My visit with Little Gracie at Bonaventure Cemetery

I came with Ammut Aisilinn to Bonaventure Cemetery in an effort to explore this old and fascinating place full of hauntings, folklore, and nature spirits.
One of the many things we communed with in the cemetery was Little Gracie Watson. We attempted communication with her, treated her like the little god she was, and stole some of her toys to see if she would cry tears of blood. Forever she will be etched in our minds and she may gain a place in my Maleficium Cultus. I know Veyasee and Nesseti enjoyed her.

 Little Gracie Watson was born in 1883, the only child of her parents. Her father was manager of the Pulaski House, one of Savannah's leading hotels, where the beautiful and charming little girl was a favorite with the guests. Two days before Easter, in April 1889, Gracie died of pneumonia at the age of six.

 According to local folklore and legend, Little Gracie Watson is among the most haunted spirits residing at Bonaventure and in Savannah.  Visitors will leave toys for her to play with, and some claim she will cry tears of blood if her playthings are removed. There is always a collection of toys near her grave area, especially around Christmas, but no sign of tear stains running down her porcelain “doll-like” marble face.  There is also a belief that if you place a quarter in Gracie’s hand and encircle her statue three times, the coin will disappear.  Like the “Bird Girl” statue, little Gracie Watson has become very popular, and the grave is now fenced off in wrought-iron to prevent further damage.

Pulaski House Hotel was frequented by Savannah’s elite, and Little Gracie Watson often played the role as hostess at the various high society parties that were held by her mother.  Gracie quickly endeared herself to Savannah’s elite, and loved being the center of attention. When she became bored,  she would often retreat to play underneath the back stairwell of the hotel.   After her death in 1889, her mother and hotel staff claimed to be able to still hear little Gracie laughing and playing underneath that stairwell.  Although the hotel has since been torn down, the location of the original hotel still boast many haunted sightings.  The haunted echoes of Little Gracie can still be heard laughing and playing where the old staircase would have been located.  And some people even have reported seeing a small girl run past them in period dress.

Haunted Brookdale Lodge

I have been interested for sometime in the Haunted Brookdale Lodge specifically for the 6 year old girl who died there and the 13 year old. I hope to at some point begin to paint a series based on little girl ghosts within their historic settings. Below is a brief overview of Brookdale Lodge and some of its manifestations.

Nestled deep in the Santa Cruz Mountains lies the historic Brookdale lodge. Surrounded by giant redwoods, Brookdale Lodge was originally opened in 1870 as the headquarters of the Grover Lumber Mill. The mill was purchased by H.J. Logan of Loganberry fame in 1900 and was converted into campgrounds and a hotel. Since then the lodge has passed through numerous hands.

Between 1922 and 1945 the lodge was operated by Dr. F. K. Camp, a Seventh-day Adventist physician and a strict prohibitionist. It was Camp that built the magnificent Brookroom, a dining room that encloses a natural stream flowing down its center. This was the lodge's heyday. The Brookdale was the second most popular resort in California and played host to Hollywood stars, prominent families, foreign diplomats, and even a U.S. President. Famous persons passing through Brookdale Lodge included: Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Tyrone Power, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr, and President Herbert Hoover. The lodge was also famous for its first rate entertainment, attracting the best big band and swing groups of the era. There are at least three swing era songs written about the Brookdale including, My Brookdale Hideaway, A Place known as Brookdale, and Beautiful Brookdale Lodge.

Shortly before his death, Dr. Camp sold the property in 1945 to A. T. Cook and W. G. Smith. In 1951 it was again sold to a consortium of San Francisco businessmen and then to Barney Marrow, who also owned the Brookdale Inn across the highway.

It was in the '40's and '50's that the lodge entered its most intriguing period, becoming a home for gangsters and other shady characters. Secret passageways and hidden rooms were installed throughout the lodge and rumors of buried bodies under the floor began to circulate. Also during this time, six year old Sarah Logan, the niece of the lodge owner, drowned in the dining room creek. It's her ghost that is most often seen at the Brookdale. But Sarah wasn't the only watery death at the lodge. In 1972, a 13 year old girl drowned in the kidney shaped pool above the mermaid room forcing its closure.

Over the years there have been many sightings of little Sarah Logan. She is often seen in a white and blue Sunday dress walking through the lobby or near the fireplace between the lounge and Brookroom. She has also been seen playing on the balcony of the Brookroom, an area off limits to visitors and guests, and sitting beside the fire in the Fireside Room.

Some have even been approached by the crying Sarah asking if they could help her find her mother. As they turn to look for the little girl's mother, Sarah vanishes. The sightings aren't limited to visitors. The owners of Brookdale Lodge have also seen Sarah running about the lodges' lobby. From their description, Sarah was, "very clear, like a whole person" and wore a 1940's style formal dress. She ran silently across the lobby for about five seconds before disappearing through the office window.