Hampton Lillibridge House, a seemingly quiet, private residence, is one of the most infamously haunted locations in Georgia’s First City, and the site of the city’s only exorcism to date—which failed.

Located on East Saint Julian Street, a short walk from Oglethorpe Square in the Historic District, the Hampton Lillibridge House has endured lifetimes of strife. The distinctive house was built in 1796 for Hampton Lillibridge, a man originally from Rhode Island, in a New England architectural style suited to his home state’s sensibilities.

After Lillibridge’s death, his widow sold the residence. It then became a boarding house. As a boarding house, the Lillibridge hosted at least one tragedy: a suicide by hanging committed by a troubled sailor in one of the guest rooms. This death reportedly marred the reputation of the boarding house, and the property in general. For decades, no one lived in the house. 

In every version of what happened at the Hampton Lillibridge under Williams’ ownership, the presence of ghosts and grief remains a consistent, key detail.

An esteemed architectural restorationist, Williams restored the Lillibridge residence to its former glory. As the story most commonly goes, in the process of moving the house a few blocks over to its current location, part of the roof collapsed, crushing one of Williams’s laborers to death. Little else is known or said of the victim.

The troubles didn’t end with the property’s successful transplantation. If anything, moving the house only stirred up more misfortune and turmoil.

After the house’s move, Williams’s crew almost immediately experienced other eerie events. They felt prickling, tingling, tickling sensations at the backs of their necks. They heard disembodied laughter, voices, footsteps. At times, the otherworldly dins resembled the sound of furniture being tossed around a room. Even their equipment was not safe from uncanny interference, as tools and other construction materials moved inexplicably—or disappeared entirely.

The disturbances were unsettling enough to cause several members of the construction crew to leave the restoration project. Reports of the property’s ghostly incidents soon traveled, eventually reaching a local news crew. One evening, the news team entered the empty house. They said something, threw a piece of construction material at them.

Beyond voices, workers also spotted apparitions. One notable ghost seen by the crew is described as a “tall man dressed in black.” The crew saw the man watching them through a third-floor bedroom window. He wore a black suit and silver tie and stood by the window, transfixed.

Outside of the crew, during the Williams era, others also saw spirits. Some passerby reported seeing a gray-haired man in a silver morning robe. The house’s neighbors complained of party noises and singing, despite the house being empty at the time. Some neighbors even saw people dancing on the third floor, while the house was, again, vacant.

The house didn’t have electrical issues, yet lights flickered on and off at random. A neighborhood woman confessed to Williams her fear of a male presence—not a man, but a presence —she sensed inside.

The Crypt

During the restoration, the crew had to dig up the house’s foundation. In their digging, they managed to excavate a buried, ancient crypt, most likely from pre-colonial times, from under the foundation. Perhaps indicating Native American origination, the crypt’s walls were constructed from lime and oyster shells.

Williams was reportedly not at the property at the time, but his crew notified him of their finding. It is unclear what became of the crypt, as, in accounts of the Williams period, the only other detail noted about the crypt is its disposal, or lack thereof. After its discovery, as word has it, the crypt was merely buried underneath the house.

The precise importance of the crypt, and its possible relationship with the host of hauntings at the property, are speculative, but a crypt was indeed found underneath the house.

Jim Williams, Resident

Eventually, after hearing so many reports of haunted activity in his newly acquired property, Williams couldn’t shake his morbid curiosity. He moved into the Hampton Lillibridge House.

Right away, the spirits, in their own way, welcomed Williams to the house. On several instances, in the middle of the night, the grating sound of footsteps woke him. These footsteps weren’t soft—they sounded like glass being crushed.

At other times, Williams witnessed a shadowy figure approach him, then disappear. One time, Williams, likely both intrigued and annoyed by the paranormal presences, tried pursuing one of the spirits, chasing it down a hallway until a door abruptly slammed in his face. He attempted to open the door. It was locked.

The Exorcism

Williams finally conceded that his house was home to too many strange events to ignore. He consulted Reverend Albert Rhett Stewart, an Episcopal bishop.

On December 7, 1963, the bishop conducted an exorcism of the Hampton Lillibridge House. The bishop blessed the home, and demanded evil spirits exit. His efforts were not in vain. The exorcism succeeded…

for less than a week. A few days later, the disturbances resumed.

The Hampton Lillibridge House Today

A series of paranormal investigators, psychics, and related organizations have examined the property, including the American Psychical Research Foundation. All agreed that paranormal activity has occurred within the house.

However, as of 2018, the house is listed on real estate sites as being for sale. For a mere $2,150,000, the Hampton Lillibridge House can be yours to own and experience. This place is not open for a tour right now.. So don’t just go show up you might not making it out!