Even the most lovely places can harbor ghostly pasts. The haunting tales of the Springer Opera House in Columbus, Georgia have spanned many years. Who roams the halls with the guests before performances? Who spooks the crew behind the stage? And who’s the girl on the balcony?
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus rests on the Alabama/Georgia border, separated by the Chattahoochee River. It’s the third-largest city in Georgia. It was named after the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus because of the river’s access to the sea. It served as a port for cotton crops, and in the 1850s, grew even more with the arrival of the railroad.
Columbus is also known as the Fountain City. Just as the lovely fountains pour out, so too did travelers and settlers arriving from all over. This, combined with Native American folklore, gave Columbus rich history and fascinating stories.
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Muscogee Creek Folklore
Once home to the Muscogee Creeks, they had a thriving community in and around the Columbus area. They told tales like How Rabbit Fooled Wolf. In the story, a rabbit and wolf visit two beautiful young girls, and the Rabbit becomes jealous that the girls are giving Wolf all their attention. So, Rabbit tells one of the girls that Wolf is his old horse. She didn’t believe him, so Rabbit told her she would see him riding Wolf tomorrow.
The next morning when it was time to visit the girls again, Rabbit told Wolf that he’d felt sick all night and would need a ride there. After convincing Wolf to take him, he also went on to tell him he’d be much more comfortable if he’d wear a saddle and a bridle, too, claiming he didn’t think he could hold on otherwise. He even went as far as to suggest he use spurs because that would make the trip even more fun.
Rabbit had promised to take all of this off once they arrived, but when they got there, that didn’t happen. Instead, Rabbit tied him up, went to talk to the girls, and promised to come back for Wolf later. Rabbit enjoyed spending time with the girls without the distraction of Wolf.
He knew Wolf would be very angry for what he’d done, so knowing how much Wolf feared soldiers, he began making a drum sound. He then ran outside, telling Wolf the soldiers were coming for him. Wolf ran off as soon as he untied him.
One day, Rabbit was picking peaches, and Wolf saw him. He vowed to get even with Rabbit, once and for all. But again, Rabbit convinced Wolf someone was after him. Rabbit even managed to trick him a third time, telling him if he’d hold up a tree, he’d be compensated with some hog meat. The last straw was when Rabbit tied Wolf’s tale to a pony’s, and Wolf was dragged. Rabbit knew he’d gone too far this time, so he had to go into hiding for a long, long time.
Civil War
Columbus played an essential part in the Civil War, providing pivotal industry for the Confederacy. It manufactured supplies for Confederate uniforms, cannons, and firearms, to name a few.
Not having been informed of Lee’s surrender and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, on Easter Sunday, April 16th, 1865, Union troops attacked the city in the Battle of Columbus, burning many of its industrial buildings.
After the Civil War ended, the city began reconstruction and began to prosper once more. During this time, the Springer Opera House was built.
The Springer Opera House
The Springer Opera House sits at 103 Tenth Street in Downtown, or as the locals call it Uptown Columbus, a short distance from the breathtaking view of the Chattahoochee River. The Springer first opened on February 21st, 1871, and was named the State Theatre by Governor Jimmy Carter on its 100th anniversary.
It’s a truly stunning place with tall Corinthian columns and stained-glass windows—a picturesque piece of late nineteenth-century architecture. The opera house is breathtaking. When we first visited there several years ago, we were floored by the quality of the production. Just as good as Broadway, in our opinion.
The ornate trimmings, grand staircases, and elaborate balconies are lovely and a pure delight to see. One thing was apparent, the people who had this place built believed in the magic of theater. It’s a place that looks very posh but is somehow warm and welcoming, too.
Frank Joseph Springer immigrated from Europe before the Civil War and settled in Columbus. He’d become prosperous in the grocery business. He loved theatre and made it his mission to open a theatre in the heart of downtown Columbus. It was primarily his contributions that led to the birth of the Springer Opera House.
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Edwin Booth
One of the most notable figures ever to grace the Springer stage is Edwin Booth, John Wilkes Booth’s older brother, famous for his actions at another theatre entirely. Edwin and John were children of another prominent actor, Junius Brutus Booth. The two were rivals and opposites in many ways. Edwin, for example, was a Unionist, while John was a Confederate.
Edwin was a renowned and respected actor in his time, considered by many theatrical historians as the nineteenth century’s greatest American actor. Many believe he played the best Prince Hamlet ever.
