This eBook examines (and ranks) the 10 scariest and most haunted places in South Carolina. It provides a brief history of each historical site, along with an explanation of the various ghost sightings and disturbances that have plagued these areas over the last few centuries.

They scream in the night. They watch through the window. And sometimes they chase you right out of the woods. They are the Upstate's ghosts, and there are more of them than you think. While South Carolina's Lowcountry has a long and well-documented history with its spectral residents, the Upstate's phantoms have led quieter lives, or afterlives. But no more. In Ghosts of Upstate South Carolina, John Boyanoski, a reporter for the Greenville Journal, tells the true stories of the region's many haunted places. From Spartanburg to Union, from Anderson to Newberry, from Powdersville to Pickens, the South Carolina Upstate is haunted. Numerous ghosts and spirits haunt the Old Poinsett Bridge, and in Gaffney cries for help can still be heard from the victims of the Gaffney Strangler. Near Highway 11 there is a haunted tree. Even the squirrels won't go near it. In Greenville, a lynching victim still seeks vengeance, while wayward rocking chairs, a haunted balcony, and walled-off stairs to nowhere are just the start in Abbeville. In other towns there are ladies in white, a menacing hound, crying babies, spectral voices, a devil on a tombstone, floating lights, phantom brides, glowing red eyes, ghostly children who make the living want to hop and skip, and at least one specter who likes to play catch. Ghosts haunt the Upstate's roads and railroads, its hotels and theaters, its colleges and churches. (Youll be hard-pressed to find an Upstate college that isn't home to at least one.) And of course they haunt its homes. The ten ghosts at the Merridun Inn even throw their own Christmas party! And then theres the zombie.

During the day, residents and visitors alike enjoy the quiet beauty of the peaceful coasts and Lowcountry of South Carolina. But in a state where soldiers fell, slaves died without knowing freedom, and the practice of voodoo is still an open secret, the night is bound to be a bit more exciting. Whether you are an amateur ghost-hunter, a South Carolina buff, or just love a good scare, you will enjoy these tales of ghostly encounters and supernatural happenings. From the bustling streets of Charleston and the graceful old plantations, to the foreboding coastal forts and the darkest heart of the swamps, spirits and creatures seem to lurk in every corner.

Berkeley County, just like its sister county of Charleston, is steeped in history and rich in legend and lore. With Native American beginnings and later infused with colonial and Gullah cultures, Berkeley has seen many people come to reside. And with each of these diverse cultures came the eerie tales of ghosts, ghouls and goblins. Now, for the first time, Berkeley County ghost stories have been collected in a single volume bound to frighten and chill even the bravest of readers. Join local author and investigator Bruce Orr as he recounts the spine-tingling stories behind these apparitions, including the spirits of early colonists that still linger in the pines, the feared Cymbee water spirits of the Gullah culture and the dreaded Cherokee witch Spear Finger, who craves the livers of unsuspecting victims.

A shackled West African tribe drags themselves off a slave ship while singing, drowning in a Georgia creek to avoid being sold. Mysterious letters from a long-ruined church near Mepkin Abbey solicit a man to join faith. A French teacher disappears from a school after marking final exams in blood. An Egyptian mummy triggers a heart attack in a city museum. These stories and more are wrenched from the gravest parts of America's past--real lives of people on plantations from Savannah and the coast of the Carolinas. Most deal with the hub of the East Coast slave trade, Charleston, South Carolina. All are richly illustrated with both historic and contemporary images. Dwelling in the affairs of plantation life is to tread the fires of emotionally raw history. Sifting through the folklore and legends, the old hushed embers of the south ignite once again in this collection. While these stories relate encounters with the supernatural, readers will find that what actually happened here doesn't always need a ghost to be disquieting.

Includes ghost stories from the Aiken-Rhett House, the Garden Theater, and the Cooper River Bridge.

Stroll down Charleston's cobblestone streets and explore mysterious echoes from the past. Prepare to meet the legendary ghost of infamous pirate Stede Bonnet, who once sailed with Blackbeard. Be greeted at the Provost Dungeon by the spirit of American martyr Isaac Hayne, who was hanged for treason in 1781. Read about an extraordinary beauty, Lavinia Fisher, a serial killer who roams the streets in her wedding gown. Catch a glimpse of the small apparitions of children playing in the Holy City's cemeteries. Encounter the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe on the beaches of Sullivan's Island. Enjoy these and other accounts of spine-tingling paranormal events showcasing a link between the past and modern-day ghostly experiences.

Nancy Roberts has often been described to as the "First Lady of American Folklore" and the title is well deserved. Throughout her decades-long career, Roberts documented supernatural experiences and interviewed hundreds of people about their recollections of encounters with the supernatural. This nationally renowned writer began her undertaking in this ghostly realm as a freelance writer for the Charlotte Observer. Encouraged by Carl Sandburg, who enjoyed her stories and articles, Roberts wrote her first book in 1958. Aptly called a "custodian of the twilight zone" by Southern Living magazine, Roberts based her suspenseful stories on interviews and her rich knowledge of American folklore. Her stories were always rooted in history, which earned her a certificate of commendation from the American Association of State and Local History for her books on the Carolinas and Appalachia.

Taken from real-life occurrences and from Carolina Lowcountry lore this collection introduces 32 ghost stories that will make your hair stand on end. Why did Joe Baldwins headless body once roam Macos train tracks? What happened to grave robbers and curious kids when they came too close to the cursed crypt? Why do drops of blood continuously appear on the floorboards of the Cape Romain Lighthouse? Discover these tales, and many more.