3 Spooky Church Ruins in the South Carolina Lowcountry
At the Old Sheldon Church ruins in Yemassee SC
Let’s explore 3 of my favorite spooky church ruins in South Carolina!
All of these ruins are open to the public and free, making this a low cost day trip from Charleston.
I can't promise that these sights will include the fog and creepy characters from the best scary movies, but you might get lucky!
While the loop isn't too far from Charleston, you'll definitely want to allot an entire day to do this road trip.
There are plenty of roadside eateries along the way so support local businesses and grab something along the way.
Map showing the location of 3 ruins
Pon Pon Chapel of Ease, Adams Run, SC
My sister and I at the Pon Pon Chapel of Ease ruins
We start our church ruins in South Carolina road trip by going way off the beaten path.
Head out of Charleston going south on Highway 17, then hang a right onto Highway 64.
You'll blast through the metropolis of Round-O, South Carolina, population: 1 animal feed store.
Turn right onto Jacksonboro Road, and just as you're thinking that I've lured you down here to murder you like in a bad horror movie, you'll see Parkers Ferry Road.
Turn right onto the dirt road, and the chapel is down on your left.
Poor Pon Pon (also written as Pon-Pon).
A wooden church was built here in the early 1700s, and was replaced by a brick version seventy years later.
When the brick church burnt down in 1801, the congregation built another brick church in its place--only to have that second brick structure burn down again in 1832.
Blame all of those drafty rooms and uncovered candles.
As you can imagine, the congregation admitted defeat and left the ruins as they were, though they did continue to use the graveyard for new burials, which is kind of strange.
The straw that broke the back of Pon Pon wasn't a straw at all, but rather something much more powerful.
A hurricane took down all but one and a half of the remaining walls in the 1950s.
There aren't any ghost stories associated with this place that I know of, but the solitude of the chapel and the stunning brick ruins create the perfect atmosphere for an overactive imagination to hear things.
>> Explore other great day trips from Charleston SC! <<
Old Sheldon Church Ruins, Yemassee, SC
Old Sheldon Church ruins
Of the three places on this road trip, Old Sheldon Church is probably the best recognized due to its proximity to Highway 17.
To get to Old Sheldon Church once you leave Pon Pon, you'll want to retrace your steps until you get back on Highway 17.
Head south again--when you see the turnoff to Beaufort, you know you're getting very close. Stay on 17 until you see Old Sheldon Church Road on your right.
It will be the next road after the 21/17 interchange).
Turn there and head down the road just a mile or so.
The ruins will be on your right, and a parking area is across the road on your left.
As soon as you get out of your car, you'll feel the stillness of this place. Even when there are other people around (and there often are--this will be the busiest of the three stops), people talk in hushed voices as they walk around the church's ruins.
Some say that you can hear a woman crying at night for her infant child.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, just being out here in the middle of the forest by yourself at night would be enough to scare the pants off of you.
>> It’s also one of the best places to visit for Halloween! <<
St. Helena Chapel of Ease, Land's End Road, St. Helena's Island
St. Helena Chapel of Ease ruins
Tucked away on a lonely stretch of land past Beaufort, South Carolina, ,St. Helena's Island really can feel like the end of the world on a cold, quiet day.
From Old Sheldon Church, head back towards Highway 17, and then head north on 17 until you reach the intersection of 17 and 21.
Take 21 all the way through Beaufort.
After you pass Beaufort, turn right onto State Road S-7-45, also known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
The road will fork; bear to the right onto Land's End Road.
The chapel ruins will be on your left almost immediately past the fork in the road.
Wander the ruins, which are interesting unto themselves since they're made of coquina (an oyster mortar) and see the shattered mausoleum door in the graveyard.
I was pretty sure that something was going to crawl out of the mausoleum and grab me with its nasty hand.
While the ruins themselves aren't haunted, the road is.
The Land's End light shows up down Land's End road, and most people think its an oncoming car until they realize that there's only one light.
As it gets closer, the light grows in size and will actually pass by any cars waiting on the side of the road.
Unlike the other two spots on this road trip, the Land's End light is consistent--no one knows if it shows up every night, but rumor has it that, if you wait long enough, you'll see it.
But what is it: ghost or some sort of lightning ball?
Legend has it that it's the spirt of a runaway slave or a private stationed at a nearby fort who died after a scuffle.
Some people have reported an electric shock when the light passes near them, which has led some to believe the light is actually St. Elmo's fire or another natural phenomenon.
A word of warning: if you go out to see the light, don't attempt to drive through it or chase after it.
Land's End road is a tight two lane road through a residential area, so use caution.
>> While you’re in the area, check out the best things to do in Beaufort SC! <<
What other church ruins in South Carolina would you add to this itinerary?
