Thousands haunt Charleston's Old City Jail

The hour was late, it was dark and no one walked the streets of Charleston in this area of the historic city — not even on a lovely springtime Friday evening. Nothing spooked us, however, until we turned the corner and spotted the Old City Jail, a three-story massive structure that easily raised hairs on the back of our necks. Bulldog Tours staff members stood sentinel outside the Old City Jail, otherwise we might have turned tail and ran.

Bulldog offers ghost tours nightly at the historic jail located at 21 Magazine Street. This monstrosity was built in 1802 on what was once Potter's Field, according to Sean, our ghost guide for the evening. So while there were numerous deaths inside the old jail (we'll get to that in a minute), there were dead people beneath our feet as well. Apparently, indigent and John Doe's found dead on the streets of old Charleston were buried on this spot. And, in addition to the jail housing criminals, the Union Army took over the place during the Civil War and housed prisoners of war inside while hundreds of Union soldiers camped out in the yard.

Here's why it's haunted - the giant building had no electricity, running water and other necessities to make life bearable so many inmates died within its walls. Sean claims 14,000 died here. That's quite a number. And many died of starvation, dehydration and sometimes murder by the hands of other inmates.

There are numerous stories about the old jail, including one regarding Lavina Fisher and her husband John, who were arrested and convicted, along with other members of her gang, of highway robbery. The charge was a capital offense and the couple sentenced to hang. John claimed he was innocent but forgave the executioners, Sean told us, but Lavina didn't go down so easily. She ranted and raved all the way to the top of the gallows. The legend has it that she told the minister, "If you want a message to send to hell, give it to me and I'll carry it." Sean believes the truth is less dramatic, that Lavina wasn't cursing out the executioners but rather calmed down and uttered a similar phrase believing she might actually be heading in that direction.

Regardless, Lavina Fisher supposedly haunts the jail.

There's some nasty folks haunting the third floor, including a guy Sean names Hank. One notorious fellow pushed a tour guide down the stairs, sending her to the ER. And some believe convicted pirates might be hovering about. On the ground floor a visitor caught a particularly spooky shadow figure floating across his camera.

By the tour's end my companion and I hadn't seen or heard a ghost but we certainly didn't mind leaving that creepy place. I did get a nice solid orb on one photo (at right). You be the judge.

The Old City Jail, by the way, closed in 1939. It had a long history, from the time of Thomas Jefferson's presidency to World War II.

Haunted Deep South is written by travel writer Chere Dastugue Coen, author of Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana.

Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana, booksignings this month

            Ghost stories abound in the Cajun and Creole city of Lafayette, Louisiana. The Hub City boasts a multitude of spirits and specters, from those lost in Civil War skirmishes and fever outbreaks to those souls that simply can’t say goodbye. Today, they wander the halls of bed-and-breakfasts and restaurants and linger along back roads and cemeteries. Pirates are rumored to guard buried treasure, and ancient French legends hide in the swamps, bayous and woods. 

            I visited Lafayette’s haunted sites and traveled the countryside in search of ghostly legends found only in South Louisiana and published "Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana," with The History Press.

            Just in time for Halloween I will be signing copies of “Haunted Lafayette” at the following:

Oct. 17, 2015: I will sign “Haunted Lafayette” as well as “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History” from 10 a.m. to noon at 1921 Jackson Street: A Coffee House in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Oct. 31, 2015: I will sign “Haunted Lafayette” and her other books — “Exploring Cajun Country,” “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History” and “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets” — from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Barnes & Noble Lafayette.

Cross Timbers Winery offers variety of spirits

The historic Grapevine, Texas, home

            There’s more spirits than just wine at the Cross Timbers Winery in Grapevine, Texas. Some claim the former owner of the historic home still resides within its walls, letting guests and staff aware of her presence on many occasions.

            And then there’s the 12 spirits in the barn.

            The winery began as a farm in 1871 when Dr. William E. Dorris moved to Texas from Starkville, Miss. It passed through several hands before Patti Weatherman purchased the L-plan farmhouse with clapboard siding, gabled roof, front porch and folk Victorian stylings.

            Patti came down with pneumonia, according to current owner Don Bigbie. Her fireplace had been built improperly and was unable to provide much heat so in her sickness Patti moved her cot next to the wooden stove for warmth. She later died in the kitchen.

Storage units

             Those who have worked in the house or have visited the winery have captured flashes of light on photographs and on the winery’s night cameras. Odd unexplained images appear in wedding photos as well; the winery accommodates about 120 weddings a year on its lovely grounds.

