For the ghost hunter, the brave, or the curiosity-driven, ghost towns have long been the ultimate temptation. To brave a single house or building is one thing (and can be quite the experience! I’m not discounting it), but to brave an entire town that has been abandoned is quite another. South Carolina has quite a few towns in its history that have been considered ghost towns, but try finding one piece of them and you’ll be hunting another kind of ghost. Remains simply don’t exist. They are either taken down completely in most cases or they have been built on top of by newer flourishing towns or cities making them obsolete. Of those that are still “standing,” there are few photographs and even less information. Here are 5 creepy ghost towns in South Carolina.

1. Colonial Dorchester, SC
Wikipedia/Lazyksaw
300 State Park Rd, Summerville, SC 29485
Wikipedia/E. Karl Braun
This abandoned town of Dorchester was settled in 1696 by Puritans from Dorchester, Mass. The Revolutionary War was the demise of this town. After the year 1800, little more was left than what we can see now. Today, it stands in a state park.

Get a closer look at Colonial Dorchester:

2. Old Pickens Court House, SC - The Town That Disappeared
Old Pickens, SC 29672, USA
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
The establishment of this town was in 1828 and it was a thriving place for 40 short years until the Civil War. It's believed that a lot of the men from the Upstate fought in the war. During that time, food and such probably became very difficult to find. Buildings that once were may have been disassembled for their wood or taken back by nature. What does remain is the beautiful red brick Presbyterian Church. The church gate and cemetery are open every day and the church itself is open every Sunday from 2:30 to 5 p.m. beginning April 7 to the last Sunday in October.

Enjoy this exploration of the ruins in Old Pickens:

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3. Mountville, SC
Mountville, SC 29370, USA
Hunter Desportes/Flickr
There is really no information about this town. For all intents and purposes, it's a ghost town. I do know that there are a couple of families that live around the area and the SCDOT seems to have labeled a building, but that's about it. People just up and left a perfectly good town and only the buildings remain to tell the story.
4. Edmundsbury, South Carolina
South Carolina, USA
Henry de Saussure Copeland/Flickr
This abandoned town was found on maps as early as 1764 and on some as late as 1780. It is believed that this was another town that was ruined by the Revolutionary War. If you go there, you won't find much. There are a few graves dotting the grounds of the church site.
5. Ashwood
Ashwood, SC 29010, USA
Norma Aveyard/Google
There is nothing left of the old town of Ashwood except the gymnasium which currently serves as a community center, but what is known is that it was developed as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal to help farmers become more self-reliant.

Get an up-close look at what’s left of Ashwood:

Ghost hunting can be quite interesting if nothing else. You never know what you’ll find. However, a word of caution, these places may be privately owned. Please, be sure to check before you enter onto private property and always take a friend or two with you along with a cellphone. And, as an extra precaution, let someone know where you’re going. It never hurts.

If you have any other information about ghost towns in South Carolina, please let us know. Also, if you have a picture please share them in the comments! If you’d like to see more places like these, take a road trip to these creepy abandoned places in South Carolina.

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Creepy Places in South Carolina

Will Suphan | October 06, 2023

What are the most terrifying ghost stories in South Carolina?

The most terrifying ghost stories in South Carolina include:

  • The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon. This held pirates who were denied food and water and their moans are reportedly still heard here.
  • The Ghosts of Battery Carriage House. This is a bed & breakfast that has been going since 1843 said to be haunted by a headless Civil War soldier.
  • The Charleston Orphan House. This was an orphan house until 1918 when a fire consumed the building and the children inside, who reportedly haunt the place.
  • Poogan’s Porch Restaurant. This was a Victorian home built in 1888 lived in by schoolteacher Zoe Amand who is said to be seen staring out the window.

Learn more about the most terrifying ghost stories in South Carolina. 

What are the most haunted places in South Carolina?

The most haunted places in South Carolina include:

  • Hell’s Gate/Oakwood Cemetery. This is said to be the most haunted place in South Carolina with all kinds of apparitions and phenomena reported here.
  • Admiral’s House. Located at Charleston Naval Base, there is reportedly a ghost of a little slave girl hiding in a copse of trees.
  • Baynard Plantation. Locals report seeing and hearing the funeral procession of William Baynard passing by.
  • Cypress Garden Ruins. This was a set built for the movie The Patriot where locals claim to hear and feel strange sensations.

Find out more about the most haunted places in South Carolina. 

What are the most abandoned places in South Carolina?

The most abandoned places in South Carolina include:

  • St. Simons Episcopal Church. This old church is being reclaimed by nature and photographers flock here to take pictures.
  • Castle Pinckney. This was once a defense fortress and a prison during the Civil War and the structure is still largely intact.
  • South Carolina State Mental Asylum. Built in the 1800s, this was an asylum until 1989 that is now in disrepair but is said to soon be turned into a mixed-use building.
  • Glendale Mill. This will was devastated by fire in 2004 and the husk of it still stands as a captivating ruin.

Discover more about the most abandoned places in South Carolina. 

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