The Homestead

The Homestead was built in 1818 by Peter Jones Williams, making it one of the oldest homes in Milledgeville. Paranormal happenings have been taking place here since long ago, starting with the Williams family themselves. The home is supposedly haunted by a banshee, a Welsh spirit that appears at the death of family members. The Williams family believed she followed them when they emigrated over from Wales. She was described as the ghost of an old lady dressed in gray that was spotted walking the gardens of The Homestead around sunset. She was reportedly last seen around the 1950s. The very last time she was spotted, she exited The Homestead, walked down Liberty Street, entered Memory Hill Cemetery, and was never to be seen again.

 

Peter Williams’ daughter, Sue, is also said to haunt the home, as well as her husband John “Honest Jack” Jones. In 1890, “Honest Jack” became ill from a fever, which made him delirious to the point he had to be restrained. He broke his restraints and jumped out of the window, ultimately leading to his death. His ghost has been seen in front of the window where he died. Sue became a recluse after her husband’s death. After she passed away, her family said that her ghost was seen walking in the gardens for hours, usually from midnight to sunrise.

 

Aside from these hauntings, many other occurrences have been reported at The Homestead. People have claimed to see shadow figures on the back porch, objects being knocked to the floor, hearing heavy breathing that sounds extremely close, and even entire “ghost parties”, complete with horse-drawn carriages, have been spotted at this famous haunted house.