Historic Southport, North Carolina
Southport, North Carolina began as a small settlement of river pilots who made their money guiding ships through the dangerous waters of Cape Fear River, but the town’s beautiful environs quickly positioned it as the summer destination for wealthy Wilmington families. As can be expected from a coastal town, legends of men lost at sea are common; however, Southport boasts a truly unique North Carolina ghost story.
On August 23, 1882 Italian harpist Antonio "Tony" Caselletta drowned in a sailing accident on the Cape Fear river, leaving behind a wife and child. His body was then buried in the Old Smithville Cemetery; however, many claim that his spirit continues to play his beloved instrument in the beautiful seaside mansion that once served as the Hotel Brunswick in historic Southport, North Carolina.
This episode of Southern Gothic features music written and performed by the Americana duo Harp & Plow.
In the city of Cleveland,Tennessee is a legendary mausoleum haunted by the spirit of young girl killed in a tragic accident at a railroad crossing. Legend says if you circle the tomb seven times and then approach it's entrance, the metal door will swing open and invite you in. Yet this legend isn’t what made the ornate marble mausoleum the basis of one of the most infamous ghost stories in East Tennessee— it’s that the marble tomb seems to bleed.
