Welcome Back Strangers!
Memorial Day Weekend kicks off the vacation season in the United States and each summer
more than 20 million people travel to the beaches of South Carolina.
Pawleys Island is located 40 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, and it is a great way to
spend an entire vacation or an evening checking out all the sites in the town if you are staying
nearby.
The area is known for its history, beaches, and local legends.
Today we are going to tell you 3 Haunting Tales from Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
Spoiler alert!
The last one is a heartbreaker.
The Gray Man is the most famous ghost in the area that is seen roaming the coastline of
Pawleys Island.
He is the most famous ghost in the area because every time he has appeared a devastating hurricane
or horrendous storm has hit the area.
He was first seen in 1822 and was last spotted in 1989 right before Hurricane Hugo hit South
Carolina.
He is always seen wearing gray clothes along the beach before vanishing.
In some cases, he speaks to people telling them to flee the area, in others he is just
seen as an ominous warning of the destruction that is to come.
There are several stories and legends surrounding the identity of The Grey Man.
Some believe he is the ghost of a man who was travelling from Charleston to visit his
fiancée.
Unfortunately, he and his horse got caught in quicksand like mud in the marshes surrounding
Pawleys Island and he died.
His sprit haunts the shore in search of the woman he loved and warning others of impending
dangers in the area.
Other variations of the story say that he is Percival Pawley who the island is named
after.
Legend says that he still watches over the area that was once his beloved home.
Others who have witnessed The Gray Man say he wears a long coat and is dressed almost
like a pirate, leading them to think may be the Ghost of Blackbeard.
Who is doomed to wander the shores he once pillaged for all eternity warning innocent
souls of approaching danger.
Those who are fortunate enough to see The Gray Man often credit him for saving their
lives and sparing their homes.
The local ghost received national attention when Jim and Clara Moore were interviewed
after Hurricane Hugo by the show Unsolved Mysteries.
The couple's home was spared during the terrible hurricane, and they witnessed the
grey man before the hurricane hit.
If you want to spend a night in Pawleys Island, then you must stay at the legendary Pelican
Inn.
Its an 8-room beachfront bed and breakfast that was originally constructed in the late
1840's.
It is one of the few surviving original homes that hasn't been destroyed by hurricanes,
because it is protected by the highest sand dunes on the island.
Plowden Weston married his wife Emily in 1847.
The fortunate couple recieved multiple estates and lots of money as wedding gifts from their
affluent families.
It didn't take long for them to build a summer home on Pawleys Island that would eventually
become the Pelican Inn.
The two enjoyed their years together until the beginning of the American Civil War.
Weston joined the fight to defend South Carolina and became the commander of the Georgetown
Rifle Guard.
He quickly gained the respect of his men, many of whom would eventually visit the Pelican
Inn after the war.
Sadly, Weston's life was cut short when he we finally returned home.
He died weeks after being diagnosed with tuberculosis.
His death began the hauntings that have occur in the old beach inn.
One is the ghostly figure of a man in a Civil War uniform that is often seen briefly in
the corners of guest's eyes.
Some believe this Weston in his old gray Confederate uniform which had lead many to think that
not only does he still watch over the inn, but that he is The Grey Man of Pawley's
Island.
However, no one has ever seen the grey man's face.
Weston's wife, Emily is also seen by guests of the inn.
She is known to leave her perfume smell around to welcome new guests to the inn, and other
catch a glimpse of a young woman in 19th centuries clothes thought to be Emily.
When the sun goes down sometimes you may encounter ghostly dogs along the beach behind the old
inn.
Another local legend says a caretaker for the inn once had two Boston terriers that
he kept with him, until one swam into the ocean to a save a drowning boys life.
Regrettably, the dog passed away soon after, and the other terrier eventually died of loneliness.
However, you can still hear the dogs barking and playing in the night.
The Pelican Inn was closed for the season when we visited Pawleys Island, but we would
love to stay there and investigate the inn ourselves one day.
It has great reviews online and if you decide to spend a night there, the Pelican's website
says to be sure to ask for Caroline to tell you about the inn's spooky history.
The All Saints Church Cemetery, you will find a strange grave that only has the name Alice
inscribed on it.
It is easy to find, because of the rings and other gifts that people will leave behind
to pay their respect to the grave of poor Alice Flagg.
Alice's life reads like a 19th Century Shakespearian tragedy.
She was the sister of the very successful and wealthy Dr. Allard Flagg, but she fell
in love with a man who was from an undesirable social class for her to marry according to
her brother.
However, Alice defied her brother's wishes and secretly became engaged with the young
lumberman who stole her heart.
When Dr. Flagg discovered her engagement, he sent Alice away to boarding school in Charleston,
where she quickly contracted malaria.
Dr. Flagg graciously allowed poor sick Alice to return home, but it was too late.
She died soon after from what those close to her believe was a broken heart.
After her death, her brother discovered Alice's engagement ring attached to a ribbon under
her dress.
Enraged that his sister still defied his wishes even in death, Dr Flagg took the engagement
ring and threw it into the marsh, so it could never be found again.
He had her buried in the same cemetery as her family but would not allow the family
name to inscribed on her grave.
The ghost of Alice has been seen at the Hermitage, her family's old planation.
She is often spotted going up the staircase to her old bedroom.
Others have witnessed a ghostly woman in a white dress walking out the front door of
the Hermitage clutching something under her chest.
Visitors to the All Saints Episcopal Cemetery often report seeing a young woman wandering
the grounds looking as though she is frantically searching for something.
Some have encountered Alice's ghost in the marsh surrounding the area desperately searching
for her beloved ring that her brother hid from her in death.
There is a local superstition that if you begin at the bottom right of her gravestone
and walk around it 6 times counterclockwise and then 6 times clockwise stopping at the
letter A on her marker and leave Alice a token to ease her troubled soul and make a wish,
then your wish will be granted according to the Atlas Obscura.
We left a token on Alice's grave, but I hadn't heard of this superstition until
researching for this script and I have found that there are few other variations of this
that you might want to investigate before visiting this heartbreaking site.
Thanks strangers for watching.
Where do you plan to go on vacation this summer?
Let us know in the comments below, along with which haunting was your favorite?
I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day.
Thank you to those who have served in the military and please remember those who died
protecting our freedoms that we are fortunate enough to enjoy.
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