The Beaver House in Statesboro, Georgia, serves up more than great meals — but stay for their family style dinner!

            Clay Beaver is the fourth generation owner of the Beaver House in Statesboro, Georgia, but those who have come before him refuse to leave the historic home that’s now a restaurant. He claims there are seven ghosts residing in the building.

            “And I have seen every one of them,” Beaver said.

            I was on a tour of Statesboro with a group of fellow travel writers and naturally, being a ghost aficionado, I have to ask about apparitions when I visit a historic home. And I got an earful.

            The one Beaver has seen twice in all her ghostly glory is Annie, who died at five years old from pneumonia after breaking her neck falling from a tree. Beaver sees little Annie in a brown velvet dress.

            “It’s as clear as day,” Beaver said. “It’s so real.”

            The first time happened around 11:30 p.m. one night when Beaver was in the house with a friend. They spotted Annie at the bottom of the stairs, walking past.

            “We took off, running back out the house,” he said with a laugh. “We were scared to death.”

            Two uncles have also appeared, once in a wedding photo looking at each other from two opposing transom windows on the second floor.

            “They’re always together,” Beaver said. “I’m not sure why.”

            Roy Beaver, Clay Beaver’s grandfather, was a large man and he appears to staff and visitors on occasion. Once he was spotted standing in the dining room looking out the window, Beaver explained.

            The builder of the circa-1911, 6600-square-foot house, John Alexander Beaver, also visits, as well as great grandma Nella “dressed to the nines.”

            The Beaver House serves up a mean "Boarding House" family style meal. On the night we visited we were treated to overflowing plates of fried shrimp, roast beef, mac and cheese, greens, mashed potatoes, biscuits and much more. They also serve a Low Country Boil on weekends and plenty of other delicious dishes.

            Because the old Victorian home is expansive and romantic, the Beaver House hosts numerous weddings over the years. But wedding photographers come home with more than they bargained for — one photo sported a child, a Barbie Doll and a tricycle by the front door, only it wasn’t of this world!

            Want to know more? The Beaver House web site has a page of ghostly tales.

Cheré Coen is an award-winning travel writer specializing in the Deep South. She is the author of "Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History," "Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana" and "Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana" and co-author of "Magic's in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets." She also writes Louisiana romances under Cherie Claire, including "A Cajun Dream" and "The Letter." Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.