u/Mysterious-League876

Springwood Cemetery
Greenville, South Carolina

Faded epitaph reads “Two little children. Names unknown. Found in old vault. 1912.“

This one is a both sad as heck and a mystery of sorts. In 1912 a family opened their vault after it had been sealed from the prior funeral. Inside they found the remains of 2 small children that were most definitely not supposed there. The cemetery’s site lists that they may have been the children of a local sharecropper but their identities still remain listed as ‘unknown.’ And the reason for leaving their little bodies on the floor of the vault has never been solved!

While there are no ghost stories involved here, it’s most definitely a haunting tale. The children did receive a proper burial but it’s heartbreaking to think of them abandoned and unnamed…

https://southerncemetery.com/2025/10/17/unusual-cemetery-tales-from-around-the-south/

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2015/07/02/springwood-cemetery-childrens-grave-unknown/29622055/

Corinne is a favorite of visitors to the cemetery...for good reason!

I know Corinne has been posted before but I wanted to share my photos of her. She's just lovely but her eyes give me chills!

Corinne Elliott Lawton’s 2nd resting site is one of the most visited graves at Bonaventure Cemetery but it’s primarily because of local lore that is not quite based in truth.

The ‘ghostly story’ is that Corinne fell in love with a man who was below her station in society. Her family didn’t accept him, refused to give their blessing and was planning to force her to marry a wealthy man she did not love.

So, in true dramatic storytelling fashion, Corinne donned her wedding dress on the morning of her arranged marriage but then decided to race to the river on horseback and drown herself as an escape. It’s said that her spirit has been seen wandering the banks of the river as she looks for her lost love…

The truth however is that Corinne took to her bed with a slight illness that quickly became life-threatening and she died at her home while surrounded by her family. During that time (1877) the Yellow Fever endemic was raging in Savannah and it’s likely that Corinne was one of its many victims.

If you noticed that I mentioned in the first paragraph that this was the second gravesite of Corinne? She was originally buried in Laurel Grove North but her body was re-interred at Bonaventure Cemetery right on the bluff. When she was moved there were no other monuments that existed in the family plot and that probably gave more fuel to the fire of her untrue story since it could appear that the family distanced themselves from her.

https://southerncemetery.com/2025/05/07/four-weird-tragic-ghostly-stories-from-bonaventure-cemetery-in-savannah-ga/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5740305/corinne_elliott-lawton

Photo of Corinne in the comments...

https://preview.redd.it/13kuaeu37tih1.jpg?width=713&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20866cb0c5bcbdc31f7f7d2fd115e1f18d63fb20

Birth & death dates unknown. Only son of Lucius and Margaret.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62320484/walter-campbell

https://southerncemetery.com/2026/08/11/the-old-cemetery-in-madison-ga/

What's left of one of Wickham's statues. More in comments.

If you love Americana outsider/folk art then this one is a 'must visit.'

Born in 1882, E.T. (Enoch Tanner) Wickham spent most of his life as a tobacco farmer until 1950, at the age of 67, when he decided to begin working with metal and cement to create lifelike sculptures. The sculptures ranged from the Kennedy men to Jesus Christ wearing overalls to Wickham’s favorite hunting dogs. He definitely mixed politics and personal. Wickham's works lined nearby roads and his property during his life and for many years after his death.

He did have some appreciation for his work during his lifetime with one of his dedications drawing a large crowd of hundreds onlookers.

Sadly, the majority of the statues fell hard to vandalism - graffiti, sledgehammers, decapitation and more. [As someone who grew up in a small town I am never shocked about the level of vandalism driven by boredom + alcohol but I'm always disappointed.] There are only 2 exceptions to that rule: one is the statues moved to safer locations (a university campus and a museum) and the other is this specific angel he crafted for the family cemetery. The photo above is one of the few that remain out in the wild near the roadside but now moved to private property behind a fence line. You can see get pretty close though!

E.T. Wickham is buried at the Wickham Family Cemetery along with his wife and children. One of his sons died during WWII and had a statue made in his honor. Wickham also made some of the headstones in the cemetery.

