For nearly 14 years, Conway, South Carolina has captivated visitors with ghost tours that take them on an enthralling journey to uncover the town’s haunted history.
The nonprofit organization Conway Downtown Alive, run by a board of directors and a staff executive director, brought the ghost story tour to life Oct. 16-19 with their annual Ghost Walk event. They host various events year-round, such as festivals, to keep the City of Conway alive.
The tours kicked off at the Conway Downtown Alive headquarters, where participants checked in and were divided into groups. Guides, dressed in vintage attire and hats, carried lanterns as they led the groups through various story locations. The first ghost story was presented by storyteller Guy Dozier, a veteran of the tours since their inception.
Clad in slacks, a trench coat and a top hat, Dozier delivered each tale with intensity and animation to engage the audience. Tour guides and storytellers put in quite a bit of work to prepare for the tours.
“We are assigned a story and then we have to memorize it for the tour,” storyteller Cheryl Lynn Foster’Gerton said.
Jarrod Brown, a volunteer storyteller who also works for the city, shared a story as William “Teach” Vanderhalls, claiming to be the son of the infamous pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. Blackbeard brought a playful twist to the tour.
“This is my first time doing the ghost stories, but last year I was dressed as the Grinch, so I’m always in costume,” Brown said.
At the first stop on the tour, storyteller Dozier recounted the tragic story of the Beaty family. With a focus on John Beaty, who returned to his home in Conway after serving as a lieutenant in the Civil War, Dozier enthralled his audience with the tale
Rumors of an impending raid prompted Beaty to lead a home guard to investigate. Unfortunately, they mistakenly opened fire on their own troops, resulting in Beaty being mortally wounded. After his death, Union soldiers occupied the Beaty home, where his daughter Isabella fell in love with a Union officer who later vanished.
The house is rumored to be haunted by Beaty’s ghost, haunting Isabella for her choice in love.
“She could sense his disappointment, his disapproval and his anger,” Dozier said.
Residents have reported eerie footsteps echoing throughout the house, reminiscent of Isabella’s experiences. The current occupants, a couple, reported hearing strange noises in the kitchen while the other was asleep.
As the tours explored the town’s rich history, Foster’Gerton recounted the story of brothers Edward and James Norton, beloved heroes in Conway’s history who died tragically. The brothers joined the military and flew bomber planes together, but lost their lives during a mission. Locals claim they can still hear the sound of their old plane’s engine echoing in the area, serving as a haunting reminder of their legacy.
With tickets priced at $25 each, the Ghost Walk sold out all four nights, demonstrating the community’s enthusiasm for its haunted history. Even after 14 years, Conway Downtown Alive continues to enchant visitors and locals, breathing life into the town’s rich stories.
