A Memory Slideshow from Beyond the Grave

I created a slideshow of memories to look back on from all the pictures I took while out in cemeteries and other places with my "Beyond the Grave" class this semester! It is an enjoyable video to watch! Click Here to watch my video.

The Horror Stories of the Old Charleston Jail

The Old Charleston City Jail

As the class came across the Old Charleston City Jail, we were anxious with excitement to see what the Jail had in store for its next victims. As we checked in the man from Bulldog Tours, was telling the class about all of the horrifying stories that he has experienced and heard of from going inside.

The more the sun went down the scarier each room in the jail got. Although the jail was small it was more than rich in history. Many criminals from the Charleston area have been here.

The class stood around our tour guide, Randy Johnson, outside of the jail. Randy Johnson started out by saying "The jail is a giant tombstone, that is here to teach us about the living". The Jail was built on top of a cemetery that is where the poor people in the area were buried.

There were 200 patriots buried under the jail and in the parking lot around it. The jail only held prisoners that were to be hung or those who were to be punished and then released, it was for bad criminals.

The Whipping Room

As 7 o'clock approached, it was time to enter into the mysterious Old Charleston City Jail. As the class stood around the walls of the room, Max, volunteered to help demonstrate how the prisoners were tortured.

The prisoners put their hands in the ropes and then the other ropes are pulled to make the prisoners hands hang in the air as they were whipped 15 times each day.


We then went into the next room that had cages in it. Johnson said the most of the criminals that were supposed to be hung get put in isolated cages like in the picture below.

The Cages for Prisoners to be Hung

As the class was standing in this room, Johnson decided to tell us a story about a couple from Charleston. Lavinia and John Fisher owned a hotel that many lone traveling men stayed at. They would murder the men relatively quickly to take their things and sell them for money.

They got caught and were put in the jail to be hung but one day they decided to try and break out. They escaped their cage, tied two sheets together and he climbed down to the ground first. She was going to go next but the rope ended up ripping and she told him to leave and run, to save himself.

John Fisher just could not do that to his wife. The guards caught him sitting down in an area not too far from the jail. They were both hung and it is said that she still comes back to haunt the jail in the white wedding dress she was hung in as people laughed at her.

The Class at Old Charleston Jail

Escapes were very common and to try to contain the escapes, a 20 ft wall was added around the perimeter of the jail.

The prison had many crazy stories about ghosts and strange things happening that are crazy. The tour was well worth it and finding out about more of the history of Charleston.

As Johnson said to the class, "This is where evil comes to battle the darkness and the darkness usually wins".

Mary Lee: The Serial Monogamist

Here Lies Mary Lee 

Mary Wilkerson Middleton Pinckney Lee was born August 14, 1874 and died May 19, 1959 at 84. She was born in Charleston South Carolina and died in Asheville, North Carolina.  Mary Lee is buried at Magnolia Cemetery on a plot of land with her three loves.

Mary was the child of Ralph and Sarah Middleton both buried at Magnolia Cemetry just in a different area. She had three brothers and a sister. Mrs. Lee became an influential woman of her views.

She was noble and this would pay off for her in life. On the bottom of her die, base, and cap it says "LOVE IS THE PERFUME OF THAT WONDROUS FLOWER THE HEART".

Mrs. Lee first got married in 1909 at the age of 35 to Gustavus Pinckney. Pinckney had the same first name as Mrs. Lee's oldest brother. According to In the Arms of Angels by Patrick Harwood, Mr. Pinckney was an attorney in Charleston and an author. He wrote multiple books but his most famous one was on the infamous John C. Calhoun.

Robert E. Lee III's Grandfather

Their marriage only lasted around three years and Pinckney died in 1912 at the age of 44 from general paralysis, also known as general paralysis of the insane. Mrs. Lee eventually married Robert E. Lee III their marriage also only lasted for three years.

Mr. Lee eventually died too young at the age of 53 due to heart problems. He died 1922 and was buried in Roanoke, Virginia with family but did not remain here. After Mrs. Lee had to grieve both her husbands' deaths she never got married again but did find happiness once more.

She met a German military attache and was a representative to the U.S. and a neurologist. His name was Frederich August Richard and he died January 21, 1941. On his side of the stone, it says "LOVE FILLS THE WORLD WITH MELODY FOR MUSIC IS THE VOICE OF LOVE".

