I am currently writing a YA vampire short story. I've chosen Savannah, Georgia as my setting. The live oaks shrouded in Spanish moss, the historic buildings, the haunted graveyards, and the narrow cobblestone alleyways by the river make this the perfect setting for a vampire to sink their fangs into. One of the most beautiful cemeteries I've visited is Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah. The cemetery is founded on the property, formerly home to Bonaventure Plantation, first owned by Colonel John Mullryne. The first house burned down in 1771 and was rebuilt. The plantation's history is rich and varied, including the historical escape of Royal Governor James Wright from Revolutionary captors in 1776. It was also used as a hospital in the Siege of Savannah during The American Revolution in 1779.
The cemetery was designed around the ruins of the plantation, incorporating the existing roadways. It opened for private interment in 1846 and to the public in 1907, though the Tattnall family, late owners of the property, were buried there as early as 1794. It is nearly 100 acres and great for photographing. There are also a bunch of ghost stories associated with the graveyard, also great for any writer to reference. Bonaventure was also featured in the popular novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, later made into the movie.
Here are some of my photographs, which I hope inspire your own stories. I visited Bonaventure on a dark and misty day, quite phantasmagorical. I found the cemetery charming.
