Legend says that the anguished spirit of William Baynard haunts the graveyard surrounding his South Carolina mausoleum to this very day.
The oldest intact structure on Hilton Head Island off the coast of South Carolina, the Baynard Mausoleum once held both the remains and the most prized possessions of one of the area’s wealthiest families — but it sits eerily empty today.
This legendary mausoleum was built by plantation owner William Baynard in 1846, which turned out to be just three years before he suffered an untimely demise at the age of 49. Sitting in the front pew at his funeral were his seven children and his pregnant wife Catherine, who also died long before her time five years later at the age of just 42.
FlickrThe Baynard Mausoleum remains the oldest intact structure on all of Hilton Head Island.
What happened to the Baynard Mausoleum between then and now remains largely shrouded in mystery — as well as reports of supernatural activity.
It’s clear that the mausoleum was robbed, as virtually nothing remains inside today, yet some say the culprits were Union soldiers during the Civil War while others claim that the burglaries didn’t occur until the 1940s.
Meanwhile, others say that the angry ghost of William Baynard stalks the grounds to this day and that you can still see a spectral funeral procession marching toward the mausoleum.
Above, discover the full tale behind this storied tomb with the Southern Gothic podcast, in this special presentation from the History Uncovered podcast.
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