Charleston is famously known as the Holy City. And if you happen to be in the Holy City, why not walk down haunted Church Street and visit St. Philip’s Episcopal Church?
They were founded in 1680, making the congregation the oldest in the United States, south of the Virginia border. In the 17th century, the first tower of St. Philip’s stood at the southeast corner of Broad and Meeting Street before expanding to a new and larger building in 1723.
According to Denise Roffe in her Ghosts and Legends of South Carolina, 2nd edition, by 1850, Charleston was expanding and needed the church to move over twenty-five feet to accommodate the extension of Church Street. St. Philip’s refused, forcing the city to divert around the church. However, the graveyard was in the way. City officials decided to move the markers and headstones as they continued construction, but left the bodies behind under the street.
And yes, as you might expect, the cemetery is allegedly haunted. Much like many other cemeteries in the Charleston area, the graveyard at St. Philip’s has several long-term residents who are said to walk amongst the living today. One ghost who walks the grounds is Sue Howard Hardy.
Both Sue and her husband wanted a baby and had tried multiple times. On two different occasions, Sue managed to get pregnant, only to miscarry later. Then they tried again for the third time.
The baby was delivered stillborn on June 13th, 1888. Sue was not allowed to name or hold the child, which further broke her. Three days later, on June 16th, she passed away from complications stemming from the pregnancy, and she and her son were buried together at St. Philip’s graveyard. Witnesses say Sue still visits the grave of her baby. And nearly a hundred years later, a local author caught it on camera.
On June 13th, 1987, the author put the lens of his camera through the bars of the graveyard’s locked gate and began taking photos for his book. When the pictures developed, he noticed a figure in one of them. It appeared to be a woman kneeling before her grave, with a seagrass basket next to her.
Was this Sue mourning the loss of her baby or another specter?
The Gray Man is another apparition that supposedly roams the graveyard, but this Gray Man has a different legend associated with him. According to legend, if you are unfortunate enough to see him, you will die shortly afterward; however, this is not always the case.
The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Philip’s is magnificent and has been greatly esteemed for centuries. Do yourself a favor and visit on your next trip to Charleston. Who knows, you may meet a face from the past.
Written By: Izzy
Photo By: Random Connections (Tom Taylor)
