Salem Black River Church and cemetery

Salem Black River Church and cemetery, Sumter SC

This church is one of the first brick churches built in the state, and was supposedly built around 1846. This place has a dark feel to it to some who have entered it's gates, and sometimes you will even get a feeling of fear rush over you. From the churches Greek Revival architecture, it's solid columns standing tall, it's brick walls scaling over you, the cemetery's mossy atmosphere full of trees and thick brush, it's easy to say that spirits do no rest here. The churches worship hall even has a slave gallery, and who knows what type of evil could have been committed on it's grounds. Many call this The Southern Belle ghost, but there are more spirits that await within the churches grounds.

It is said that the church and it's two graveyards are haunted by a priest from the 1900's, his family may even walk these grounds. A plague had come over his family and killed everyone except him, he was the last member alive, during this time, he began to curse god, start satanic seances, and commit satanic mischief within the churches grounds. There is an old shack behind the church that apparently used to be his, some have said they have seen a solid dark figure standing inside while the lights are on, considering there is no glass on the windows on it anymore, it can be seen easier. The first cemetery apparently just has normal people buried within it's grounds, but the graveyard in the back, is where all of the priests reside, though that cemetery seems to be covered by thick brush and to many plants and trees to get through. Though some people have said once they have gotten to the far end of the first graveyard to the gate in the back, they could hear slight talking and whispers coming from within those trees. 

It is also not uncommon for cold spots to show up and temperatures to drop in different spots, more so in the back of the cemetery, cell phones and cameras have lost battery life here, along with seeing orbs, lights, an over whelming feeling that something is watching you, hearing whispers and even seeing a glimpse of what people say is the priest, some have even said to see a woman like figure walking through the cemetery with what seems to be an antebellum type dress which looks like it can be from the Civil War era. 

Though there seems to be one active spirit which has been seen, and it seems to be the lonely spirit of a little boy, he appears to be in between the ages 6 to 8, and is often seen near the front of the graveyard near the front gate and was described as being very sad and depressed, some have said to have heard a faint crying sound coming from the gate, and by the sounds you can tell that this spirit is in pain and grieving.

With my experience at this church, I have noticed my phone and camera batteries being completely drained, along with an over whelming feeling that I was being watched, I know for sure that I have seen a figure in the very back that looked like a mans figure, but once I shined the last bit of light from my flashlight in that direction, something dashed out of it's way, I have also heard a faint crying sound, I have yet to see the woman that is claimed to be there, so I can't say that she is there for sure. I wanted to walk through to the back to see the gravestones, because I have seen some unmarked graves out there, but once I got close to where the trees line the path to the back, a very cold chill ran down my spine and a cold rush of air brushed against my face, it even happend to my friend that went with me at the time as well and we tried that at different times. When in fact no wind was blowing that night. 

Though this is still one of my favorite cemeteries to visit, it has a dark beauty within it's gates.

Jacksonboro Light

Parkers Ferry road, Jacksonboro SC

In the town of Jacksonboro SC, many people have claimed Parkers Ferry Road to be haunted, more so by the ghost of a preacher, he is said to carry a lantern while he is walking. The story has it, that a little girl had wondered off a bit to far from her house, considering this road is heavily wooded on both sides and it was getting darker by the minute, the family grew frantic, so the preacher set off into the night, lit a lantern to guide his way and searched the road and the woods and apparently got struck by a passing train on his search for his daughter which he never found, no one knows what had become of the daughter either. To this day it is said that the preacher still continues to search the road for her with the light of a swinging lantern which sometimes is accompanied by the sound of a train whistle.

People have said different stories and some may even be fabricated to up the experience of it, only you know what the experience will be like if you happen to see it for yourself one day. Many people have mentioned seeing a yellow swinging light coming towards them while they are on the road, others have parked there car and flickered there lights on and off a few times, then noticed a swinging light coming towards them that even turned an eerie red color, some have even said that they have heard the train whistle and have seen a white mass walking holding the lantern as it is swinging back and forth. Though once it got close enough to your car and you turned your lights back on, it disappeared. Some have said if the lanterns light touched your car it would not turn back on for a bit, and someone has even said to have seen a little girl, maybe age 6 or 7 come out of the woods from the right and walk to the center of the road and then turn towards the the car, some have said that when the light got close enough to them, it would still follow them for about 1/2 a mile. Some have even said they yelled out that the daughter wouldn't be found and watched the lanterns light turn to an eerie red.

I myself have not been down this road at night, so I can not say if some of these stories are true, but according to some, it is said if you want the light to appear quicker, bring a lady friend with you, no idea why, but this is what they say. Once you are there, they say to park your car, turn it off and blink your lights at least 5 times or so, or go by the church, blink your lights a few times, then go park your car, turn the engine off and then you may start to see a faint glow of light coming down the road. 

Oakwood Cemetery (Hell's gate)

Oakwood Cemetery, Spartanburg SC.

Oakwood Cemetery, nick named Hell's gate, is one of South Carolina's oldest and largest cemeteries, it dates back to the 1600's if I am thinking right. This cemetery has a reputation for being one of the most haunted places in SC, it is home to a number of ghosts and paranormal activities, it is also home to satanic rituals. There is a place in the back of the graveyard down a hill named Potters Field, where it is said that people perform satanic rituals during the witching hour. How ever, it is also said if you see them you should not go down there or around them, you also should not go alone, they do not take kindly to strangers and have even chased and tried to hurt the people passing through. Many people apparently disturb the grave sites as well and have even dug bodies up and have stolen skulls, many people have reported that when they passed through they have seen people in Potter's field with skulls.

This cemetery is close to Converse College and has been known as a place for those looking to add a little bit of excitement to their lives. The oldest part of the cemetery is said to be the most haunted which according to others, seems to be the children's graveyard or the part where the poorest people were buried.  Many have mentioned having fully charged cell phones and cameras completely die out, even experienced ghost hunters that have come to this area have claimed their equipment was drained of power by being in the cemetery only for a short while. Others have claimed to have been touched, seen orbs, felt cold spots and drops of temperature in a lot of spots, seen shadows, many have claimed that there is something out there that waits and watches them from some unseen vantage point, heard children laughing and singing, some have even said to have seen the ghosts of children playing among the tombstones.

The most noticeable of all though seems to be the spirit of a young boy who was said to have fallen to his death off the hill by Potter's field while his mother was by another grave. Many have reported this little boy coming up to them with a ball in his hands asking them to play with him before he fades away. A lot of people have reported other children coming up to them and asking them to play as well. There is a lot of well known politicians and judges buried in this cemetery as well, but there is also a lot of children and the poor buried there.

This place seems to hold a very eerie feeling and even a sad feeling to others who have been there, I myself have been to this place, but like I said, I wouldn't recommend going there alone if you choose to walk through, not only because of the spirits, but because of the living.