The Owner Plowden
Pawleys Island is a small island off the South Carolina coast, known for its beaches, history, vacation homes and local golf. One of these homes is none other than the Pelican Inn, a small hotel on the island whose rich history dates back to the Civil War. The home is haunted by none other than the ghost of Plowden Charles Jeannerette Weston, the original owner of the house. Plowden was born in 1819 to a wealthy family who temporarily moved to London, England when he was a teenager so he could get a better education. After finishing High School, Plowden’s family returned to the states while he stayed behind and continued to study at Cambridge. It was here that he met his true love, Emily Frances Esdaile.
After multiple discussions with his father, Plowden obtained his fathers approval to marry the young Emily. The two were wed in 1847, after which they obtained gifts from their parents. This included large sums of money and multiple estates, including Hagley Plantation. Off of the shore of the plantation was Pawleys Island and it didnt take long for the couple to make plans to build a summer home there. This was when Pelican Inn was built.
When the Civil War came, Plowden went to fight, becoming commander of the Georgetown Rifle Guard, Company A, Tenth Regiment. It was here that Plowden developed many of his close lifetime friends. Many of these were later invited to the Pelican Inn. As he gained respect, both as a military leader and legislative politician, Plowden grew fond of his southern lifestyle and those he called friends. Sadly, he developed tuberculosis and died in the coming weeks.
The Gray Man
After his death, visitors to the Pelican Inn would begin to see two different ghost. The first and most rare was one that was seen in the hotel itself; a tall man in a civil war uniform who would be seen from the corners of peoples eyes. The second and most common spirit was not seen in the Inn, but rather on the beach and became known as the “gray man”. This gray man appears on the beaches before strong storms, especially hurricanes and warns visitors of the coming damage. In the early 1900’s there was a young woman by the name of Mary. Her parents owned a house on the island, and Mary was a smart girl; not one who believed in fictional stories. One day when walking down the beach she saw Gray Man, who told her to get off of the island immediately because there was danger. Then as if in the blink of an eye, he vanished. When she told her parents, they left the island the following morning. That night, a massive hurricane struck the area. While most of the island’s homes were destroyed, the girls remained untouched.
Mrs. Eileen Weaver, who owned the Pelican Inn for many years said she has seen the Gray Man on several occasions. She also claimed to have seen Emily, the young wife of Plowden. She said that Emily is known to leave strange perfume smells in the air for guests that she find “warming” to the home.
Try to Scare me is NOT intended as a guide to trespassing. We present these sites, locations and stories as local unwritten history and the legends surrounding it that are told to us while traveling. Although we provide locations, and some directions, these articles are intended to be read with the knowledge that some places cannot be visited. We do not encourage trespassing onto private property and do not encourage trespassing to obtain articles, videos, pictures and other evidence to be submitted. Trespassing is illegal and those who disregard this advice will (in most cases) be arrested and charged.