Written by Merry Lee Jones
Photography courtesy of BHPS

host Photos, Haunted Houses, Haunted Cemeteries, Urban Legends, Myths and Secret Voodoo Rituals, abound mingled with the rich ghost filled history that is uniquely included in this haunted walking tour through the streets of Old Bluffton. Hauntings, Ghost Stories, and historical stories of the unexplained.

The stately old southern homes overlooking the narrow streets in downtown Bluffton are evocative of another time, another place and they are among some of the most photographed attractions in the Town.
Photographers, tourists and some locals can be seen photographing these beautiful old homes, but can it be possible that more is developing in those photos than meets the naked eye?

Famous psychic ghost hunter, Sam Carona, says, “possibly these haunted images contain proof of spirit activity in the old haunted Bridge Street Area”. And he asks that every shutterbug should always check your pictures for the amorphous, wispy images of otherworldly inhabitants taking up residence in these old southern dwellings.

Okay, maybe on first inspection it is easy to dismiss some of the images as haze or sunlight on the lens. But taking a closer look often uncovers a mysterious resonance in the photos - as if the images are the imprints of towns people that have gone on long before.

Families living in Bluffton have reported being accompanied, sometimes all night, by a mysterious presence that no one seemed to immediately recognize. There have been stories told of residents seeing old friends waving to them from a front porch, only to learn later that day that their friend had passed and the greeting they received was from the other side!
So the next time you visit Bluffton, as you walk through the quiet streets and pass the old southern homes and churchs, remember to look around and wave. You might just be greeting a visitor from the past, a revenant spirit from another domain!

We have to acknowledge the fact that a lot of Bluffton’s residences were burned by federal troops on Sherman’s March. This alone, accounts for the undocumented assumptions about the origins of many of the properties mentioned.

1. Planters Mercantile- A thriving business which offered the clothing, dry goods, books, shoes, hats, harnesses, wagons, luggage, sewing machines, cigars, groceries, furniture, feed and of course, oddly, a very special item, coffins.
It is said the owner & proprietor Abram Patz, met an untimely death here. According to legend, he awoke in the middle of the night with a stomach ache and came into the store to find something to relieve his pain. In the dark he poured what he thought was elixir for his ails and what he ingested was a dollop of carbolic acid and was found dead on the floor the next day.

2. Patz- The history of one is woven into the history of the other. The Patz brothers, Abram and Moses, came from the east, perhaps New York State around 1890 or so. They built a store first, the Planters Mercantile. In 1892 a double residence was designed next door with mirror image apartments on each side, each having its own front door, hall and stairway. It has been said the brothers’ wives feuded often and had not spoken to each other in many years although they resided in the same building.

3. Carson Cottage- J.J. Carson distinguished himself at the battle of Chancellorsville, May 2-4 1863, by braving the gunfire of the battleground and rescuing the mortally wounded General “Stonewall” Jackson. Placing Jackson’s body in a buckboard, Carson drove him back through enemy fire and lines to the Rebels’ side. After surviving the war he came back to live in this house in Bluffton.

4. The Store- The original owner of this tract of land was thought to be Harriet Saussey. She was listed as “Head of Household” in both 1850 and 1860 censuses. Her son John lived with her. Although her property was damaged by the fires set by federal troops, June 4, 1863, it was not totally destroyed. The land changed hands many times until 1904 when Jesse Davidore Peeples, of Scotia, SC, bought the property and built a store and a commodious home for his family. He has 5 children by his first wife, Willie Mae Stokes and ten by his second wife, Maud Estella Guilford.
The Peeples store carried the usual stock of general store items; hardware, clothing, groceries, etc. Mr. Peeples operated the store until his death in 1937. Two of his sons, Matthew and Luke continued to operate it until the 1950’s. Luke was an avid piano player. It is said that sometimes late at night Calhoun Street is filled with the eerie sound of his piano music floating about.

5. Seven Oaks- The first owner of record was Colonel Middleton Stuart who resided here prior to the Civil War. Col. Stuart’s wife was Emma Barnwell Stoney who inherited Otterburn Plantation from her father, Dr, George Mosse Stoney. The Stuart’s did not return to Bluffton following the war and the property was sold to Francis Marion Edwards. The house was subsequently owned by Ephraim Mikell Baynard and E.J. Harrison.
During the heyday of Bluffton’s prosperity as the commercial center of this area of Beaufort Co. before WWI and during the 1920’s, Mrs. Elizabeth Sanders operated Seven Oaks as a popular and successful boarding house for salesmen and summer visitors.
A horrible brawl occured one night in the boarding house resulting in a gunshot death. It is said you can still see the blood stains on the floor in room number 13.

6. Squire Pope’s Summer Home- this lot was the location of the summer residence of Squire William Pope of Coggins Point Plantation, Hilton Head Island. There is no record left to tell us what the home looked like, but it was undoubtedly large and handsome as the Squire was wealthy and had a large family. But it went up in flames June 4, 1863 with the wholesale burning of the Bluffton waterfront by federal troops.
Following the war when Mrs. Pope and her daughter returned to Bluffton, virtually destitute, and had the carriage house and a smaller building nearby that had not been destroyed,(both circa1850) joined together to form the present structure where they lived out their days. We’re not sure what and who was burned in that fire.

7. The Fripp House- This three story frame building in eight foot piers is believed to have been built around 1830 by James L. Pope. The earliest records show the property was owned by him prior to 1847. James L. Pope died in 1863 and his son, James Jr. inherited it.
The property remained in the family until 1883 when Mrs. James L. Pope Jr. sold the house to Rebecca Sims. In 1885 Mr. and Mrs. William J. Fripp acquired the property. The Fripp family owned the house for 34 years; hence the name “The Fripp House.”
The late Mrs. John Sturgis and her husband bought the property in 1976 and made substantial renovations. The house now has 4,656 sq. ft. of living space. It has three chimneys, two of which extend from the ground floor to the third story. Plans have been to make an Inn out of the house, a recent innovative use of historical properties.

8. The Card House- The origin of this antebellum house is difficult to document; however, it is believed to be one of the oldest in Bluffton, standing. The first owner of record is William J.Graham who owned it until 1847. Another deed shows the property was owned by Sarah G. Norton. One William Norton, of St. Helena Is., moved to the Bluffton area around 1800 and resided here until his death in 1817. Undocumented sources indicate th house was built circa 1825.

Why is it called The Card House? One story has it that in the late 1840’s, during high stake poker sessions, often played in the house. A William Eddings Baynard won the deed to the 1,000 acre Braddock’s Point Plantation on Hilton Head Island from the unfortunate owner, a Mr. John Stoney. So, from then on, it has been known as The Card House.