Haunted hotel guide · Charleston, South Carolina
The Haunted Barksdale House Inn, Charleston: the Man Who Walks Into the Closet
A 14-room inn in Ansonborough on land George Barksdale bought in 1778, with one quiet ghost story: an older man who crosses the room and vanishes into the closet.
The Barksdale House Inn sits at 27 George Street in Ansonborough, Charleston’s first suburb, a few blocks from the College of Charleston, King Street and the City Market. It looks Victorian from the street, with bay windows and a black mansard roof, but the house underneath is far older, and the land has been tied to the Barksdale name since 1778.
Its ghost story is a modest one, and the inn does not advertise it. For years haunted-hotel lists, including ours, have repeated the account of guests and staff who saw an older man, thought to be in his sixties, walk across a guest room and disappear into the closet. Nobody has put a name to him. It is one of the gentler stops on our guide to haunted hotels in Charleston.
Barksdale House Inn at a glance
Haunted Rooms Score
- Address 27 George Street, Charleston, SC 29401, in Ansonborough
- Opened Land bought 1778; house probably built by 1817; Victorian remodel around 1902; renovated as an inn in 1985
- Most haunted spots The guest rooms and their closets
- Best-known ghosts An unnamed older man, sometimes seen only as a dark shadow, who walks into the closet
- Booking the haunted room No room number is attached to the story, so any room will do. Room 9 is the only room that sleeps four.
- Good to know 14 rooms, breakfast and afternoon iced tea included, on-site parking for a daily fee, small dogs and cats accepted for a fee, no elevator
The ghosts of Barksdale House Inn
The man who walks into the closet
The Barksdale House story has been told the same way for years. A guest settles in for the night, and an older man, usually described as being in his sixties, walks calmly across the room and steps into the closet. When the closet is opened, there is nobody inside.
Some versions describe him as a dark shadow rather than a clear figure. He never speaks, never touches anyone and never seems to notice the guest at all, which is part of what makes the story stick.
Who might he be?
Nobody knows. The usual guess is that he is a former guest who liked the place enough to come back. With more than two centuries of owners, tenants and visitors, the house has no shortage of candidates, but no record ties the story to anyone in particular.
It is worth being clear about the sourcing. The inn’s own history page does not mention a ghost, and we have not found the story in local press. It survives in haunted-hotel guides and in the experiences guests pass on, so treat it as a story rather than a documented haunting.
Ansonborough's other stories
The neighborhood around the inn was largely rebuilt after the fire of 1838, and its streets turn up on many Charleston ghost walks. The Jasmine House, another small inn with a ghost story of its own, is a few minutes’ walk away on Hasell Street.
The most haunted rooms and places to look
- Any guest room: The story is told about the guest rooms in general rather than one numbered room. Keep an eye on the closet door.
- Room 9: The only room with two queen beds that sleeps four, handy for a group who want company on a haunted night.
- The garden porch: The inn’s porch overlooks the garden, a quiet spot for afternoon iced tea before the ghost walks begin.
History of Barksdale House Inn
George Barksdale, a wealthy planter and former member of the South Carolina House, bought this lot in 1778. The inn’s own history is careful to say the house’s construction date is not documented. His nephew Thomas probably built it some time between 1778 and 1817, when he sold the townhouse, and many owners and tenants followed.
The house stands in Ansonborough, laid out in 1746 and once known as the Bowling Green. Local lore holds that its front rooms once housed Charles Town’s original post office, though the inn presents that as tradition rather than fact.
Despite its Victorian look, the house is a Regency-style building from the early Federal period. Sanborn fire insurance maps show a two-story house with outbuildings in 1884, and by about 1902 it had gained its bay windows and a French hipped roof that added a story.
A 1985 renovation turned it into an inn, adding marbleized slate mantels and widening the stair hall while keeping the original floors, where some early hand-forged nails are still visible. Today it is run by Homegrown Hospitality Group as a 14-room inn with breakfast and an afternoon iced tea.
Tips for a haunted stay
- There is no elevator, so ask for a ground-floor room if stairs are a problem.
- Book parking with your room; the inn guarantees one space per room for a daily fee, which is rare downtown.
- Dogs and litter-trained cats up to 25 pounds are welcome for a fee, so you can bring a companion for the closet watch.
- The Old Charleston Jail and most of the city’s ghost walks are within walking distance or a short ride.
- Check-in is between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., so let the inn know if you will arrive late.
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 on the Cape Fear River.
- 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
- Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston: Ned Cohen and Room 1010 on Marion Square
- 20 South Battery (Battery Carriage House Inn): Charleston’s most famous haunted inn
- Old Charleston Jail: the city’s best-known haunted landmark
- 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 Barksdale House Inn haunted?
Guests and staff have described an older man who walks across a guest room and disappears into the closet. The inn does not promote the story, and it has not been documented, so treat it as a ghost story rather than fact.
How old is the Barksdale House Inn?
George Barksdale bought the land in 1778. The house was probably built by his nephew Thomas before 1817 and remodeled in the Victorian style around 1902.
Does the Barksdale House Inn allow pets?
Yes. Dogs and litter-trained cats up to 25 pounds are accepted for a fee, up to two per room. Service dogs are always welcome.
Does the Barksdale House Inn have parking?
Yes. It offers on-site parking, one car per room, for a daily fee. Oversized vehicles and trailers cannot be accommodated.
Is breakfast included at the Barksdale House Inn?
Yes. Breakfast is included, and the inn sets out iced tea and light bites every afternoon.
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.
- Barksdale House Inn: official site
- Barksdale House Inn: History
- Barksdale House Inn: Policies
- Charleston Footprints: Ansonborough
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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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