Lillie Langtry, aka The Jersey Lily
Another famous figure on Springer stage was Lillie Langtry, also known as the Jersey Lily. She was a British-American actress, socialite, and producer. She was born on the isle of Jersey and was one of seven children (and the only girl). Her father was a reverend but was better known as a ladies’ man. He fathered several illegitimate children, which prompted Lillie’s mother to leave him in 1880.
She married Irish landowner Edward Langtry in 1874. She was made popular for her big personality and her notorious relationships with noblemen like the Prince of Wales and the Earl of Shrewsbury. Because of these affairs, she became known as the Royal Mistress. It’s believed her daughter was conceived with another of her beaus, Arthur Jones.
Lillie was close friends with the poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. By 1879, she needed money. Wilde suggested she try the stage, thus prompting her theatre career.
After touring the UK, performing in several plays, she began a tour in the United States. She and Oscar Wilde performed at the Springer Opera House.
Lillie would divorce her husband in 1897 and purchased land in California. She continued to have romantic relationships and later remarried. She and her husband lived apart, though. She died of pneumonia in 1929 at the age of 75.
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Side Note: Several years ago, when I lived in West Texas, we visited a small town called Langtry. There, I had the pleasure of meeting the late Jack Skiles and his lovely wife. They had a wonderful private museum of Native American artifacts. He taught us what an atlatl was, and we practiced using it in his front yard. His wife made us a pie, and we enjoyed a long afternoon of conversation. Of all our time in West Texas, visiting the two of them on their ranch was one of the most memorable days we had there.
He told us the story of how Langtry had received its name. He wrote a book called Judge Roy Bean Country (affiliate link) and had been the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center’s first manager. He seemed to be a great lover of history and was a natural storyteller. He shared how the town was founded by George Langtry, an engineer and supervisor of the Chinese immigrants who built the railroad in the late 1800s. Judge Roy Bean arrived soon thereafter and had built a saloon named The Jersey Lilly, after the famous British actress Lillie Langtry, no relation to George Langtry.
This reminds me of another one of those strange connections you stumble across in life. I had never heard of Lillie Langtry back then, and yet, here I am telling you about her now.
Mid-Nineteenth Century and Beyond
Many prominent people crossed the Springer’s stage—from choreographers, actors, dancers to politicians. Even Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States, delivered speeches there.
The opera house has been renovated twice and survived a tornado in 2009.
Ghosts of the Springer Opera House
I lived in Columbus for a few years, and I never heard about the ghostly encounters people experience at the theatre. But I can certainly see the allure. Such a stately, elegant place would make for an interesting haunt.
There have been rumors that a helpful designer hovers in the costume room, hoping to lend a hand when needed. There have been tales of cold spots. In some rooms, all the items must be kept exactly where they are, or the spirits will move them back when no one’s looking. According to Faith Serafin in the book Haunted Columbus Georgia (affiliate link), a New York couple was preparing for a performance, and the woman was tapped on the shoulder. Her husband said it wasn’t him who tapped her. Could it have been someone else who cued her on stage?
The Springer has been home to ghosts since the beginning, it seems. One of the stories circulated is that a young girl fell to her death from one of the upstairs balconies.
According to an article by the Travel Channel, an actress named Jenny Marshal was performing in The Wizard of Oz and had a sudden, overwhelming feeling of fear when she was in her dressing room one night. She was admiring The Wizard of Oz figurines she’d been gifted when the lights flickered and went black. The air turned to ice. She was paralyzed with horror. When the lights came back on, all the figurines had been knocked over except for one… the Wicked Witch of the West stood ominously staring back at her.
It’s believed that the ghost of Edwin Booth still haunts the opera house, as well. There’s a legend that says he’ll stay there until Hamlet, a role he played there in 1870, graces the Springer’s stage again. By most accounts, he’s playful, especially with the female crew and guests. He’s known to frequent the prop room.
Conclusion
I’m still amazed at how well-preserved and beautiful the Springer is. It’s truly a local treasure. Even though many city officials and people who work at the Springer don’t speak of the other-worldly happenings at the theatre, it wouldn’t surprise me if some of these colorful characters decided to return there, enjoying the shows, and perhaps even making their own special appearances now and then.
Either way, the Springer Opera House is a place to see if you’re ever in Columbus. The productions are wonderful, and the place is exquisite. It’s a gem with a marvelous past.
Music:
Relent by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4274-relent License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Decline by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3632-decline License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Ghostpocalypse – 6 Crossing the Threshold by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