You can see old photos of what the statues looked like and read more about E.T. Wickham here:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8044608/enoch_tanner-wickham

https://southerncemetery.com/2024/12/09/wickham-family-cemetery-outsider-art-collection-in-palmyra-tn/

https://spacesarchives.org/explore/search-the-online-collection/enoch-tanner-et-wickham-stone-park/

https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/e-t-wickham/

The ‘Rock’, also called Suicide Rock and Ivy Rock, has marked a grave that was fraught with spooky legends and mistaken identity. It’s only been a little over a decade since the true story emerged!

The legend of this rock started with tales of a young woman’s untimely death, and her lover moving heaven and literal earth to leave a stone to mark her grave. For decades folks believed that a quarrel led to a suicide, and that the rock and the lantern (hung from the frame but removed by the cemetery a few years ago for safe keeping) would lead the soul back to where it belonged. Other stories included a women’s accidental drowning or a carriage accident where the bride died on the way to the chapel. None of these stories were true.

And neither was the name attributed to The Rock – one Anne Rawlings Sanders. Anne is actually buried near the rock in a box tomb (you can see it to the right in the photo) but records became a bit muddied over time. It didn’t help that the rock was covered in ivy which obscured the name carved into the stone. Hence the ‘Ivy Rock’ title in some stories.

In 2013 it was officially announced that the person buried under the rock was Lucy Rawlings Steele, possible sister to Anne, and a small stone bearing her information was placed nearby. Lucy died of consumption, and her husband Edward had the stone and lantern placed there shortly after.

𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕨𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕖
𝔻𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝕄𝕒𝕪, 4 1847
ℝ𝕆ℂ𝕂 ℙ𝕃𝔸ℂ𝔼𝔻 𝕆𝕍𝔼ℝ ℍ𝔼ℝ 𝔾ℝ𝔸𝕍𝔼 𝔹𝕐 ℍ𝔼ℝ ℍ𝕌𝕊𝔹𝔸ℕ𝔻 𝔼𝔻𝕎𝔸ℝ𝔻 𝔾. 𝕊𝕋𝔼𝔼𝕃𝔼

Lucy’s husband moved from Nashville a few years after her death so that could account for how her name was lost for so long…

https://southerncemetery.com/2025/10/17/unusual-cemetery-tales-from-around-the-south/

https://nashvillehistoricalnewsletter.com/2022/01/20/the-true-history-of-the-ivy-rock/

Ah, Greenback Castle aka Fortress of Faith. An outsider art exhibit 30 years in the making that is spiraling to rapid decline. A place that one blogger called A Religious Fanatic’s Spooky Junk Shrine, other folks say it is a spot that’s haunted and lots of people think it’s just an excuse to rearrange a bunch o’stuff around for attention. Oh, all 3 of things are true for sure but it’s also a heck of a good time to explore…carefully and with your tetanus shot up-to-date.

You can read about Floyd 'Junior' Banks here: https://spacesarchives.org/explore/search-the-online-collection/floyd-banks-fortress-of-faith/ and here: https://www.knoxnews.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2024/07/10/greenback-castle-build-over-30-years-in-greenback-tennessee/74336120007/

Mixed in with all the religious iconography and rocks and hand drawn signs and bits and bobs and, well, junk strewn about you’ll find 13 graves that are actually the real deal! They belong to a variety of animals that were either abandoned nearby* or were owned at one point by Junior. The last grave marker erected was for a dog named Wolf Man…

https://preview.redd.it/zmvhdzfmg7gh1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2cf7ac7f9ac110d3700ed54a9ecc0da618f152b

All of these graves keep with the decorative theme of the property – lots of marbles, glass, rocks and other shiny trinkets.

My photos from my website can be found here: https://southerncemetery.com/2025/01/24/greenback-castle-pet-cemetery-in-palmyra-tn/

A few photos in the comments as well...

From the view of a young teen Mad Magazine was absolutely the coolest shit ever published when I was growing up! The magazine seems tame in comparison to modern standards but they were very controversial during those days. And of course, it wouldn’t be Mad Magazine without its creative cartoonistry and a lot of that credit goes to founding member Jack Davis.

