I have had the privilege of publishing eight books with America Through Time in their Buried America, Gothic Americana & Photographer’s America series. I’ve also been a contributor for the Haunted Travels Anthology, Volume 2 where I share my experiences at the Saint Augustine Lighthouse.
Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & America Through Time’s website.
Colonial Park Cemetery: Savannah’s Forgotten Stories
Description: Colonial Park Cemetery, Savannah’s oldest burial ground, holds thousands of untold stories behind its broken and forgotten graves, far beyond the famous names honored in history.Established in 1750, Colonial Park Cemetery is the oldest remaining cemetery in Savannah. Savannah was the starting point for the colony of Georgia, and due to the city’s haunted reputation, it is a stopping point for lovers of history and horror alike.Throughout its paths there are numerous plaques dedicated to the city’s notable residents. There is also a monument at the grave of Button Gwinnett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Tours pass by day and night, telling the stories of Gwinnett, Sherman’s Union troops, duels, and yellow fever outbreaks.Those are just a few stories out of thousands. While there are approximately 600 headstones in the cemetery, some estimates put the burial count over 9,000.These are the stories they don’t tell on guided tours of the city, the people that don’t get plaques or historical monuments. These are the stories of husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters—everyday people like you and me.These are the forgotten stories behind the broken, misplaced, and sometimes even vandalized graves of Colonial Park Cemetery.
Burial Hill: Early Stories in Stone
Description: Reveals untold stories of Pilgrims, shipwrecked sailors, and early colonial struggles etched in stone.Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest cemeteries in the country. As such, the winding paths at the top of this hill are full of history. Many of the Pilgrims, as well as their descendants, are buried here. Among the thousands of headstones there is a mass grave of sailors from a tragic shipwreck in Plymouth Bay. Additionally, it was the site of the Pilgrims’ original fort.It’s known that history textbooks don’t always tell the full story of the past; the first Thanksgiving is the perfect example of this. And while the stones in this cemetery still only tell one side of the story, they do give a picture of the day-to-day lives of America’s early colonists.These are stories of fights for survival, such as illness, falling overboard on the Mayflower, war, and shipwrecked privateers. These stories are not heard in any classroom and only touched on in history tours.These are some of America’s earliest stories, written in stone by the people that lived them.
Old Dutch Burial Ground: Beyond the Headless Horseman
Description: Many are familiar of the tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, where the spirit of the Headless Horseman chases Ichabod Crane through the hollow after a party at the Van Tassel farm. Irving was inspired for the story by this quiet region just north of the city, including the Old Dutch Burial Ground where the Galloping Hessian is said to tether his horse every night. There is even a nod to the site of the original bridge that Ichabod is said to have tried to make his escape across. It is no longer standing, but there is a replica in nearby Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
There are many stories to be told of this town though, beyond Irving’s classic tale. The burial ground was established in 1638, making these residents some of the original settlers. There are Dutch settlers, Revolutionary War heroes, and many others buried within its neatly lined rows. And while some names are said to have inspired characters from the story, they all have their own stories to tell from the real lives they lived.
Charter Street Cemetery: Stories From the Witch Trials and More
Description: If you’re looking for horror stories, you need not look further than Salem, Massachusetts.The year 1692 saw twenty people executed for witchcraft in a time of heavy superstition. They were buried in unmarked graves, their names now recorded on the Witch Trial Memorial adjacent to Charter Street Cemetery. While the memorial holds many different forms of symbolism, none is heavier than the victims being able to face their accusers for all eternity as the cemetery is separated from the memorial just by a fence.While everyone visits Witch City for the story of the trials, there are many other historical stories to consider. Charter Street Cemetery is also known as Old Burying Point Cemetery as it is the oldest in the city. Burials range from 1637 to the late 1800s, meaning there’s much to discover from the decades before and after the trials.
Charleston’s Unitarian Churchyard: Historic Grounds in Lowcountry’s Holy City
Description: Charleston is often referred to as “Holy City,” with some speculating that nickname came from the many churches that line its streets. Along with these churches are the graveyards with burials dating back decades and even centuries. Most graveyards have caretakers to keep the area trim and pristine; in some, the overgrown graves are the ones that have not been paid for by the family to be maintained. In the Unitarian Churchyard, all the graves are overgrown, with only the paths remaining clear. Vines weave their way up the headstones, flowers spring up in random places, and there are even palm trees growing out of grave beds. For them, it’s symbolic of the dead returning to nature. Take a step back in time to learn stories as plentiful as the Spanish moss hanging from the trees.
Savannah, Georgia: The Hostess City’s Streets and Squares
Description: Founded in 1733, Savannah is one of the most historic cities in the South. The English colony of 120 people began as a way to protect the valuable Carolinas from the Spanish in Florida. As of 2021, Savannah was the fourth busiest seaport in the country, putting it ahead of major cities like Houston and Miami. The following year, 17 million people were recorded visiting the Hostess City.
It’s easy to see why. From Forsyth Park to River Street, and everywhere in between, classic Southern charm can be found around every corner. There is never enough time to see everything that this city has to offer, but these pages will highlight the oak-lined streets, historic architecture, and beautifully manicured squares. There are both well-known locations as well as off-the-beaten-path offerings to consider for your next visit.
Quoth the Raven: Stories From Westminster Burying Ground
Description: Edgar Allan Poe left his mark on the city of Baltimore. There is the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, a bar in Fell’s Point that claims to have been his last stop, and even the local NFL team is named The Ravens. His final resting place is in the Westminster Burying Ground in Baltimore, with his grave right inside the gate on West Fayette Street. Many stop at this monument, leaving flowers and paying their respects. A few venture further back into the cemetery where his original resting place is marked in the Poe family plot while taking in some of the other graves. Even fewer have a chance to visit the catacombs beneath the church, graves that remained there when the church was built over them. While this book will explore some of the mystery around Poe’s death (as well as his anonymous visitor on his birthday, the Poe Toaster), it will also explore the stories of others buried in the cemetery. There are many veterans from the American Revolution and the War of 1812, dozens of war heroes with their stories to share. And there are also, of course, the people that are buried here that can give us some insight into what everyday life (and death) looked like in early Baltimore.
Haunted Savannah: Lore From Locals
Description: Ranked among haunted cities like New Orleans, Gettysburg, and Salem is Savannah, Georgia. Established in 1733 and laid out with beautiful squares, the city is often associated with romantic weekends and bachelorette getaways. However, there is something much darker lurking beneath the Spanish moss.
While Savannah is famous for its ghostly reputation, this book explores beyond ghost stories. Lore from Locals shares the research and personal paranormal experiences of the people that love this city and its spirits the most: the people who call this place home.
