Date of Haunting
The haunting began in 1852 after death within the Legare family.
Name/Name & Location
Julia Legare also is known as J.B. Legare was visiting other members of the wealthy Edisto Island family in Charleston, South Carolina.
Physical Description
The tomb was made of reddish stone and sat inside of the Presbyterian Church grounds with a metal fence surrounding it. Inside of the tomb, you can see 3 tombstones and what looks to be a stone bed on the floor.
Origin
The Legare family lived on Edisto Island during the mid-1800s for some time and becoming a wealthy local family. In 1852 the 22-year-old daughter Julia fell ill and slipped into a coma, and eventually was pronounced dead later. Her legend begins after being entombed in her family’s mausoleum crypt for almost 15 years.
Mythology and Lore
When Julia fell into the coma her heart and respiratory rates dropped so low the doctors were not able to detect them. This was because of the poor medical equipment they had during this time. The physician declared Julia dead and informed the family. They began to arrange final rites for her at the Edisto Island Presbyterian Church for later that afternoon to lay Julia to rest. She was taken to the Church to await the ceremony, and the tomb was opened and prepared.
In the 1800s the ceremonial activities were conducted at a rapid pace as they didn’t have embalming fluids yet. So poor Julia was buried the same day as she died after her loved-ones had time to pay their respects to her. Then she was taken from the church to the mausoleum and placed within the crypt. A large marble door was securely closed and locked to secure her final resting place. After 15 years another family death required the Legare family to open their family crypt again. This is when the family realized their horrible and tragic mistake. Julie’s remains were found crumpled at the foot of the mausoleum door; she had been buried alive. It is believed that she awoke from her coma entombed and tried to escape, but sadly couldn’t. The family had her re-entombed within the crypt and the door resealed so she could rest again.
When they returned to visit her, they found the tomb door would be open, a clergyman at the church would close the tomb again yet the same thing would happen. This happened over decades to elders of the church. They used chains, unbreakable locks, and even called in industrial machinery to seal a door into place. All of them would be open and or unhinged from the mausoleum, the original door still lays broken around the entry to her tomb. Mediums from all over believe she would never allow a door to be sealed so that no one would ever suffer her fate again. The church stopped putting doors on the mausoleum out of hopes her spirit would be able to rest knowing the tomb is safe. Visitors to this day can visit the grounds, some have reported an essence near the tomb. Others have captured pictures that cannot be explained by the caretakers of the cemetery.
Is there anything we missed about the Tomb of Julia Legare? Let us know in the comments section below!
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