Even if you aren’t a fan of Mad Magazine you’ll probably still recognize a lot of Davis’ art. Well, you will if you’re over 40 but for those a bit younger he’s probably gone a bit niche.

Davis did artwork for Tales from the Cryptpublications, TV Guide, a variety of books and albums (including Johnny Cash, Genesis and the Guess Who), movies posters, non-Mad Magazine comedy publications, stamps for the USPS and sooooo much more. And as an Athens, Georgia resident, you’ll still find many of his cartoons on the wall of older restaurants, bars and offices.

If you can, take a minute to research his works and take a walk down memory lane of the culture of the 50’s through the 90’s told in cartoonish tales…

https://southerncemetery.com/2025/03/31/famous-folks-from-my-childhood-at-christ-church-cemetery-on-saint-simons-island-ga/

This particular family was involved in grist mill operations from days of old. Hence the grist stone on their family monument.

Ever seen a grist mill stone in action? Here’s a video of one that’s still being used today.

https://southerncemetery.com/2026/01/05/rose-hill-cemetery-in-winder-ga/

One of the sons has a headstone made from a broken piece...

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76418365/james-p-rainey

Officially sold under the name “White Bronze” but endearingly called “zinkies” by the Taphophile community, these structures have a very intriguing backstory.

They had a very short lifespan in cemetery memorial sales considering the longevity of marble, granite, etc. They were only sold from 1870s-1910s but since they were an incredibly affordable option during the time and they had a modern appeal and they were very durable and they had interchangeable options such as figures, letters and numbers that be could be added at a later date and you could order them delivered super fast (for the time period) from a catalog, they were quite popular for a while. Well, not for some since there has been a bit of a snobbish pall cast, I believe unfairly, over zinkies due to their being cheap! Some more formal or upper-class cemeteries even banned them in the name of aesthetics.

To create a zinkie, zinc was cast, sand-blasted, oiled and steamed to create the very recognizable matte finished bluish-grey color resembling stones like blue marble. Rust, moss and lichen resistant too! Really the only thing that gets a zinkie is becoming brittle over time and then shattering. There is zero bronze in these ‘White Bronze’ gravestones/monuments.

Zinkies are hollow and make a lovely sound when tapped. Because of it being known that they were empty on the inside it was inevitable that a rumor popped up about bootleggers hiding booze in them during the Prohibition Era. While I didn’t find anything to prove it, although the plates do bolt together from the inside which might deter those squirreling away liquor, I didn’t find anything to disprove it either. And who doesn’t like a good story?

The Monumental Bronze Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut was the premiere manufacturer of zinkies. During the WWI the production of the monuments ceased in order to make ammunitions but it started up again right after. Alas, the appeal waned and the company folded in 1939.

Zinkies are considered to somewhat rare since larger cemeteries will only have 1-3 of them if any. And there are more found in the Eastern US than anywhere else so if you’re on the other coast then you might have an even harder time finding one. But this smaller cemetery is a treasure trove with 4 different zinkies and a zinkie flower pot!

https://southerncemetery.com/2025/07/09/common-uncommon-cemetery-finds/

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2325575/memorial-search

https://preview.redd.it/hjvqica391fh1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c83abd2bd827229459828294a4afe84ea9c80e8c

Officially sold under the name “White Bronze” but endearingly called “zinkies” by the Taphophile community, these structures have a very intriguing backstory.

They had a very short lifespan in cemetery memorial sales considering the longevity of marble, granite, etc. They were only sold from 1870s-1910s but since they were an incredibly affordable option during the time and they had a modern appeal and they were very durable and they had interchangeable options such as figures, letters and numbers that be could be added at a later date and you could order them delivered super fast (for the time period) from a catalog, they were quite popular for a while. Well, not for some since there has been a bit of a snobbish pall cast, I believe unfairly, over zinkies due to their being cheap! Some more formal or upper-class cemeteries even banned them in the name of aesthetics.

