The Battery
Charleston, South Carolina
By Shannon Reinbold-Gee
In a place known for Southern hospitality, it’s no wonder that some residents would want to linger. But the residents of some Charleston, South Carolina haunts seem unwilling to ever let go… Even after death.
Charleston’s Battery, also known as White Point Gardens, sits on the edge of the meeting place of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Long before the area became a scenic retreat and peaceful park, both Fort Broughton (established around 1735) and later Fort Wilkins occupied what was then known as White or Oyster Point, named for the eerie white and skeletal piles of bleached oyster shells covering the peninsula’s point. The Battery has been a place of conflict since its colonial beginnings. Frequented by pirates and later a key location as Charleston tried to defend itself from the Union’s invasion during the Civil War, Charleston’s Battery has seen enough death to explain it being haunted.
“Charleston’s Most Haunted Inn”
Behind the wrought iron gates of “No. 20,” known more popularly as the Battery Carriage House Inn, ghosts have continued on well beyond their expected stays. Built in 1843, the battery Carriage House is part of a larger, private home, but visitors who dare overnight are welcomed by the B&B’s staff. Heavy footsteps are heard on stairways where no one is seen walking. Strange glowing masses appear, change shape and fade away and cell phones act oddly in Room 3 of the Inn. Shutters open and close on their own and some visitors report seeing faces on one of the Inn’s beautiful mirrors.
Beginning in the early 1990s, reports started coming in about more oddities. People report feeling like they were being watched in the middle of the night, and perhaps most disturbing of all, some visitors claim to have seen a headless torso dressed in layers of clothing, overcoat on top haunting Room 8.
The strange headless torso is thought to be either the remnants of a colonial pirate or a man from the Civil War period. His overcoat is of a coarse material, which, depending on additional details could belong to a man of either historical period. Speculation rages over the figure’s identity and people get an uneasy feeling when he appears. He is possibly one of the many pirates and near-do-wells that met their end “dancing the hempen jig” in 1718 when Charleston tried and hanged nearly 50 pirates. Charleston was overrun by pirates and was one of Blackbeard’s favorite ports. Anne Cormac (later Anne Bonny, the famous female pirate) grew up in the area and met her husband, pirate James Bonny in Charleston. It was from Charleston that Blackbeard kidnapped Council member Samuel Wragg and his young son, holding them hostage until his crew received necessary medicines. Stede Bonnet, “the Gentleman Pirate” met his end at the end of a hangman’s noose after his pleas were ignored. He was buried on White Point Shoal (now the Battery Garden); although most pirates were dumped unceremoniously into the ocean. Is it possible Bonnet still roams the area, displaced and angry, threatening in a raspy, breathy way because his final words were useless?
The other frequent ghostly visitor is the “gentleman ghost.” It is believed that the gentleman ghost is the spirit of a well-bred well-educated young man whose family owned the house decades ago. A college student with a supposedly sensitive nature, the young gentleman jumped to his death, leaving his motivation a mystery to friends and family alike. Now he seems to frequent Room 10 of the Inn, ghosting by like little more than a shadow—sometimes with the scent of fresh soap as if he’s just bathed. Occasionally he is rumored to take a liking to certain members of the opposite sex, ghosting nearby them and giving the sensation he is lying beside them, his arm gently around them.
Whether you visit Charleston’s Battery for its history or the pleasant Southern hospitality and authentic warmth, be aware you may not be alone—even in your most private moments!
37 comments on this haunted house. Share your story »
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Claude says: |
October 30, 2008, 9:47 am |
Lived in Charleston over 53 years and spent much time at Fenwick Hall Plantation.Saw and heard many unexplained things such as a statue becoming life like, turning it’s head to stare at me. Also many sightings of a headless horseman roaming the grounds, who is suppose to be an Irish stble boy who ran away with Lord Fenwick’s daughter and Lord Fenwick caught them and had her slap the horse to hang the stable boy who was beheaded.She never left the house and supposively died of a broken heart.Of course she inhabits the house now. I believe.
sinky says: |
October 30, 2008, 11:24 am |
oh my are these real gohst
Henry Westermeyer says: |
November 19, 2008, 3:43 pm |
Went to Charleston South Carolina this summer for our late honeymoon. Went on quite a few ghost tours but went on a history tour and he has lived their his whole life and said no ghost sightings until after 50’s when tourism started to boom. Charleston is beautiful and would love to go back again but for what I don’t know?
Sid says: |
December 11, 2008, 1:23 am |
There aren’t any ghosts stories at this web site, however there are great photos.
Travey says: |
December 22, 2008, 5:16 pm |
I saw the haunted here because I live in James Island, Charleston. Very spooky but I was interested. I had written some facts about the haunted house. I heard there were ghosts. So I said there is no real ghosts in James Island, Charleston. I want to visit again.
Abigail says: |
January 29, 2009, 4:50 pm |
I grew up in Charleston, and while I have never heard anything of the Battery itself being haunted, I have heard of many of the houses that line the other side of East Bay St. being haunted. Also the Old Exchange Building’s dungeon is rumored to be haunted. There is also an alley called Bloody Alley where Blackbeard himself had over 300 KNOWN duels, as well as the many other people who favored that alley to duel in. Washington Park as well as a house across the street are supposedly haunted. Also the Circular Church Cemetary is rumored to be haunted as well. There are many other spot, but as far as the Battery itself being haunted, I have never heard or experienced that one myself.
