Eliza Huger’s story is a sad one. She is buried behind a stone wall at Old Stone Church in Clemson. Two stories exist about her birthplace; one says she was born in Charleston, while the other says she was born in the state’s midlands. We do know that she was a South Carolina native who tragically ended up in this cemetery in the Upstate.
One story suggests that she was a lady of the night who was caught by her brother(s) with a male client in a brothel, and the other says that she was seen with her male lover.
The brother(s) supposedly murdered Huger and placed her here since it was the only church that allowed her burial.
Today, coins are laid on top of her grave. Lightning is said to be attracted to it, and vegetation doesn’t grow inside the four walls.
Legend has it that she was a witch, but others believe she was a ghost who returned to haunt the grounds after her burial here in 1819.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Image By: John G. Clark Jr.
