THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Athens' ornate "Wedding Cake House" is associated with the benevolent spirit called Susie, with residents reporting opening doors, running faucets, attic noises, flickering lights and a piano apparently playing by itself.
The Thomas-Carithers House at 530 South Milledge Avenue was built in 1896 and is now home to the University of Georgia's Alpha Gamma Delta chapter. The property is one of Athens' best-known haunted houses and is popularly called the Wedding Cake House. Local legend tells of a young bride named Susie who believed she had been abandoned on her wedding day and died by suicide in the house, after which her spirit supposedly remained behind. Sorority members have attributed doors opening and closing, faucets turning on and off, unexplained attic sounds, flickering lights and an antique piano playing on its own to Susie. A room associated with the legend became known as the Engagement Suite because residents were said to frequently become engaged while living there. Historical research into Athens ghostlore indicates that the familiar Susie Carithers story does not align cleanly with the documented Carithers family history and appears to have evolved as folklore. Ghost Atlas therefore presents Susie and her supposed death as legend rather than established historical fact. The property is a functioning private sorority residence and should only be viewed from public areas unless permission is granted.