to eye and up close, who quickly
disappeared.
The sound of little feet running up and down the home's hallways
have been heard by guests and staff.
Children's voices have also been heard
when no children were staying as guests.
One person reported on tripadvisor's
reviews website: "We even got to experience the ghosts of the children on
the night of a fullmoon! We heard them running and playing in the second floor
hallway."
Sometimes the voices of a group of children
have been noticed by guests staying on the second and third floor.
Perhaps
all the children who died in this house over the years now play together, or perhaps
the ghostly little friends of the Kehoe children who died young still come over
to play.
STILL HAUNTED?
Yes
indeed!
The entity of Anne Kehoe is as gracious and kind as she was in life.
Her little children show the same qualities of this kindness as well as exhibiting
child-like behavior. William Kehoe also likes to pay the living a visit, perhaps
to check up on the living on occasion, and enjoy his special room up under the
cupola of the house.
SOURCES INCLUDE: tripadvisor.com * savannahga.net * hauntingstour.com * selectregistry.com
HAUNTED
SAVANNAH, official guidebook to Savannah Haunted History tour,
James Caskey, Bonaventure Books, 2005
HAUNTED
INNS OF THE SOURTHEAST, By Sheila Turnage, John F Blair,
Publisher, 2001.
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