To create a zinkie, zinc was cast, sand-blasted, oiled and steamed to create the very recognizable matte finished bluish-grey color resembling stones like blue marble. Rust, moss and lichen resistant too! Really the only thing that gets a zinkie is becoming brittle over time and then shattering. There is zero bronze in these ‘White Bronze’ gravestones/monuments.

Zinkies are hollow and make a lovely sound when tapped. Because of it being known that they were empty on the inside it was inevitable that a rumor popped up about bootleggers hiding booze in them during the Prohibition Era. While I didn’t find anything to prove it, although the plates do bolt together from the inside which might deter those squirreling away liquor, I didn’t find anything to disprove it either. And who doesn’t like a good story?

The Monumental Bronze Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut was the premiere manufacturer of zinkies. During the WWI the production of the monuments ceased in order to make ammunitions but it started up again right after. Alas, the appeal waned and the company folded in 1939.

Zinkies are considered to somewhat rare since larger cemeteries will only have 1-3 of them if any. And there are more found in the Eastern US than anywhere else so if you’re on the other coast then you might have an even harder time finding one. But this smaller cemetery is a treasure trove with 4 different zinkies and a zinkie flower pot!

https://southerncemetery.com/2025/07/09/common-uncommon-cemetery-finds/

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2325575/memorial-search

More photos in comments...

American Piedmont blues and ragtime singer William McTier went by many names – Blind Sammie, Georgia Bill, etc, but he is known by most music fans as Blind Willie McTell.

McTell, who was blind from a young age, learned to read and write music in braille. His family was full of musicians so it’s no surprise he learned to play not only the guitar – both finger picking and slide + 12 and 6 string – but also accordion and harmonica.

He had a prolific recording career full of a variety of musical stylings including gospel, hokum (a personal favorite of mine) and of course blues and ragtime.

He never had a lot of commercial success but had quite a loyal following nonetheless. He was recorded by the Lomax family for the Library of Congress and I highly recommend a listen to those tunes. And the list of bands and songwriters who acknowledge McTell as an inspiration is pretty darn long. Just a short list: Bob Dylan has 4 songs about him, and Taj Mahal and the Allman Brothers Band covered McTell’s “Statesboro Blues.”

He died of a stroke in 1959. He’s buried at the Jones Grove Baptist Church and while he sings of flowers on his grave most folks leave quarters or teeny tiny bottles of liquor in a nod to his days of street busking.

YouTube documentary here: https://youtu.be/f8iPBtbcJsM?si=e29jXhPYTG7Oonau

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6700344/willie-mctell

My post about his grave and the church: https://southerncemetery.com/2025/04/25/the-grave-of-blind-willie-mctell-at-jones-grove-baptist-church-cemetery-in-thomson-ga/

https://preview.redd.it/ziokj0eqsldh1.jpg?width=2372&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17923e1816ec7aeba5905e5737b614296423f45a

Alma Knight Allen Memorial Park also known as Resthaven Cemetery

Yellow brick had several pops of popularity including the Victorian Era and the 1940/50s mid-century look. It's created by adding lime to low iron clay before the kiln process giving it a 'buttery look.'

A couple, the Redmonds, are buried here. There's a lovely photo of George sitting in front of some azaleas and he looks happy as can be...

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61268839/georgia_lee-redmond

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61285885/george_henry-redmond

More photos here: https://southerncemetery.com/2025/06/11/resthaven-cemetery-in-monroe-ga/

https://preview.redd.it/xw7kbb0czedh1.jpg?width=3019&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abcbc281f36630feabb608457d6864a3d6b265bb

More photos in comments.

https://www.visitchlorideaz.com/

Chloride got its name from the silver chloride found in abundance throughout the local mountains. Silver was first discovered by miners in the 1860's. Silver Hill is named after its' rich ore deposits.  In addition to silver, the miners found zinc, copper, lead, molybdenum, and turquoise. At one point, there were over 75 working mines and over 2,000 people living in Chloride. Businesses such as hotels, a bank, a pool hall, barber shops, saloons, and restaurants thrived. A railroad spur connected Chloride to Kingman for ore and passenger transport. Several churches and a hospital served the residents' needs. The most productive mine, the Tennessee Mine, produced zinc and lead into the 1940s. When the mines closed, miners and their families left, leaving Chloride almost a ghost town. Today, some of the mines are privately owned, while others are controlled by the federal government. 

