70 Hypolita Street, St. Augustine, FL
You’ll find more than Gone with the Wind memorabilia in St. Augustine’s “Ghost Bar.” Listed in the National Directory of Haunted Places, this restaurant has a resident poltergeist.
Known as the “Ghost Bar,” the upstairs pub is aptly named for the restaurant’s residing specter. This apparition is so beloved that the establishment hangs his stocking during Christmas.
Employees claim that he triggers the burglar alarms, moves chairs, startles guests, and lights candles. Visitors allege that they can feel his fingers faintly tap upon their shoulders. He’s even infamous for fiddling with the thermostat.
Who’s this playful poltergeist?
Built 1870, George Colee commissioned the establishment for his fiancée. He was infatuated with a whimsically doting woman who was his soon-to-be bride. The residence was her wedding gift. Yet George discovered that Marina had forsaken him for another man – a soldier stationed at Fort Marion. It was a sordid affair, scandalizing St. Augustine.
George met a different woman soon after, though their affections were short-lived. He showered her with the spoils of marriage, moving her into the house on Hypolita Street. Yet, without warning, George was found lifeless in his bathtub.
Foul play was expected, and George’s death was sensationalized. Some thought that his first fiancée was involved with his untimely end, yet they lacked evidence. Others suggested suicide, though this, too, was unlikely.
Victims of premature death often linger near locations that they loved. Murder victims are particularly prominent for poltergeist sightings. Does George Colee frequent his former residence? Is this an attempt to explain the crime committed against him?
Guests of the Ghost Bar have heard the sounds of splashing water and low groans. Those sensitive to spiritual energies believe that George is playing a monologue of his last moments alive.
Perhaps George Colee is having a bit of fun?
George isn’t the only poltergeist on the property. Another male presence has been spotted on the first floor. He pulls out a barstool, sits, then vanishes. Is this specter looking to order spirits?
We may never know who – or how many – haunt Scarlett O’Hara’s, but we know they’re having a good time.
This two-story, wooden structure has been entertaining guests for decades. Two nineteenth-century homes link together to create one establishment, bonded by a wide, first-floor porch.
The first was built for George Colee and Marina, a capricious wife-to-be who abandoned him for another man. The second was built by a retired lighthouse keeper. Both were built fourteen years after the Civil War, perhaps manifesting residual energies from post-war phantoms.
This off-kilter property has been described as “beach shack Victorian” or “Jimmy-Buffet’s Inception-style fever dream.” It’s certainly a sight for the eyes – and the spirits.
Although George Colee passed away shortly after moving in, his relatives inhabited the residence until 1955. The building was boarded for twenty years after their tenure. It now operates as a restaurant, specializing in southern cuisine.
Their liquors aren’t the only spirits around: the “Ghost Bar” keeps their bottles behind ropes to deter playful poltergeists. Bottles would inexplicably fall from shelves, justifying the additional precautions.
Sounds like they offer dinner and a show at Scarlett O’Hara’s!
Listed in the National Directory of Haunted Places, Scarlett O’Hara’s will feed your ghastly appetite! Make sure to visit the Ghost Bar upstairs for a drink, but don’t forget to raise a glass to George. After all, it’s the site of his untimely death.
With its vibrant atmosphere, delicious food, and Gone with the Wind memorabilia, you’re sure to be entertained. Let us know if you encounter any paranormal activity.
St. Augustine's famous haunted Fort
One of St. Augustine's haunted cemeteries
The famous haunted Lighthouse