Just in Time for Halloween - Reportedly Haunted 1734 South Carolina House Is Already Under Contract

The Thomas Bolem House at 719 Prince Street in Georgetown has nearly three centuries of history — and decades-old stories of an elderly sailor reportedly appearing inside.

GEORGETOWN, S.C. — One of South Carolina's oldest homes didn't stay available for long.

The Thomas Bolem House at 719 Prince Street in Georgetown, a historic property widely dated to around 1734 and associated with decades-old ghost stories, appeared on the market September 22 for $1.05 million.

It is already under contract.

The current real-estate listing shows the property as pending and says it was actually contracted before being formally listed. Because the contract contains a contingency, the listing agent is still encouraging backup offers.

But the speed of the apparent sale isn't the only unusual part of this listing.

The real-estate description itself acknowledges stories of "unexplained visitors" and an elderly sailor reportedly appearing inside the house — folklore that predates the current sale by decades.

With Halloween approaching, 719 Prince Street offers something increasingly difficult to find: a reportedly haunted house with a ghost story that didn't originate with social media, paired with an active real-estate transaction happening right now.

And behind the ghost story is an even more interesting question.

What has actually happened at this address during nearly three centuries?

One of Georgetown's oldest surviving houses

Georgetown was laid out in 1729 and is one of South Carolina's oldest cities.

The Thomas Bolem House stands at 719 Prince Street in the Georgetown Historic District, only a short walk from the city's waterfront.

The current real-estate listing dates the house to circa 1734 and describes it as Georgetown's oldest home and its first tavern, serving merchants, sailors, travelers, local residents and planters passing through the colonial port.

There is historical support for at least part of that story.

A Coastal Observer guide to historic Georgetown identifies the Thomas Bolem House at 719 Prince Street as the city's oldest house and says it was built in 1734.

South Carolina's official historic records, however, introduce some uncertainty.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History's description of the Georgetown Historic District says the city's oldest surviving structure dates to approximately 1737. A later architectural survey lists a much later approximate construction date for 719 Prince Street.

Those conflicting records make "circa 1734" — the date currently associated with the property — more appropriate than presenting 1734 as an undisputed fact.

What is clear is that the Thomas Bolem House is recognized as part of Georgetown's historic district and has long been associated with the city's earliest history.

And sometime during that history, stories began circulating that some of its former visitors may never have left.

The story of the elderly sailor

The reported haunting at 719 Prince Street is not something created to market the house in 2026.

An account of paranormal activity at the property appeared decades earlier.

Southern Spirit Guide, citing Elizabeth Robertson Huntsinger's 1998 book More Ghosts of Georgetown, recounts an incident said to have occurred around Christmas 1993.

According to that account, a family member entered the kitchen and encountered an elderly man wearing old-fashioned sailor's clothing.

The mysterious visitor reportedly wandered through the kitchen and into the hallway without speaking.

When the witness asked other family members whether they had seen the man, they reportedly had not.

There is no independent evidence establishing that the encounter was paranormal. Like other ghost stories, it should be treated as folklore rather than historical fact.

What can be established is that the sailor story existed long before the house returned to the market this month.

More than 30 years after the reported encounter — and nearly three decades after it appeared in a book about Georgetown ghost stories — the sailor has found his way into the property's current real-estate listing.

The listing describes stories of unexplained visitors and an elderly sailor appearing inside as part of Georgetown's ghost-story folklore.

For prospective buyers, it's a rare example of a property's paranormal reputation appearing alongside hardwood floors, fireplaces and a renovated kitchen.

Was 719 Prince Street really a tavern?

The current listing identifies the Thomas Bolem House as Georgetown's first tavern.

If accurate, that history would provide an intriguing backdrop to the sailor stories.

Georgetown developed as an important colonial port, and a tavern would have served the merchants, sailors and travelers moving through the community.

Southern Spirit Guide also notes evidence that the building was originally constructed or used as a tavern and connects that history with later reports involving sailors.

Still, the property's earliest history is old enough that some details have become difficult to separate from local tradition.

That's an important distinction when researching a house like this.

Historical records can document addresses, owners, buildings and events.

Folklore preserves something different: the stories generations of people tell about a place.

Sometimes those two histories overlap.

Sometimes they don't.

At 719 Prince Street, they have been intertwined for decades.

Revolutionary War history is also attached to the house

Ghosts aren't the only dramatic characters associated with 719 Prince Street.

The current listing recounts a Revolutionary War story involving Brig. Gen. Francis Marion, better known as the "Swamp Fox," and Gen. Peter Horry.

According to the story repeated in the listing and attributed to former Georgetown Mayor Jack Scoville, Marion and Horry entered the property after American forces retook Georgetown and encountered British officers upstairs.

Weapons were reportedly drawn and a shot fired before the confrontation ended without the British officers being killed.

It's a colorful story, but one that should be presented as an account associated with the property rather than an independently established event unless supported by primary historical documentation.

That is particularly important with a house approaching its third century.

The older a property becomes, the easier it is for documented history and local legend to become inseparable.

From $685,000 to $1.05 million

The house's recent history is considerably easier to document.

Property records cited with the current listing show 719 Prince Street sold for $685,000 on October 6, 2021.

It returned to the market this month at $1.05 million.

The historic Colonial-style residence contains original hardwood flooring, four fireplaces, high ceilings and two levels of side-to-side piazzas. Modern improvements include an updated kitchen, newer HVAC equipment and improvements to the backyard.

Then there's the history.

And apparently that didn't discourage at least one buyer.

The property is currently marked pending at $1.05 million. According to the listing agent's remarks, it was under contract before being formally listed, although the contract contains a contingency and backup offers are being encouraged.

Whether the eventual buyer believes the sailor story is another question entirely.

Do sellers have to disclose that a house is reportedly haunted?

That question illustrates why property history can become complicated for homebuyers.

An inspection is designed to evaluate the physical condition of a house.

An appraisal helps establish its value.

Neither is intended to provide a complete historical investigation of everything that may have occurred at an address.

Deaths, crimes, fires, previous occupants, reported paranormal activity and other events can become associated with a property without necessarily appearing in the ordinary homebuying process.

Disclosure requirements also vary depending on the jurisdiction and the circumstances.

For some buyers, none of that history matters.

For others, discovering it after closing could dramatically change how they feel about the property.

That's why researching a home's history before spending hundreds of dollars on inspections and appraisals can provide another piece of information for buyers to consider.

A house can have two histories

Perhaps that's what makes 719 Prince Street particularly interesting.

There is the history that can be documented.

Georgetown dates to the early 18th century. The Thomas Bolem House stands within its historic district. The property has survived generations of owners and an enormous transformation of the city surrounding it.

Then there is another history.

A tavern filled with sailors.

Revolutionary War encounters.

Unexplained visitors.

And an elderly sailor reportedly walking through a kitchen more than two centuries after sailors first passed through Georgetown's port.

Some of those stories can be documented.

Others belong to folklore.

Nearly 300 years after the earliest dates associated with the house, someone may now be preparing to become its next steward.

The house appears to have found a buyer.

Whether the sailor comes with it is considerably harder to verify.

Research the history before you buy

A home inspection can tell you about a property's physical condition. An appraisal can help determine its value.

Neither tells you everything that may have happened at the address.

DiedInHouse.com researches available records and other sources associated with residential addresses, including deaths, crimes, fires, previous residents and other property-history information that buyers may want to know before purchasing a home.

Research the house history first. Then decide for yourself what matters.