Haunted hotel guide · Charleston, South Carolina
The Haunted Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston: Ned Cohen and Room 1010
Charleston’s grand 1924 hotel on Marion Square, where guests on the tenth floor still talk about a heartbroken New Yorker named Ned Cohen.
When the Francis Marion Hotel opened on February 7, 1924, it was the largest and grandest hotel in the Carolinas: twelve floors of brick and stone at King and Calhoun Streets, overlooking Marion Square and named for the Revolutionary War’s Swamp Fox. A century on it is still independent, with 235 rooms and suites, the Swamp Fox restaurant and bar, a spa, and views across the historic district to the harbor.
It is also home to one of Charleston’s best-known hotel ghosts. Ned Cohen, a New Yorker who came south for love, died on King Street below the hotel, and guests on the tenth floor have reported windows that will not stay shut, rustling drapes and a man in shirtsleeves talking to himself ever since. The hotel leans into the story in October with a package that includes a hotel ghost story at turndown. Find more places to stay in our guide to haunted hotels in Charleston.
Francis Marion Hotel at a glance
Haunted Rooms Score
- Address 387 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403, on Marion Square at King and Calhoun Streets
- Opened February 7, 1924; restored in 1996
- Most haunted spots The tenth floor, Room 1010 and windows overlooking King Street
- Best-known ghosts Ned Cohen, a jilted New Yorker, seen in hallways and felt in guest rooms
- Booking the haunted room Request Room 1010 or a tenth-floor King Street room when you book. It is a standard room, so it depends on availability.
- Good to know 235 rooms, dog friendly, Swamp Fox restaurant and bar, The Spa of Charleston, a Starbucks downstairs and the Saturday farmers market on Marion Square in season.
The ghosts of Francis Marion Hotel
Ned Cohen, the heartbroken New Yorker
The story goes that Ned Cohen, a Northerner, fell for a Charleston woman he met in New York and arranged business in Charleston so he could see her again. After a weekend together she ended it, in some versions by leaving a letter in his room, and Cohen was found dead in the middle of King Street below the hotel. Accounts put this at 1929 or the early 1930s.
Historic Hotels of America, which counts the Francis Marion as a member, says plainly that whatever happened was never clear. Cohen is buried in Cooperstown, New York, but the hotel says his spirit stayed in Charleston. The romance and the letter are the legend; the death on King Street is the part the hotel tells as history.
Windows that will not stay shut
The most common report is from the tenth floor: windows that open by themselves, often with a sudden cold breeze, and windows that rattle on nights with no wind. Guests also describe silk drapes rustling when nobody and nothing is near them.
The man in the hallway
Guests and staff have described a man in a dinner jacket or shirtsleeves in the tenth-floor halls who seems to be asking questions of himself, or of anyone passing, before he fades away. Others have seen what looked like a figure falling past their window, and found nothing on the street below when they looked.
A touch on the cheek
Not everyone sees him. Some guests report the feeling of being watched while they sleep, or a light touch on the cheek or neck in the night. People who tell these stories tend to describe sadness rather than fear.
The most haunted rooms and places to look
- Room 1010: The room most often linked to Ned Cohen and the one the local press suggests booking.
- The tenth floor: Where the window, drape and hallway reports cluster.
- King Street-facing rooms: Rooms looking down on the street where Cohen was found, with views across to Marion Square.
History of Francis Marion Hotel
In the early 1920s Charleston’s business leaders wanted a grand modern hotel to rival anything in the South. Local investors, led by former mayor T. T. Hyde through the Marion Square Realty Company, hired New York hotel architect William Lee Stoddart and spent about $1.5 million on a steel-framed tower that was for a time the tallest building in the city. It opened on February 7, 1924, named for Gen. Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox of the American Revolution.
In 1952 it became the first fully air-conditioned hotel in Charleston. Jack Tar Hotels bought it in 1954 and added the Swamp Fox Room restaurant and red granite on the ground floor. Gen. Mark W. Clark, the World War II commander, lived in the penthouse from 1965 to 1975 after retiring as president of The Citadel across the square.