After her husbands had both passed she realized she wanted all the loves of her life to be buried with her. She bought a plot of land at Magnolia Cemetery in 1939. She fought for both of her husbands, Pinckney and Lee, to be exonerated and buried in her plot of land.

Mary Lee's Plot For Her Grave With Her Loves

In the Arms Of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery, Harwood describes that after Lee got moved, Mrs. Lee took legal action, she won and Robert Lee III was brought down from his resting site in Virginia. She also fought for Pinckney, her determination and nobility helped her to convince the courts to let her bury him with her. In the end, they both were buried in her plot of land.

Once Frederich died, he was also buried in her plot of land at Magnolia Cemetery. In the end, once Mary Wilkerson Middleton Pinckney Lee died, she took the last side on the plot of land she bought. She lies there with the loves of her life, eternally resting with them by her side for the rest of time.

I chose Mary Lee as my Old Charlestonian because she lived her life to the fullest, never being afraid of what others would think even after she died. She was passionate and loved wholeheartedly, Mary definitely loved the men she was with and wanted to be with them forever. I think that is brave to not be concerned by others judgment and doing what she wants for herself regardless of peoples reactions.

The Impeccable Beauty That is Magnolia Cemetery

The First Sight of Magnolia Cemetery  

The class took a risk, of getting into strangers cars to get to Magnolia cemetery, just to find out the risk was completely worth it. As the class approached the location of the infamous Magnolia Cemetery, I looked around and saw many plots of land with graves in them.

I was suddenly confused, wondering which one was Magnolia Cemetery. I learned that they were all apart of Magnolia Cemetery. As the car came to a stop I looked out my window to find a beautiful iron gate.

As the class enters the gate, I saw a sign that has the name of a road on it. This is very unique compared to the other cemeteries the class has been to. As you look at all the graves around you, you see graves until you hit the horizon, almost as if they were never-ending.

I think my first impression was that this cemetery is very unique in the way that the graves are all mostly older but are very well kept up with. I thought it was astonishing that there is a 150-acre cemetery near downtown Charleston.

As the class stood in amazement at the endless amount of graves, Mr. Harwood informed the class, "The cemetery opened in 1850 and since then 3,300 plus people have been buried here".

The Pinckney Family Plot

I think the graves are very well laid out in the way that most of the families are in a plot together and many of the families buried here are Charleston names such as the Rhett family, Pinckney, and others.

The Rhett family's plot has an iron gate around their plot. Most of the graves in their plot were either cradle graves or die on sockets that are personalized with designs on them.

Many of the family plots at Magnolia have this thick stone outlining their plot of land. The graves inside of the plot are different among each family. They all differ just a little bit if not a lot.

This is one of my favorite monuments at Magnolia. Camilla Scott Pinckney lies under this pedestal tomb.  I love the big cross, the grass, and Easter lilies that are inside the middle of the cross symbolizing purity, salvation, and the soul's resurrection.

One of the Many Ponds in Magnolia Cemetery

The Ponds that are scattered throughout the many acres of Magnolia Cemetery only make it more beautiful and give it a feeling of peace. All of the plots of graves in this cemetery are uniquely beautiful but the ones overlooking the water are truly distinctive.

They have an elegantly beautiful look causing you to feel calm when looking at them. The trees and water, calm the soul and genuinely make the experience of walking through this cemetery more than enjoyable.

The Lipinski Family Mausoleum 

This mausoleum is where Henry and Harriet Lipinski lie. This is a newer mausoleum that was made in 1983 when Henry died; his wife did not die until 2004. This mausoleum might be my favorite monument in Magnolia.

The brown glossy exterior makes it look mesmerizing. The stain glass windows (not pictured) are just beautiful. They are showing off their money a great deal by building this, but it is so elegant and beautiful to look at and admire.

It looks like a new building that was built with the structure of a church in Charleston. I think it would be calming to sit down and read a book or enjoy the view of this astonishing mausoleum because the chances are you will never see something like this again.

It is very rare and unique that it is probably custom built and was specifically made for their family.

War Dead at Magnolia Cemetery

I think the Plot of land is one of my other favorites from Magnolia Cemetery. It is sad to think that this many people died and cannot be buried with their families.

