The city of Charleston is very old, so there is little surprise that the city has many ghosts. People share different paranormal tales, some of which are part of the College of Charleston’s history as well. Charleston is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the United States. Here are some reasons why.
- Old Charleston Jail
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The Old Charleston Jail is one of the oldest structures in Charleston. Its appearance has not changed much since construction in 1802. The jail has held many different prisoners, including pirates, Civil War prisoners of war, and the first female serial killer in the United States. It is believed that almost 1,000 prisoners died while being held in the old jail. Visitors have said that objects move on their own, voices speak to them as they walk the halls, and that doors slam without someone touching them. In one event, some workers who were coming to dispose of lead-contaminated paint saw the ghostly image of a jail guard carrying a rifle. Other visitors have claimed that while they have felt something grabbing them, and some say after they finished a tour, they found scratch marks on their arms.
- Annabel Lee
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Supposedly, the inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee came from Charleson. The local tale goes that a young woman named Anna Ravenel, whose nickname was Annabel Lee, fell in love with a visiting sailor. Her father did not approve of the relationship, so the couple began to meet in secret at the Unitarian Cemetery. The couple was able to keep their meetings secret for some time until the father found out and locked Anna in their house. The sailor’s deployment in Charleston ended before he was able to see her again. Months later, when the sailor was finally able to return, he found that Anna had died of yellow fever. Heartbroken, the sailor would spend hours every day visiting her grave. Today, people say that Annabel’s ghost wanders the cemetery grounds trying to find the sailor. Many local people theorize that the sailor was Edgar Allan Poe himself!
- Berry Residence Hall
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On the College of Charleston’s campus, Berry Residence Hall has several of its very own hauntings. Berry Hall was actually built over an old orphanage. In 1790, the Charleston Orphan House opened as the United State’s first municipal orphanage. It was a huge building that covered almost two whole blocks, and once held 334 children shortly after the Civil War. In 1918, the orphanage was inundated with children sick with Spanish influenza. As a result, all healthy children were sent outside to play. As the story goes, some of the children were playing with an old oily rag and it accidentally caught fire. This led to a massive fire that burned parts of the girl’s wing. Four children died from the smoke. Later on, the orphanage was torn down and Berry Hall was built over it. Currently, students say they can hear marbles at night, children giggling, and children singing ring-around-the-Rosie. Some students have also said they can hear footsteps of children, and some students have reported that an old-timey cursive has appeared on their mirrors. Interestingly, only the fifth and sixth floors of Berry Hall seem to have these hauntings.