The 1970s and 1980s were hard. The hotel was listed on the National Register as part of the Charleston Historic District in 1984, changed hands several times, and after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 new investors took it on with backing from Mayor Joseph P. Riley, who saw it as the key to reviving upper King Street.
A $12 million restoration in 1996 won an award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The hotel flew the Westin flag from 1998 to 2003 and has been independent since, joining Historic Hotels of America in 1999.
Tips for a haunted stay
- Ask for Room 1010 or a tenth-floor room facing King Street, and call after booking to repeat the request.
- Look for the hotel’s October package, which has included spooky cookies and a hotel ghost story at turndown.
- Marion Square is across the street and the Old Citadel, now an Embassy Suites with its own ghost stories, is on the far side of it.
- The rooms are 1920s sized, so bathrooms can be small; book a larger room type if space matters.
- Most downtown ghost walks start a short walk south, so you can tour after dinner and walk back up King Street.
Want to investigate, not just sleep?
Sleeping in a haunted hotel is one thing. Investigating one after dark is another. On a Haunted Rooms ghost hunt our team takes you through the building with professional ghost hunting equipment, runs EVP sessions and lets you explore on your own during free roam.
- USS Battleship North Carolina Ghost Hunt and Tour, Wilmington, NC: Investigate a WWII battleship, about three and a half hours up the coast from Charleston.
- Roanoke Island Inn Ghost Hunt and Sleepover, Manteo, NC: Ghost hunt, then spend the night in a historic Outer Banks inn.
More haunted hotels nearby
- 20 South Battery (Battery Carriage House Inn): Room 8’s headless torso and the Gentleman Ghost
- Haunted hotels in Charleston: the Mills House, Old Citadel and more
- Haunted places in Charleston: jails, graveyards and old houses
- The Marshall House, Savannah: Savannah’s oldest haunted hotel
- Haunted hotels in South Carolina
- Haunted hotels in Charleston
Stayed in one of these hotels? Tell us what happened
We collect first-hand accounts from guests and add the best ones to our guides, with your first name and the date of your stay. We read every story before it’s published.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Francis Marion Hotel haunted?
It is one of Charleston’s best-known haunted hotels. Guests and staff describe windows opening on the tenth floor, rustling drapes and a man in the hallway, all linked to Ned Cohen, who died on King Street below the hotel.
What room is haunted at the Francis Marion Hotel?
Room 1010 is the room most associated with Ned Cohen, and the tenth floor in general is where most reports come from. You can request it, but it is not guaranteed.
Who was Ned Cohen?
A New Yorker who, according to the hotel and local accounts, came to Charleston around 1929 or the early 1930s to see a woman, and was found dead on King Street. The love story is legend; the exact circumstances were never clear. He is buried in Cooperstown, New York.
Is the Francis Marion Hotel pet friendly?
Yes, the hotel welcomes dogs. Check its pet policy for fees and size limits before booking.
When did the Francis Marion Hotel open?
February 7, 1924. It was restored in 1996 and is listed as part of the Charleston Historic District.
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the hotel’s own website, historic records and news coverage. Ghost stories are reported as guests, staff and local historians tell them. Read how we rate haunted hotels.
- Wikipedia: Francis Marion Hotel
- Historic Hotels of America via Hotel Online: Haunted hospitality (2015)
- Historic Hotels of America: Francis Marion Hotel history
- Francis Marion Hotel: History
- Francis Marion Hotel: official site
- Charleston City Paper: See the real ghosts at these haunted hotels (2012)
- Discover South Carolina: 10 haunted South Carolina inns
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About the authors
The Haunted Rooms Team runs public ghost hunts and overnight investigations at historic venues across the United States. We research every hotel in our guides using hotel histories, local archives, news coverage and the accounts of guests and staff, and we review each guide regularly so you are not booking a hotel that has closed or changed its name. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
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