            The first time Bigbie had an encounter with Patti was arriving at the winery and finding the built-in storage units — which are located up high — opened.

            “We came in the morning and all those units were opened and they were not easy to open,” he said.

            Patti had kept her Christmas decorations in the units and once the staff removed them and decorated the house, the phenomenum ceased.

            “The minute I did that the activity stopped,” Bigbie said.

            Another time Bigbie heard someone knocking at the front door but every time he appeared at the threshold there was no one there. Finally, he came up to the door and peered out, wondering to himself if it was Patti making mischief. At that moment, the window blinds began to hum.

            “I promise you the minute I had that thought that shade starting shaking,” he said.

            People who have visited the winery have reported feeling that the house was haunted. Two guests even located Patti’s exact place of death in the kitchen. “The odds of that happening just don’t compute at all,” Bigbie said.

            But the strangest part of this story is the barn. When the North Texas Paranormal Society arrived to check out the property, according to Bigbie, they found 12 spirits in the upper levels of the barn. The current barn structure is not original to the property. The previous barn was razed in 1975 but replaced in 2001 by a structure that fits the 1800s footprint of the original barn. So far, no one knows why a dozen members of the afterlife hang out there.

            A visit to Cross Timbers is anything but scary. The quaint home features a tasting bar and gift shop. Group wine tastings and special events occur on the grounds which include a gazebo and expansive patio. The gracious 200-year-old on the property has become the image on wine bottles and the nearby shed was the original carriage house that housed the first Model T Ford in Tarrant County.

            Cross Timbers Winery is located at 805 N. Main St. in Grapevine. For information, visit www.crosstimberswinery.com.

Haunted Deep South is written by travel writer Cheré Coen, author of Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana by The History Press. She writes the Viola Valentine paranormal mystery series under the pen name of Cherie Claire.

Marland's Bridge may be bridge to another world

            Arguably the most haunted area near Lafayette is just outside the town of Sunset, named by railroad workers who finished the job at dusk where the town is now located — or so the story goes. Marland’s Bridge, next to Chretien Point Plantation is the site of a Civil War battle known as the November 3, 1863, Battle of Bayou Bourbeau between Union troops under the leadership of Brigadier General Stephen G. Burbridge and approaching Confederate troops led by Brigadier General Thomas Green. The Confederates took the Union forces by surprise and chaos ensued, resulting in a solid victory for the South.

            The hero of the day was twenty-three-year-old Lieutenant William Marland of the Second Massachusetts artillery. When Texans approached and appeared to be about to capture him, Marland charged the bridge across Bayou Bourbeau. The surprise action forced the Texans to jump off the bridge into the water and Marland escaped. He was later honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his brave actions that day.

            Today the bridge is named for Marland, but that may not be a good thing, for folks near and far claim the bridge and area around the bayou as haunted. Locals have reported seeing unusual lights and hearing strange noises near the bridge, plus a woman wearing white has been spotted walking on the bridge — and she’s anything but alive.

            LouisianaSpirits made several visits to Marland’s Bridge and recorded unusual phenomena and “a large orange light crossing the bridge.” The photo is posted on their web site.

            GhostsN Spectors of Breaux Bridge experienced paranormal activity on three occasions at the bridge, including “phantom smells, disembodied voices, sub-zero temperature drops, unexplained free floating EMFs (Electro Magnetic Fields), shadow figures, feelings of being watched, feeling that you are being touched, and growls emanating from unknown origins…,” they reported on their web site.

            “One of our parked vehicles had the head lights and interior lights turned on when all investigators were across the bridge and this phenomena took place at the time we captured an EVP saying ‘get in your truck and leave,’” they claimed on the web site report, along with a recording of the actual EVP. “While walking the area on the anniversary of the battle, an investigator complained of sudden pain in the arm as if she’d been struck with something. After removing a jacket and rolling up a sleeve, a round red mark about the size of a dime was visible. The investigator reported feeling as if she’d been ‘hit’ with something small and it burned like being stabbed with a hot iron. The description of the sensation is similar to that given by gunshot victims. The pain eased after about thirty minutes but the mark lasted a few hours then faded.”
             They have posted paranormal activity — in this case EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) — on their web site as well.

This was excerpted from "Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana" by Cheré Coen, published by The History Press.

