The magnolia by the courthouse

South Carolina · United States · Haunted site

Mary Ingelman was tried as a witch and sentenced to death. They meant to hang her from the tree beside the courthouse, and a man from the town intervened.

In 1792 in Fairfield County, South Carolina, a woman named Mary Ingelman was accused of witchcraft by her neighbours.

She was tried, and she was condemned. The intention was to hang her from the magnolia beside the courthouse.

A man from the town could not bear it and stepped in.

What happened to her instead is documented and is not much better. Mary Ingelman and several others were seized by a self appointed court, beaten, and had the soles of their feet burned. She survived, and the men responsible were later prosecuted, which was itself extraordinary for the time and place.

This was in the 1790s, a full century after Salem. Witch panics did not end when the courts stopped hearing them.

What is reported at the courthouse and the tree belongs to her.

The courthouse is a working county building.

FAQ

Where is The magnolia by the courthouse located?

The magnolia by the courthouse is in South Carolina, United States.