Tillman Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus. It was built in 1894 using convict labor, with many locked away in the basement during construction. The building is named after a former South Carolina Governor, Benjamin Tillman. Some believe that Pitchfork Ben is one of the many spirits that walk the halls since he is the namesake of the building and was the keynote speaker when the cornerstone was laid.
Many students have heard phantom footsteps walking behind them, with doors opening and closing themselves through the years. Lights reportedly flicker in the old building for no reason, and cold spots are occasionally felt throughout. Even a shadowy figure has been known to glare at passing students from the front entrance. Others have observed the shadow figure walk past doorways, and another reported hearing a woman gasp when she grabbed a door handle to leave her office one night, as if she had startled someone when she closed the door.
It would be anyone’s guess who the spirits are that are said to haunt Tillman Hall, but a likely source may be the inmates who worked on this building over 130 years ago. I’m sure some other specters have decided to spend the afterlife here on the picturesque campus.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Source: Haunted South Carolina. Alan Brown