The Bailey family plot is set up on a hill all by itself, and there are so many grave goods both visible as well as hidden in the grass – a wooden piano, painted stones, tiny angels and more.

Andrew Jackson Bailey Jr. was a sculptor, painter and all ’round artistic individual.

Stricken with polio as a youth, he started sketching and eventually created the world’s largest religious painting. 11×1000 feet to be exact and officially accredited in the Guiness Book of World Records. He also designed the Dekalb County flag and seal, and the seal of Rutledge. Bailey also invented a specialized art technique known as Ocular Animation which created the illusion of motion in stationary painting.

For all of these things, the state of Georgia decreed that every March 13th is Jackson Bailey day.

https://preview.redd.it/bsudgfe4o0dh1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bd4851a9b8ac598e2182f94b784734fe61dffc0

More photos in comments...

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17136980/andrew-jackson-bailey

https://southerncemetery.com/2026/07/10/an-artistic-adventure-rutledge-cemetery-in-rutledge-ga/

He's buried at Bonaventure Cemetery.

Thou art Not Mute With Angels Blending
Thy Voice To Us Is Still Descending
And Shall We Deem The Altered? Never
Thou art With Us Waking Present Ever

Behold I Come Quickly And My Reward Is With Me
To Give Every Man According As His Works Shall Be
I Am Alpha And Omega The Beginning And The End
The First And The Last

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39463726/robert_bs-nicolson

https://southerncemetery.com/2026/06/19/almost-first-looks-bonaventure-cemetery-in-savannah-ga/

Ellis was so dedicated to the turpentine industry that his marker has a stone tree complete with 'catface' hatches (so the tree bleeds sap) and sap buckets. More photos in comments.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34082043/ellis-mize

https://southerncemetery.com/2026/06/03/turpentine-industry-community-and-family-at-fairbanks-cemetery-in-alachua-county-fl/

This is the grave of Mary Annie but grave is known more for her sister Lucy aka The Lady In Black. Lucy visited Mary’s grave twice a week for over 48 years, always dressed in traditional mourning black. She walked all the way from Atlanta to Marietta round trip which around 40 miles both ways and averages around 10-15 hours.

There have been several ghostly sitings of Lucy over the years...always dressed in her signature black.

https://southerncemetery.com/2026/06/02/second-looks-marietta-city-cemetery-in-marietta-ga/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106313728/lucy-a-gartrell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92BviJKtNEU

Bobby, or Lt. Bobby as he should rightly be called, was the constant companion of Capt. Harris so, as you can imagine, he was at the military base on the regular. So much so that Bobby received his commission as mascot of the Army by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 and is the only dog to have held the title. You can see some amazing photos via find a grave here.

Sadly, Bobby died when he fell down an elevator shaft while visiting a local hotel with Capt. Harris. He was buried at the well known Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia with full military honors and to this day visitors still leave sticks for him. These grave goods are the sweetest, aren't they?

Capt. Harris died only 7 years later and is buried next to his “loyal pal” Bobby.

https://southerncemetery.com/2025/01/31/animal-graves-monuments-of-georgia/

https://preview.redd.it/vf70po2219ah1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb38055176048e1bb700a4fe0ec834dfdc7443ce

A design attributed to Joseph Abrams in the mid-1800’s and found predominantly in the South, these structures not only look beautiful but they also protected mounded graves.

Grave of two sisters: Cora Lilian (died September 1872) and Little Phoebe (died October 1874).

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11672138/cora_lilian-unknown

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11672161/phoebe-unknown

https://southerncemetery.com/2025/11/17/heavy-metal-cast-iron-in-cemeteries-burials-fisk-coffins-headstones-abrams-grave-covers-more/