Local legends and stories are passed down about ghosts in the Gainesville community, leaving behind unique tales for each spirit.

The first tale starts in Blackstrap Rock Hall where many bands go to perform on the weekends .Some have been there alone, which is said to be the time many incidents took place. There have been several accounts in which people have called or reported being locked in the men’s bathroom located on the left side of the building where bands load in before sets.  

Ryan Cadaver, the tour guide at black strap, said, “I’ve been locked in there once myself and it feels as if you’re pushing against the weight of a person leaning against the door.” He claims that no one was there to lean or hold the door closed.

“We changed the locks on the door,” Cadaver said, “but we still get calls to this day with people saying they are locked in the bathroom.”   

The Gainesville cotton mill is another historical location that does not hold the best track record. In the 1900s, many families struggled with money and had to do what they could to feed themselves and their families. In efforts to do so, parents started sending their children to work in the cotton mill where children could labor as early as ages 8 – 16.  

Horrible things would happen to these children during the factory hours. Arms were crushed in machinery, children often went hours without food and overheating and exhaustion were common. This was until a hot summer day in 1903 when a tornado came through town ripping off the top two stories of the mill, leaving over 100 dead and others injured. After this tragic event occurred, strange and unexplainable phenomena commenced. 

There were many reports of children running and laughing on the top floors and after the building shut down. It was said that the elevator would rise to the top where people could hear footsteps walking out. Occasionally, visitors stated they saw someone walking and then disappear. Cadaver said, “The mill ceased in 1985, and the owners refuse to let anyone on the property to this day.” 

General James Longstreet, who fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War, lived in Gainesville as well. After the war, Longstreet spent much of his time at the Gainesville and Jefferson Southern Railroad. It was said that Longstreet still welcomed guests entering the town after he passed away. There were many times people claimed to see him in the smokestack of the train station waving in their entry. A local legend states that Longstreet can still be seen on a humid or foggy night.  

In 1876, Longstreet opened the Piedmont Hotel, known for its dining room attraction. The tour guide for the hotel, Richard Pilcher, described paranormal activity that has appalled many guests during their stay.

“Longstreet would often visit the hotel accompanied by his wife and children that would soon pass away from pneumonia and scarlet fever,” Pilcher said. It is said that they still frequent the hotel after their passing.  

A man and his wife stayed at the hotel in the “Wilson room.” One night, the man was going back to his room after supper and saw a woman in his room. He soon discovered that woman was not his wife. It was later determined that he had seen Longstreet’s wife in a long white gown. When the lights were turned on, she disappeared. 

When Longstreet and his children stayed at the hotel, it was common for the children to play with marbles. Late at night many said they heard marbles falling to the ground alongside child laughter. Amongst all these stated accounts, there were never any children staying in the hotel during that time.  

Brenau University, known as the women’s college in the 1800s, is a known location for unearthly occurrences. Alyson Boyko, the host of the annual ghost tours at Brenau, described the experiences that happened on campus. 

“Strange things have happened here in the girls rooms at the dorms like red writing all over the walls when no one is home,” Boyko said. A boy dubbed “Little Red” often frequents the girls’ dorms at Brenau. “If you leave a red marker or pen out in Wilkes or Yonah Hall, Little Red will come and write on your walls with the red marker, hence the name.”  

In the 1920’s, another student at Brenau known as “Agnes” took her life in the Pierce Auditorium. People have different ideas of what happened to her. Some say Agnes took her life because she did not get into the sorority she wanted and hung herself from the balcony in the auditorium. Others claim she was heartbroken or lost the love of her life and she hung herself over the high dive swimming pool in the basement of the school. Agnes is said to still haunt the college as a friendly ghost. 

“Agnes likes to play with the lights in the auditorium,” Boyko said. “Before shows, people running lights will leave the light board in the tech box for Agnes to mess with before the show so she feels included.”

Many students have also reported that they would leave penny jars in their dorms. When the students came back from events, the penny jars would be knocked over with all the coins face up.  

These are just some of the many hauntings in Gainesville. The town holds many old spirits and distant memories of those who                                                                       have passed.