I do think that this is a great way to memorialize them and how they sacrificed their lives. Magnolia made this plot of land beautiful for them by adding the cannons, flags, and the soldier on top of the Pedestal tomb.

This is a reminder of the lives lost in the fight for freedom.

The Class at Magnolia Cemetery

Magnolia was indisputably one of the most fascinating cemeteries I have ever been to. I would definitely recommend Magnolia to anyone. It exceeded all the expectations I had about the cemetery and set new standards for what more cemeteries should look like. My whole class enjoyed it and it was definitely worth the trip!

Exclusive Visit to one of America's Oldest Jewish Cemetery

Rosenberg and Serrins Outside the Entrance to the Cemetery

On a cold spring night, the class walked to the Kahala Kadosh Beth Elohim cemetery. As we walked inside the massive brick cement wall entry, we were enclosed into the cemetery with only one way out. There was no vision of the road we had come from but instead only the beauty of the Jewish graves.

As we stood around listening to Anita Moise Rosenberg and Randi Serrins talk to us about the rich history of this cemetery we gazed around in amazement at all the wondrous graves and people bared below them.

Picture of the Cemetery and the Graves Inside

As the class listened to the lavish history of the cemetery. Serrins informed the class that "in 1794 the church was built and looked like a church because the structure of their synagogue was copied from St. Michael's Church; it had a 75-foot steeple".

 Shortly after Rosenberg stated, "the cemetery is separate from the Synagogue because Kohan's could not come into the cemetery".  These Women had lost of amazing facts to say about the cemetery they dearly loved.

This cemetery was different than the other cemeteries the class has gone to see. There were more graves other than just headstones, die on sockets, and die on bases. Most of the graves at this cemetery had Hebrew or another language written on them. Also, they bury people within 24 hours of dying whereas Christians normally do it within a week.

Box Tops Example of Hebrew and Rocks on Graves

The cemetery had all different groups of people buried here just like Christian cemeteries. There are 21 Confederate soldiers, 6 war of 1812 soldiers, and many other families.

If you didn't notice the wall and the Hebrew on the stones it would look like a Christian cemetery with the symbols to God and the groups of families.

Rosenberg told the class "there were three other burial lands that were lost because the families/synagogue could not pay for the grounds".

The rocks that you see on the box tomb in the picture to the right are often used in synagogue cemeteries in place of flowers because the flowers die.

David Lopez's plot of land

Serrins informed the class on the tour that "In 1840, an organ was put into their synagogue, which was not acceptable because we were in mourning. This caused the traditionalists to leave and form their own synagogue."

Thus causing the birth of the reformed Judaism in this country. Some people switched from one synagogue to the other and in order for them to be buried in the synagogue's cemetery, they had to be confirmed in that synagogue's community.

Well, some people died before getting the chance to be confirmed into the community, which was the case for David Lopez's wife and child.Lopez bought a plot of land right next to the cemetery of the reformed synagogue. He buried his wife and child on the plot, as pictured to the right. The cemetery eventually opened up the wall to let the plot be included in the cemetery.

Serrins said that "Members of the synagogue are buried and will be buried in the cemetery; we are still an active cemetery."

Israel Solomons and Robert Brown 

In the picture to the right lies Israel Solomons. He is the left die on socket piece. He was born June 18, 1847 and died on October 28, 1854 at the age of 7. He was born in Charleston and died here as well. He died of yellow fever while his father was away in Savannah. He was the first child the couple was able to nurture past infancy.

Underneath the die on socket on the right lies Robert Brown Abrahams. He was born February 6, 1847 and died September 15, 1854. He also died at the age of 7 from yellow fever.

Joshua Lazarus and Phebe Yates Lazarus

Under this Pedestal tomb lies Joshua Lazarus and Phebe Yates. Joshua Lazarus was born on March 18, 1796 and died on June 1, 1861 at the age of 65.

Lazarus introduced gas lights in Charleston and became well known and loved. He was the president of the Charleston's Gas Light Company for 16 years. He was also president of the Hebrew Orphan Society. He was also very active in his role as head of the Hasell Street Reformed Congregation of Israelites.

Phebe Yates Lazarus was born on March 25, 1794 and died on April 24, 1870 at age 76. She was born in England and died in Baltimore, Maryland. Phebe Married Joshua in Liverpool, England on October 28, 1835.