The Palmetto State has a plethora of ghost tales pertaining to more than a handful of haunted places and the following cemetery on Hilton Head Island is among them. The mausoleum of William Baynard was built in 1846 and is the size of a modern day tiny house.

One popular legend surrounding this mausoleum has it that Baynard, a wealthy plantation owner, had lost his young wife around 1841 and he never recovered from the heartache.
TripAdvisor/Guy S
He had just purchased and moved into a plantation on Hilton Head Island with his young bride, and after her death he was often seen roaming the plantation in hopes of encountering her (or maybe her spirit). The ruins of the plantation are still standing in another part of Hilton Head Island and are shown in the photo below.
TripAdvisor/lilbucfan
Baynard built the massive mausoleum three years prior to his death in 1849. There were whispers as to why it was so lavishly large, and many believed he'd built it to accommodate his most prized worldly possessions so he could take them to the afterlife he would share with his beautiful bride.
TripAdvisor/Brad B

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During the Civil War, the whispers of the possible fortune sealed within the mausoleum reached the ears of Union soldiers. Subsequently, it was raided and every last item was stolen.
TripAdvisor/Darren L
It's said that William Baynard's angry and heartbroken ghost haunts not only the ruins of the Stoney-Baynard Plantation on Hilton Head, but also the cemetery where his empty mausoleum sits.
TripAdvisor/Patricia H
This heartbreaking and eerie tale haunts more than Baynard. Visitors to the cemetery have reported feeling an ironic emptiness when standing near the tomb.
TripAdvisor/Jason Robinson

The Baynard Mausoleum is believed to be the oldest surviving intact structure in Hilton Head. The Zion Cemetery was established in the 18th century. The adjoining chapel was destroyed in the 1860s and nothing remains of the chapel.

Zion Cemetery is located on William Hilton Parkway (Bus 278) in Hilton Head near the intersection of Matthews Drive. It’s open 24 hours a day and free to visit.

For more about the Stoney-Baynard Plantation ruins, and yet another legendary version of this same haunting tale, keep reading here.

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