Roswell Ghost Tour: Walking with the Past

"I'm still a skeptic,I guess," our guide, David, said. "But I really want to know about this stuff." He's a former police officer and Marine, so belief in the supernatural doesn't come easily. But he's interested enough to be the newest guide for the Roswell Ghost Tour, which my husband and I are taking this first night of Fall 2006. The tour is offered year-round, usually every Friday and Saturday night. Joe Avena owns it, and his wife Dianna is the chief guide.

Joe and Diana are members of Historic Ghost Watch and The Georgia Ghost Society, organizations dedicated to the scientific research of paranormal phenomena. They have collected many stories about the historic houses of Roswell, from the rare antebellum homes(Roswell was never burned during the Civil War,) to the Public House on the Square (now known as J. Christopher's) and the Founder's Cemetary, my favorite stop on the tour. On our trip, there are seven of us taking the tour, and four are Roswell natives. One young woman has been involved in historic preservation in the area. These residents add enormously to our experience by sharing their own memories and stories. David, being a newer member of the staff, does not have a lot of experiences of his own to share, but he does a very good job of sharing historic information and other people's tales. A problem with the tour is that, due to Roswell's aggressive development, some of the places we talk about are not very accessible.

They are either private residences or businesses, or they are in the middle of residential areas. In the case of Mimosa Hall, we are only able to stand at the end of the driveway because it is a private house. I cannot even see the house at all. The same is true of Barrington Hall, which was built for the son of Roswell King, the founder of Roswell. This is generally considered to be one of the finest examples of the Greek Revivial style in America, and there are several ghost stories attached to it. But we were a whole block away from it, so it was not easy to get any feel for it at all. Of course, the proximity to residential housing did provide one amusing incident when one of the living residents of Roswell who lives next to one of the stops gave us an imprompu "ghost" performance, sheet and eerie moans and all, from her porch. The tour lasts for two hours and covers one mile. The highlight for me was the stop at Founder's Cemetery, and that was the only place where we got an unusual photo on this tour.

I was touching the obelisk-shaped tombstone of Roswell King when my husband snapped a picture. I happened to be reminding Mr. King that I had been there before, and jokingly saying something like "Remember me?" When we looked at the photo, it was full of orbs. I am not really that impresesd with orbs as evidence, but I loved the fact that this was the only picture of about ten we took in the graveyard that had any light anomolies at all. David told us stories of tragic deaths, doomed loves, and people apparently still going about their daily routines even after death. I will not give the stories away here, but they were fascinating. I would like, however, to go back and do the tour again with Dianna, simply to hear her own experiences and more seasoned approach to the events. This does not mean that David did not do a good job, however. He was an excellent storyteller and guide. I was left with a strong desire to revisit Roswell and tour some of the locations in the daytime, particularly Bulloch Hall and Barrington Hall, and an area on a walking trail where one can see relics of the old mill. Take the tour. Be sure you take a flashlight, though. The brick sidewalks are very uneven, and some areas are very dark. It would be easy to stumble. Wear comfortable shoes, and keep an open mind. I can't wait to take the tour again. Roswell Ghost Tour Roswell, GA. $15 for adults Most Friday and Saturday nights year-round http://www.roswellghosttour.com