Founded in 1736, the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina, was the first building on the continent solely for theatrical performances before it likely burnt down in the Great Fire of 1740. The Calder House Hotel — later named the Planter’s Hotel — was built at or near the theatre’s original location in 1809. Many passed through the hotel, including: Robert Smalls, who worked at the hotel before escaping slavery and joining the Union navy during the Civil War, and Junius Brutus Booth, the father of John Wilkes Booth.
According to legend, a woman named Nettie Dickerson also often stayed at the hotel. Proud, angry, and sure of herself, the legend of Nettie has lasted long after her alleged lifetime. Over eighty years after the former hotel was reopened as the Dock Street Theatre, Nettie is considered the building’s most famous ghost. In this episode, we explore the many stories and paranormal experiences of the Dock Street Theatre.
But first, Zoey is here with her Something Spooky: soulmates!
Sources:
https://ghostcitytours.com/charleston/haunted-places/dock-street-theatre/
https://charlestonstage.com/about-us/dock-street-theatre
“6 Hidden Secrets of Charleston’s Dock Street Theatre,” Spoleto Festival USA, Feb. 21, 2023.
“Dock Street Theatre” by Suzannah Smith Miles, charleston.
“Phantoms of the playhouse” by Glenn Smith, The Post and Courier, Oct. 30, 2008; updated Oct. 22, 2018. (Discusses information from The Ghosts of Charleston by Edward B. Macy and Julian T. Buxton III. (Beaufort Books, 2001).)
https://www.nps.gov/people/robert-smalls.htm
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/ulysses-s-grant-slavery-and-the-hiring-out-system-in-st-louis.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal
“The Creepiest Places in All 50 States” by Shannon Phillips, HGTV.
Something Spooky sources:
Haunted Hospitality Podcast 