09/20/2025 Haunted Locations: The Gribble House in Savannah, GA

Happy Saturday! Today's haunted location takes us to Savannah, Georgia. In 1909, there was an incident that resulted in a triple homicide at this location. It is known as 'The Savannah Axe Murders.', There's a lot of spooky stuff that happens still to this day, so let's get into it!

The scene at the Gribble House was described as “the most diabolical crime in Savannah's history,” and it still casts a dark shadow over the area today. The Gribble house was torn down in 1944, and a warehouse sits on the site today.

Although the original building is gone, the Gribble House site is thought to be haunted by the women killed in one of Georgia’s most violent early 1900s crimes.

On December 10, 1909, three women were attacked and struck with an axe. Eliza Gribble and her daughter Carrie were found dead in their home. Another woman by the name of Maggie Hunter was also found in terrible shape but only survived for three days.

The Savannah Axe Murders:

An unknown individual walked into the Gribble House, not knowing what lay ahead. The man found Maggie Hunter lying in a pool of blood with her skull crushed open and barely clinging to life. He rushed to the nearby drugstore for help. Upon arriving, the police discovered the body of 36-year-old Carrie Ohlander in the hallway; her skull had been crushed, and her throat had been slit open. The way her body was positioned led the police to believe she had tried to fight off her attacker. As they continued to search the house, the police found the body of 76-year-old Eliza Gribble, Carrie’s mother, in her bedroom. She was killed the same way, with her skull smashed open. The murder weapon, a bloody ax, was soon discovered inside the home.

Who were the victims of the Gribble House/Savannah Axe Murders? 

Eliza Gribble, originally from Cornwall, England, settled in Savannah before the Civil War. She and her daughter, Carrie Ohlander, moved into the house shortly before the murders. Eliza was a widow and had a difficult time getting around due to being somewhat crippled. Her daughter Carrie was partially deaf. Carrie was married, but her husband was in Memphis when the murder occurred. 

After leaving her third husband, J.C. Hunter, who was thirty years older than she was and to whom she had been married for five years, Maggie Hunter rented a room at Gribble House from Mrs. Gribble the day before the attack.

Suspects and arrests:

Although there were three suspects in total, J.C. Hunter was considered the primary one. Originally set to be executed on December 22, 1911, his punishment was changed to life imprisonment by the governor just one day before the scheduled execution.

J.C. was sentenced to prison, but because of his age, the administrator of the Confederate Veteran’s Home in Atlanta assigned him to work as a waiter during his term. On October 27, 1923, Governor Clifford Walker pardoned the 77-year-old J.C. Hunter, after which he returned to Savannah.

Despite Hunter serving his sentence, in March 1917, a man named J.B. Garvin confessed to a Savannah police officer that he had killed the three women. Garvin confessed to having an accomplice and described the house and stolen items, but the police dismissed his account, believing him to be insane.

Today:

The Gribble house was demolished in 1941. A new building was constructed in 1944, first serving as an automotive service center, then as a car barn for Old Town Trolley Tours, and later converted into a 15,000-square-foot warehouse believed to be haunted.

Many paranormal research teams have conducted investigations at this historic site, documenting reports of unusual phenomena that some interpret as potential evidence of supernatural activity. Observations include unexplained light anomalies, unidentified voices, and consistent reports of sensations such as being touched, pushed, or watched. Additionally, there have been accounts of glowing orbs and brief flashes of light.

So, tell me. Have you heard of this location before? Have you been there? Would you go? Let me know in the comments. And as always, if you do decide to visit here or any haunted location, respect the property, respect the owners, respect the residents... living or dead.

For more details about this story, how you can visit, and links to the shows, podcasts, and documentary can all be found below.