The Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes

Posted: 10.18.2025 | Updated: 10.27.2025

Hilton Head, South Carolina, is known for its stunning resort and premier golf course. But it also hides the tragic story of the Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes. In the late 1800s, tragedy struck Hilton Head when a lighthouse keeper perished in a storm, leaving behind his grieving daughter. Some believe that this brokenhearted young woman still wanders the shores of Hilton Head Island in the blue dress she died in. 

Charleston, South Carolina, and the surrounding area are known to be one of the most haunted locales in the United States. Get the full story about the Holy City’s haunted history by booking a walking ghost tour with Charleston Terrors today!

Who Is The Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes?

Hilton Head locals have been seeing the Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes since the 1960s. But her story goes back much further. She was said to be Caroline Fripp, daughter of lighthouse keeper Adam Fripp. 

She helped her father tend the island’s lighthouse until his untimely death, but perished soon after he did. It seems now that her restless spirit still keeps an eye on the lighthouse that she made a deathbed promise to protect.

History of The Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes

To understand how the Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes came to be, we must first understand what brought her to Hilton Head Island. The Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse, better known as the Leamington Lighthouse, was built between 1879 and 1880 to help guide ships to Port Royal Sound. 

The 92-foot-tall lighthouse is an imposing structure with a skeleton-like body of white iron beams. The lighthouse keeper would have to climb all 112 steps of the spiral staircase that led to the top of the lighthouse and manually keep the light going. This would be the job of lighthouse keeper Adam Fripp until he perished in a storm 13 years later.

On August 27, 1893, a devastating hurricane pummelled the coast of South Carolina. It became one of the deadliest hurricanes in the state’s history, claiming 1,000 victims. One of those victims was Adam Fripp. 

As the hurricane ripped through Hilton Head Island, the light in the Leamington Lighthouse kept going out. Fripp had to ascend the 112 steps multiple times that evening until he eventually suffered a heart attack. 

He was discovered by his daughter, Caroline, who dragged him back to his nearby cottage. Caroline wanted to go for help, but Fripp begged her to stay and keep the light going so that no ships lost their way during the storm. As Fripp breathed his final breaths, Caroline promised to keep the light going.

Some say that Caroline Fripp lived a long life, while others insist that she died from grief and exhaustion mere weeks after her father’s death. It’s said that she was buried in the blue dress she had worn the night her father died. Decades later, Caroline’s story would become legend.

Hauntings of The Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes

In the 1960s, a real estate developer came to Hilton Head Island to build a resort and golf course. The two white cottages that had been the homes of Adam and Caroline Fripp were moved to Hilton Head’s fledgling downtown area called Harbour Town. That’s when rumors of Caroline Fripp’s ghost started to spread.

During this time, the area surrounding Leamington Lighthouse was fairly remote and surrounded by beautiful old oak trees. The secluded space became an ideal spot for teenagers looking for a local lovers’ lane. 

One couple got the shock of their life when they saw a woman in a blue Victorian dress pacing between the lighthouse and where the cottages had once been. The story spread like wildfire, and many teen boys would ask their girlfriends, “Have I ever shown you the Blue Lady?” 

The Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes is most often spotted on stormy nights. Some believe that her presence is a warning of impending storms. She could also be a residual haunting who reenacts the nights she spent tending the lighthouse after her father died.

The Blue Lady In Harbour Town

Although the Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes is primarily seen when storms roll in at Leamington Lighthouse, she makes her way around Hilton Head Island. The head chef at Palmetto Dunes Resort claims that the Blue Lady sometimes shows up to move objects and mess with the kitchen faucets. The chef believes that stormy nights activate her spirit and cause her to reenact the events of the traumatic 1893 hurricane. 

After the two lighthouse keeper cottages were moved to Harbour Town, they served a variety of functions. At various times, they were a library, bakery, cafe, deli, clothing store, and real estate office. Through it all, some claim that the Blue Lady frequented her former home.

Her spirit is also known to cause mischief at CQ, the restaurant next door to the cottages. The restaurant was originally a studio built by artist Ralph Ballantine. Although it was built in 1967, old barn materials and flooring from Savannah were used in the construction. 

Perhaps these salvaged items somehow drew the Blue Lady to the space? According to the owner of CQ, she has been known to move around bottles behind the bar, turn faucets on and off, and staff blame the Blue Lady when strange phone calls are made to the restaurant. 

Haunted Charleston

While there’s no telling where the Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes will show up, you can still visit the Leamington Lighthouse. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and received a full restoration in 2019. 

It’s located near the fifth hole of Arthur Hills Golf Course. On a dark and stormy night, you just might see the blue lady pacing back and forth.

Getting ready for your vacation getaway to Charleston and Hilton Head? Add in some spookiness by booking a ghost tour with Charleston Terrors today! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Charleston hauntings.

Sources:

• https://www.hiltonheadlighthouse.com/blue-lady-ghost-story

• https://www.hiltonheadlighthouse.com/

• https://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-lauderdale/article41871690.html

• https://www.wjcl.com/article/the-legend-of-the-blue-lady-of-hilton-head-island/62735196