The Children's Cemetery, Greenville, SC

2-13-2009

This was a Friday the 13th hunt at Duncan Chapel. The road to the site, off Buncombe Rd., dead-ends into the site of the former chapel. Across from the chapel ruins is what is known as the "Children's Cemetery", as many of the graves are of children.

Flashback to many years ago: Daring teens would cruise through the area at night hoping, perhaps, for a little help from the mood set by the spooky atmosphere, or even a helpful spirit, to drive shrieking dates into their arms. Me, I was always more fascinated than afraid. Yet I never knew the surreal landscape of moonlit kudzu hid a long-neglected graveyard and the ruins of Duncan Chapel. Back then, the road was not a dead end as it is at present, though the kudzu-covered trees still continue their moonlit sentinel over the little graveyard which I found to be eerily beautiful in spite of its neglect.

Sadly, a couple of the graves appear to have been looted, and many headstones are broken and askew where trees have grown through the graves as the cemetery returns to nature. German ivy all about and clusters of daffodils basking in the moonlight are evidence the graves, dating from pre-Civil War to the 1930's, were once lovingly tended. 

For our investigation, we formed two groups so as to serve as controls for each.  This allowed us to compare notes afterward to see if both groups experienced the same sensations/scents/sounds as the other group and if the events occurred at corresponding  points in the investigation. About midnight, our group  heard a car and saw headlights through the trees and anticipated some human company, yet the area remained silent.  After some time we  heard a stifled scream that sounded quite of this world and rushed in its direction lest someone out there need help. Three USC Upstate students were  glad to see us emerge from the woods.  They had been observing the winking of our flashlights and listening to the murmur of our voices and thought we were ghosts!  They were invited to come along and joined us for a while. 

Photos taken at the site that night show many orbs.  Indeed, it seemed we were not alone!  A strong odor (like a body odor) seemed to accompany us both in the cemetery and across the road among the chapel ruins where it was strongest.  Several of the investigators who are sensitives were quite uncomfortable there.   In the cemetery, the sounds detected were of laughter as if children were playing.  We felt disoriented at times, most so upon entering the gated family plot.  There was also a sensation of feeling "rooted to the ground" in the gated plot.  In fact, I was feeling so "grounded" that I finally decided to sit down and put my ear to the ground to listen.  I heard nothing, but could swear I was touched not once, but three times!  My impression was of something that was as curious to see if we were "real" as we were of them!  I can say  our little band of ghost hunters was not disappointed that night.     ~~the CatHerder, Mariel Barney Hunkeler      

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