The haunted Unitarian Church Cemetery

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The Haunted Unitarian Church Cemetery

Many people claim their local cemetery is the “creepiest” or “scariest” cemetery around. Their reason could be due to crumbling headstones or plots overgrown with weeds. Yet, the Unitarian Church Cemetery in Charleston has a special claim to the title of “spookiest cemetery.” Why? Because it’s a haunted cemetery with a very well-known ghost. 

A haunted cemetery falls right in line with the other frightening sites sprinkled throughout Charleston. From a burned-down hotel to a pirate’s hideaway, Charleston has enough lore to entertain and fascinate you for years. If you want to see some of the most haunted Charleston locations for yourself, book a ghost tour tonight with Charleston Terrors.  

Is the Unitarian Church Cemetery haunted?

Lady in white ghost in cemetery
Copyright US Ghost Adventures

The ghost who haunts Unitarian Church Cemetery is well-known — and feared — in Charleston. Known as the “Lady in White,” there are several theories about who the ghostly woman is. From a heartbroken lover of a famous author to a criminal who was hanged for her crimes, there are several potential identities for the apparition. 

Before we uncover the ghost, let’s see how the cemetery itself may have influenced the spirit’s decision to hang around. 

The Charleston Unitarian Church Cemetery 

The Unitarian Church was built in 1772 in Charleston. The graveyard just behind the church was established around the same time, making it one of the oldest cemeteries in the country. 

The graveyard wasn’t exclusive to followers of Unitarian Universalism (UU). UU preaches acceptance of people from all different beliefs and backgrounds, meaning nearly anyone could be buried in the cemetery who wanted to be. 

Today, the cemetery is one of the least manicured gravesites in all of Charleston, as some Unitarians don’t believe they should disturb a person’s final resting place after they’ve been buried. 

This comes into play when it comes to one of the potential identities of the Lady in White. 

Theory 1: The Heartbroken Ghost of Anna Ravenel

Anna Ravenel was a young woman whose father was a powerful member of Charleston society. Anna met a soldier who was stationed nearby, and they quickly fell in love. Mr. Ravenel was very against the relationship and forbade them from seeing each other. 

As young people often do, they disobeyed — and Mr. Ravenel became so furious that he used his influence to get the young man transferred. Soon after, Anna grew very sick (likely from a broken heart). When her love heard of her illness, he got to Charleston as soon as he could. But he was too late. 

The young man then went to her funeral but wasn’t allowed in by her grief-stricken family, who decided to blame Anna’s love for her death. To add insult to injury, the Ravenels dug up five plots side-by-side, buried Anna in one of them, and never put a headstone up — so her love would never know where to properly mourn her. As the Unitarians don’t disturb the plots, he couldn’t even tell which plot was the most kept up. 

It’s a tragic love story that becomes even more unbelievable when you find out who the young man was said to be: Edgar Allen Poe. 

Poe was stationed in Charleston in his early days, and many point to his final poem, “Annabel Lee,” to show that he was a victim of lost young love. When you read the words of the poem, there does seem to be a clear heartache ringing throughout it: 

Annabel Lee

And this was the reason that, long ago,

   In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

   My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsmen came

   And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

   In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,

   Went envying her and me—

Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,

   In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

   Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

Those who believe the Lady in White is Anna believe she searches the graveyard at night for her lost love, still wearing her innocence in a white dress.   

Theory 2: The Hanged Criminal Lavinia Fisher

The second theory won’t pull on your heartstrings as much as poor Anna Ravenel. It might, however, make you shudder. 

Lavinia Fisher has gone down as being one of Charleston’s most nefarious women of the early 19th century. Lavinia owned an inn a few miles outside of town with her husband, John. Trouble started when the thieves behind a string of robberies couldn’t be found. As one vigilante group set off to find the perpetrators, one of them ended up at the Fishers’ inn. A fight started, and Lavinia reportedly threw the man’s head through a window. 

Shortly after, another member of the group was robbed on his horse. A woman was part of the robbers, and Lavinia and John were found to be guilty of both crimes. Highway robbery meant the death penalty, so the couple were both sentenced to hang.  

After a failed escape, Lavinia approached the noose after John had already been executed. Her last words? “Save your words for others that want them. But if you have a message you want to send to Hell, give it to me; I’ll carry it.” Some say that Lavinia was hanged in a white dress. 

But Lavinia’s lore doesn’t stop there. Two bodies were found in their inn after the couple’s death, and many believe the Fishers were not only welcoming guests — but also killing them. 

Lavinia and John are said to be buried at the Unitarian Church Cemetery, and she continues to haunt those who dare disturb her grave. 

Theory 3: The Beloved Wife Mary Whitridge

Lady in white ghost in cemtery
Copyright US Ghost Adventures

The final potential face behind the Lady in White was a middle-aged woman named Mary Whitridge. Mary was married to a man who had battled poor health for most of his life. When he got particularly sickly, he was sent to Baltimore for treatment. 

On the voyage, he passed away. When officials wrote to Mary to ask what to do with his body, she never responded. Without another option, Mr. Whitridge was buried in a pauper’s grave in Baltimore. 

It turns out that the reason Mary didn’t respond was that she physically couldn’t. On the exact day her husband had died, Mary had also taken her last breath, dropping dead in their home. Mary was buried in her family plot in the Unitarian Church Cemetery next to an empty plot. She is said to wander as the Lady in White looking for her husband. 

Haunted Charleston 

While we may never know who the Lady in White was during her lifetime, plenty of visitors are happy to try and catch a glimpse of her floating around the Unitarian Church Cemetery after dark.

The Unitarian Church Cemetery isn’t the only place to get into mischief once the sun goes down in Charleston. To see some of the most haunted locations in Charleston for yourself, book a ghost tour with Charleston Terrors

Curious about other long-lost lovers and important figures in history who have ties to haunted grounds? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more stories like the Lady in White of the Unitarian Church Cemetery. To learn about other dark happenings in Charleston, check out our blog.

Sources:

  • https://www.live5news.com/2018/10/25/haunted-charleston-lady-white-unitarian-churchyard/
  • https://charlestonterrors.com/
  • https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/lavinia-fisher-americas-first-female-serial-killer-that-wasnt
  • https://www.tulipcremation.com/articles/tulip-expert-guides/cremation/religious-traditions-and-cremation-beliefs-unitarian-universalism.html
  • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-Allan-Poe/Themes-technique-and-legacy
  • https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44885/annabel-lee

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