#6

Old City Jail

21 Magazine Street

Charleston, SC

The Old City Jail, located in Charleston, SC, was operational from 1802 until 1939.

This building is creepy in the daytime and even creepier at night. I have a personal experience with this site--I was on a midnight ghost tour and caught several orbs on film. I had two separate paranormal investigators confirm that the spots seen were indeed orbs and not just dust specks. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell you where those pictures have gone since but it was a super cool experience!

The Jail is located near downtown Charleston and was used to house notorious criminals as well as Civil War prisoners. Considering that it was operational for 137 years, quite a few things happened at this site. The original building was 4 stories and had an octagonal 2 story tower. An earthquake in 1886 caused significant damage so 1 story was removed as well as the tower. The plot of land that the Jail is built on also contained a hospital, a poor house, and a workhouse for runaway slaves from it's conception in 1680 as land designated for public use. Only the Jail stands today. It was used (in the daytime) by the American College for the Building Arts from 2000-2016 as a school but has since been purchased by a real estate developer and is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Jail housed several well-known criminals throughout the years.

1. Lavinia Fisher: believed to be the first female serial killer in the United States. She and her husband, John Fisher, were residents of Charleston although her origins are unknown. It is thought that she was born in 1793. Lavinia and John Fisher owned an inn 6 miles north of town and aptly named the Six Mile Wayfarer House. Lavinia allegedly targeted single travelers as they arrived to the inn and would ask them, in a roundabout way, about how much they had on them. If she liked their answer, she would give them a cup of poisoned tea after dinner. After this, accounts vary on what happened. Some accounts claim that as soon as the guest drank the poisoned tea and fell unconscious, John Fisher would go into their room and stab them to seal the deal then rob them. Other accounts claim that Lavinia would wait until they fell unconscious in their bed; she would then enter the room, pull a lever, and the bed would fall into a pit where spikes awaited at the bottom. Several complaints were made to the local police about travelers disappearing after checking into the Six Mile Wayfarer House but an official investigation was never done about any alleged murders. A group of local vigilantes decided to take matters into their own hands once they realized the police weren't going to step in. This group went into the Fisher's community and tried to clean up the streets. Believing that the problem was solved, the group goes on their way but leaves 1 guy, David Ross, to keep an eye on everything. The Fishers and their friends were not happy about this turn of events and wanted revenge on the vigilantes. They find David Ross and attack him the very next day. David assumes that Lavinia will be his savior but alas, she chokes him and smashes his head through a window. By a stroke of luck, David Ross escapes his captors and immediately tells police what is going on. Right after David Ross' escape, a traveler by the name of John Peeples stops by the inn and inquires about vacancies. John is told by Lavinia that there is not a room open but he is welcome to come in and have a cup of tea. John hates tea but wants to be polite, so he dumps his tea out while Lavinia isn't looking. Lavinia then questions him about his finances, which makes John uncomfortable but he rolls with it. Magically, Lavinia remembers that there is a room available which she offers to John. John accepts the room but feels like something is really off about the inn & it's keepers. He decides to sleep in a chair by the door in case something happens. John must have had a premonition because he is awoken in the middle of the night by a loud noise & sees the bed collapsing through the floor. He escapes out of the window and tells the police what just happened. Prior to this, the police had a lot of theories and concerns but no proof. Now knowing exactly what was happening and who was responsible, the police go to the inn to arrest the Fishers. John and Lavinia Fisher, along with two other gang members, were arrested and taken to jail. They pleaded not guilty but were found guilty & convicted of highway robbery, which was a capital offense at that time. They appealed their conviction and the Judge allowed them a stay of execution until the next Court session. They were convicted in May 1819 and the next Court session was not until January 1820. They were held at the City Jail the entire time and plotted ways to escape while they were there. On September 13, 1819, the Fishers attempted to escape but failed miserably. When the Court reconvened, their appeals were denied and they were sentenced to die by hanging. John Fisher found jailhouse religion and attempted to seek the forgiveness of the crowd as he was led to the gallows. Lavinia was the exact opposite & her last words were "If you have a message you want to send to hell, give it to me, and I'll carry it!" She leaps off of the platform, hanging herself before the lever is ever pulled. She and John were buried in pauper's graves somewhere near the Jail; the exact location is unknown. Definitive proof of the Fisher's murders has never been uncovered and it has been spun into an urban legend at this point. It is said that Lavinia haunts the Jail and many have claimed to see her apparition. 

Lavinia Fisher

Lavinia's alleged ghost haunting the City Jail

2. Denmark Vesey: also known as Telemaque. He was a  well-known slave revolt leader in Charleston, SC. He was born around 1767 in St. Thomas but was sold to a master to Charleston where he earned his freedom. Denmark was a skilled carpenter and was literate. Being a freed slave, Denmark helped to found an AME church in Charleston which quickly gained popularity and had a membership of around 1900. In 1822, Denmark and several of his peers were accused of planning a slave uprising in the city. They were accused of trying to kill the slaveholders, free the slaves, and sail to Haiti to escape prosecution. Denmark and his associates were arrested in June 1822 before the alleged uprising could occur. Denmark and 5 peers were found guilty in a secret City Council session and were condemned to death. He was executed via hanging on July 2, 1822. All in all, about 35 men were executed for allegedly attempting to start a slave uprising. Their church was destroyed and the minister fled Charleston.

Denmark Vesey

These are the two most notable guests of the City Jail but many other prisoners were held here throughout the years. Many guests claim to see apparitions of Civil War soldiers & pirates in the Jail.

Both of the above photos were found at bulldogtours.com.

Bulldog Tours has exclusive rights to complete ghost tours in the Old City Jail. 

Check them out if you're interested in seeing this for yourself!