Old Charleston Jail — 150 years of suffering haunt this antebellum prison

The Old Charleston Jail in Charleston, South Carolina, operated from 1802 to 1939, making it one of the longest-serving jails in American history. The building held Union prisoners of war, pirates, slaves awaiting trial, and some of the city's most notorious criminals. Denmark Vesey, who organized a slave rebellion in 1822, was held here before his execution. Lavinia Fisher, widely considered America's first female serial killer, was also imprisoned and hanged here in 1820. The jail's 137-year history of suffering — overcrowding, disease, violence, and executions — has made it one of the most haunted locations in a city already famous for its ghosts. Visitors on ghost tours report seeing faces in the windows of the upper floors, hearing screams and moaning from inside the empty building, and feeling cold hands gripping their arms. Shadow figures are seen moving behind the barred windows, and some visitors have captured photographs showing what appear to be figures in period clothing. The jail was severely damaged by the 1886 earthquake and the 1989 Hurricane Hugo but has been preserved as a historic landmark. Paranormal investigators have recorded extensive EVP evidence within the jail, including voices speaking in Gullah and 19th-century English.