The Edgefield Ghost - A Poltergeist in Antebellum South Carolina

Ghost stories abound in the South, but few are as well documented as an incident that took place in the Edgefield District of South Carolina in 1829. It was known at the time as the Edgefield Ghost.

The strange encounter took place in the home of Isaac Burnett and began as strange sounds heard in and around the house, but gradually escalated to what newspapers of the time described as a full blown paranormal encounter. The ghost was not seen, but would routinely talk, answer questions and even whistle songs. Word of the haunting quickly spread through the Edgefield District and scores of other individuals came to see it for themselves. The ghost, or whatever it was, obliged, talking to everyone from neighbors to an old time fire and brimstone Baptist preacher.

The Edgefield Ghost was widely documented in letters and newspapers of the time and continued to be mentioned by editors for decades to come.

The site of the haunting, which gradually faded away in the 1830s, is now in Greenwood County, South Carolina, roughly between the cities of Edgefield and Greenwood. The Burnett house is long gone, as are all traces of the old farm, with only woods and overgrown fields marking the site.

To learn the full story of this remarkable event, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/edgefieldghost.