From 1802 to 1939, The Old City Jail housed some of Charleston’s worst criminals. When plans for the city were being made in 1680, ideas were put on the books for 4 acres to be known as the city jail. When it was first built it included the jail, hospital, poor house, and a workhouse for runaway slaves. The building is four stories and is topped with a two-story octagonal tower. In 1855, local architects, Barbot and Seyler, expanded the main building and added on a rear octagonal wing. The structure did retain damage to the tower and top story of the main building during the 1886 earthquake. The building is in the Romanesque Revival Style.
The jail housed many 19th-century pirates, Civil War prisoners, and murderers such as John and Laviria Fisher and their gang. This was where Denmark Vasey planned his slave revolt and where he spent his last days until he was hanged. As a result of his actions, hundreds of slaves were imprisoned, as were white supporters. Due to the planned activities, free black seamen were remanded to the jail while their ships were in port.
Today this historical structure is under the auspices of the American College of Building Arts. The building is undergoing restoration and is used for school offices. It is also where you take Bulldog Tours' Haunted Jail Tour. This is where our adventure began.
My friend Cynthia and her husband Don joined John and I for this night of spooky fun. We started our spectral night off right by dining at Charleston’s most haunted restaurant, Poogan’s Porch (review to follow in an upcoming journal). Even at the end of February, the night time breezes were mild, so we parked nearby and opted to walk the few blocks to the jail rather than try to find parking. As you round the corner, you are awe-struck by this massive fortress and you know, by golly, that this place has to be haunted.
We joined a few others waiting for their nighttime adventures. We arrived about 10 minutes before our 9 o’clock date with mayhem and our guide, Suzann. We laughed and chatted with the ever-increasing number of willing participants waiting to have the stuffing scared out of them. At about 9pm, Suzann arrived and we waited around for a few more guests to show. A few minutes later, off we went. You first pass through the large, impregnable wall that surrounds the jail. Then you are ushered up the side of the building and into what would have been the warden’s area where prisoners were received. Your eyes are drawn to the creaky rounding staircase, complete with oversized chains reminding you to keep out.
You then go into the first room on the left where prisoners were often tortured. There is a set of ropes that give you an idea of what was done to offenders and, on this night, a young man from NJ got to play guinea pig. You are then ushered into a room where up to several hundred prisoners were kept at one time. Suzann spins her stories of the ungodly things those poor souls were subjected to. Then, without warning, she walks out, shuts the door, and turns the lights out. Giving us the idea of the foreboding grimness under which these men suffered. Not exactly a settling feeling. Then you take a peak inside several other cells and continue up stairs.
You enter a room where prisoners were often shackled and bound. You can still see the shackles left behind. You can't help noticing there is very little in the way of light and ventilation for these men. This must have been almost maddening. As you are standing in this dimly lit room, Suzann comes up behind you, walks around you, and gets close, all while telling stories of what unspeakable atrocities were committed again the inmates; jarring to say the least.
You're then off to another darkened room and more stories. Here, amongst the pealing paint on the walls, you can make out shapes and profiles of the men who took their last breaths and whose spirits have never left. This room, as Suzann tells us, is reported to be the most haunted and where most people have their encounters. And I must admit I had some weird stuff show up in my pictures in this room. Then back out, into a few other rooms, and now our tour has come to an end.
I will be the first to admit I am attracted to the macabre. I have literally dozens of books on the supernatural and ghosts sitting on my shelf. I love a good ghost story. John and I have taken dozens of tours here and abroad, and even stayed in a haunted place or two, but the only supernatural occurrence I have ever had before this was also in Charleston where I got a sharp pain in my back right where a gentleman had been stabbed during a duel. Naysayers may think I just moved the wrong way while traversing cobblestone streets and back alleys, but I had a really unusual experience here.
I have major allergies and I especially have problems with old musty buildings and mold. So I often find myself having a hard time breathing in historical places. Here I was fine until we started going back into the cells and especially when we were in the cell where we were left in the dark and where most of the haunting activities are reported. I felt almost like someone was standing on my chest. Now if this has just been allergies I would have felt it throughout the building, not in just select places, and the minute we walked outside, I felt fine. Ponder that.
Should you like to see this magnificent and impressive building, there are two ways to do it: You can call the college at (843) 577-5245 and arrange to tour the building or, better yet, take the haunted tour with Bulldog Tours like we did. Should you have Suzann as your guide, you’re in luck. She is a very gifted storyteller who will have even the hardiest shaking in their boots.
Times/admission/info.
The Haunted Jail Tour lasts about 45 minutes. You meet at the jail located off Logan St. I would highly suggest parking up on Meeting or Bay St. near their office and walking the few blocks. You can not park in front of the jail and parking in the area at night is not recommended. Please note that due to the structure of the building, the tour is not handicapped accessible and you must be able to climb steep stairs in order to enjoy the tour.
Times: 7 pm, 8 pm, 9 pm, and 10 pm during high season and Halloween.
Admission: $18 adults. $10 children(7-12)
Advanced tickers are required. You can purchase tickets on line or call (843) 722-TOUR to make reservations. You do need to pay and pick up tickets before the tour. Your guide does not have tickets with them.
Website: www.bulldogtours.com
The company also runs several other haunted tours including the Ghosts and Dungeon Tours, The Dark side of Charleston, and Ghosts and Graveyards. For those who like their tours a little less colorful, they do offer the Historic Charleston Walking Tour and carriage rides. They are located on N. Market St. near the Market. You can go on-line or grab a brochure for a $2 coupon.
The company is one of the most popular in Charleston and has been featured in USA Today, Southern Living Magazine, NY Times, and on CMT. With such wonderful guides as Suzann, it is easy to see why.
Very highly recommended