Ghost hunting in New Orleans

            The lights dimmed in the historic ballroom of the Bourbon Orleans and only the sound of Chip Coffey’s voice could be heard. The medium known for A&E’s “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal” was in New Orleans to promote his latest book, “Growing Up Psychic,” and after an introductory session wanted to see if the ballroom’s ghosts were real.

            The French Quarter hotel owns a long and varied history, first built as the Théâtre d’Orléans (Orleans Theater) with accompanying ballroom, then as the site for the Quadroon Balls, where light-skinned African American women became mistresses to Creole men through “plaçage” or a strict social arrangement. One of those women, Henriette DeLille, chose the church instead, forming a small congregation known as the Sisters of the Holy Family. The nuns later purchased the Orleans Ballroom.

            Today, the Sisters have moved to a different area of the city and the old buildings have been torn down and replaced for the gracious Bourbon Orleans hotel, complete with restaurant, center pool and patio area and lounge. The historic ballroom remains, however, the only original structure of the early incantation.

            Also remaining are a few ghosts.

            “We’ve done a lot of investigations in here,” explained Etienne Skrabo, an intuitive and tour guide with Gray Line Tours.

            Skrabo identified one of the ghosts as “Giselle,” a woman who received two contracts while visited the balls. The first gentleman died and the other left, Skrabo explained, and Giselle presently hangs out by the ballroom’s chandelier or looking forlorn while gazing out the ballroom windows.

            Another ghost is the Confederate soldier, a hazy apparition who floats through the hallways. On one occasion, a tourist captured the soldier in a photo, standing right behind Skrabo as he performed his tour.

6th Floor Hallway

            But the ghosts that Coffey picked up on the night he visited were the small children playing about, causing havoc with his flashlights. Coffey demonstrated an easy way to perform ghost hunting, by turning an LED flashlight off but by a hair, so that a small movement would cause it to turn back on. Once the two flashlights were off and sitting on the desk before him, Coffey asked the spirits present to turn them back on.

            They came on instantly. And then it happened again. And again.

            Back and forth the flashlights flickered while he asked questions, sometimes in response to his questions, sometimes just for fun.

            “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Coffey said.

            During his appearance in the Bourbon Orleans ballroom, Coffey felt the presence of two children and he believed their actions with the flashlights were mischievous. Skrabo confirmed that children have been seen in the hotel — the non-living kind — including a blond girl who plays on the staircase and enters hotel rooms, causing mischief. When the nuns owned the building they operated an orphanage and many children died in 1888 during a yellow fever epidemic.

Room 644

            I recently returned to the Bourbon Orleans to learn more about the apparitions haunting the hotel and the owners graciously placed me in the most haunted corner, Room 644. I’m not afraid of ghosts. After spending my career writing about ghost stories for south Louisiana newspapers and magazines, and just finishing my “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” book for The History Press, I was eager to see one for myself.

Room 644

            Legend has it that a nun committed suicide in Room 644, although the Sisters of the Holy Family have never confirmed such an event. The hotel claims that cries can be heard in this rooftop room over looking the city and actor James Franco, who stayed in the room during a recent film shoot, experienced the water faucet turning on and off on its own accord.

            Sadly, I experienced nothing. However, another travel writer in my party, only a few doors down, was kept up all night by an unseen hand turning the television on and off. She later related to me that she’s a sensitive, someone who picks up the paranormal easily and, like me, aren’t afraid of ghosts. But she did move to a different hotel to get some sleep. That night, I lingered in the hallway and invited whatever ghosts might be traveling the sixth floor into my room. But again, nothing.

            I spent the rest of my weekend in New Orleans sampling spirits of another variety, such as the refreshing cucumber martini in the Vive! Lounge of Hotel le Marais, a sazerac in the Sazerac Bar of the Roosevelt Hotel (does Huey Long haunt his old stomping ground?) and some amazing wine selections at Patrick’s Bar Vin in the Hotel Mazarin.

            What I did experience, however, was a long parade of stories from everyone I met. From the young ghostly girl who “travels” through the French Quarter, being seen at various hotels, to the smoking Confederate soldier who hangs out on the balcony of the Audubon Cottages. Muriel’s Restaurant in Jackson Square has its share, and then there’s the infamous Lalaurie Mansion, which could be its own story.
            Bottom line, if you visit New Orleans looking for ghosts, chances are you’ll find them, whether in person pulling your toes in the middle of the night, or in a great story told over a delicious cocktail.

This story was originally published in October, 2013, in City Social of Baton Rouge. Cheré Coen is the author of “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana,” now on sale from The History Press.