Jessie says: |
March 9, 2009, 10:59 pm |
I lived in North Charlston when I was a little girl. I was about seven or so. My family and I lived in one of the newer housing editions at the time, and me and my siblings were always seeing crazy things. We were really too young to know much about ghosts or really even be freaked out by it. But when I think back on all the things that we saw as kids, I know that charelston is haunted.
Joanna Michaels says: |
August 8, 2009, 8:01 pm |
I have just returned from Charleston. While there I went on two ghost tours: the old jailhouse and a graveyard. I snapped a picture in the jailhouse when the tour guide felt a cold spot and caught orbs. I took more than a dozen photos in the graveyard and caught just one orb. It’s true that they could just be dust particles, but I don’t think so.
Brad says: |
September 9, 2009, 11:46 pm |
I live in summerville about 15 min out side of charleston. There are more hunted place then posted here, Monks Corner cherry hill chapel, Summerville parks graveyard and light road. I have done alot of studies on hauntings in my area. In total i have found around 10-15 haunted places in the charleston, summerville, monks corner, and some small towns in between. All of these towns are 15-20 mins apart and all you have to do is ask and everyone knows where these places are. I have been to the jail and dungeon downtown, yet nothing had hit me as hard as when i went to cherry hill church in monks corner. This and a few other “houses” that have been abandoned for some time are really good places to go yet you can get in trouble for being there. I havent done any video or anything like that but i have had a lot of personal experiences. Do some more research i found a website once that had a list of 30 or more places in these areas that are supposed to be haunted. i have been to a few and nothing happened and a few where alot happened. For non believers come with me one night to cherry hill and i bet you wont be around for long.
Cymone says: |
September 10, 2009, 8:21 pm |
I live in the Charleston area and I’ve walked past the Carriage House Inn plenty of times. Me and my boyfriend were walking back to the car and he suddenly stopped in front of the house and was like “DID YOU SEE THAT?!” The first thing I thought to do was RUN. That’s just me. On other occasions… my aunt and her fiancee went down there and it wasn’t the carriage house but my aunt is some what of a medium… she can see Things Perseid. She decided to take a picture of one of the houses because she said she suddenly felt something inside. She took the picture… brought it home and showed us on the Wii. In the window there were at least 5 ghosts in that window. Transparent but almost a bright enuff white/glow to see it vividly. And then in the other window was a man peeking out from behind the drapes. The Battery….? Haunted Indeed.
Ebonne says: |
September 23, 2009, 9:23 am |
Hey this is nothing but lies cause I went there and nothing happened I mean it’s nothing but a bunch of bologna!!! I was very disappointed really disappointed!!!1
Kate Kellner says: |
October 30, 2009, 5:38 pm |
If anyone lives in NJ there is a place called the “spy House” In No. jersey. I will never go there again. I was standing talking to my daughter when I had the program ripped out of my hand and thrown across the room. I wanted to leave then but was pressured to stay. We walked up the stairs and both of us felt dizzy and nauseous. When we came down one of the attendants heard us and told us a young girl many years ago fell down those stairs and died. For those who don’t believe and want to see if for themselves, go there.
Scott says: |
November 23, 2009, 3:23 pm |
The spookiest place in Charleston is an old jail near Colonial Lake – on Franklin Street, if I remember correctly. I get chills just walking by that place in daylight, and it just looks like a place that is haunted. Very creepy indeed. Definitely off the beaten path away from tourist activity.
Bryan says: |
December 3, 2009, 10:17 pm |
Yeah, Charleston is a great place. I was stationed there for three years and lived there for five…I did experience some things, non in downtown though, I lived in a horrible little place in Goosecreek. As far as the slave market…from what ive been told (not saying this is a fact) by two seperate historians (charlestons full of them) slaves were never sold there, supposedly its a marketing scheme (?) Any way, battery was my “lets get sobered up before hitting the next bar” place…even drunk I never saw anything. Beautiful area though.
Bob says: |
March 5, 2010, 11:51 pm |
I lived in Chucktown for many, many years and spent countless evenings walking downtown and along the Battery. Never once saw anything supernatural. Now, the Dock Street Theater is a completely different story. I was involved in production work on several plays there and have experienced several unexplainable things which scared the daylights out of me.
Bryan says: |
March 9, 2010, 4:42 am |
I have lived in Charleston for 26 years and I have had many experiences with paranormal activity. I have lived in houses where I experienced things and I have been Downtown (not on any tours) when I’ve had feelings that my friends and I were not alone. I haven’t experienced anything at The Battery where I’ve read is supposed to have activity but I do not like to be Downtown after sundown. The real reason anyone should come to Charleston is to see the beauty of the area and to just bask in the culture of my hometown.
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John says:
October 5, 2008, 8:51 pm
Yea man, it is haunted all right. Check out http://WWW.PARANORMALKNOWLEDGE.COM
to read more about anything that is paranormal!