Is the old Carthage jail haunted?

There are rumors the old Carthage jail on McNeill Street is haunted, and Pee Dee Region Paranormal, LLC visited to find out.

The Town of Carthage partnered with Pee Dee Region Paranormal, LLC to investigate the old Carthage jail. It has two cells and a larger outer room. Bars are on the high, small windows, and the structure is empty.

The paranormal investigators arrived on Jan. 19 for a noon reception with the public, answering questions and informing the public of their methods and equipment.

One device investigators use is a REM Pod, which detects electrical energy. It has an antenna, and it makes a static noise when anything with an electrical charge nears it.

A frequency generator operates up to 600 hertz, and the investigators are researching why low frequencies appear when spirits demonstrate activity.

“It [ghost activity] is less than one megahertz,” said Robert Humphries of Pee Dee Region Paranormal, LLC. “There’s not even a radio that will go that low. We are trying to build a device that will go that low.”

Robert Humphries of Pee Dee Region Paranormal, LLC explains the results of the dowsing rod experiments conducted in the old Carthage jail on Jan. 19, 2023.

The investigators returned on Jan. 20 for a second public reception at noon and stayed through 10 p.m. to continue the investigation.

Humphries said it would take several investigations to determine the extent of the souls within the jail. He said spirits are shy, and it takes them a while not to be afraid of the living.

Humphries said spirits are attracted to and use the energy of red light and the energy of fire, so they used a candle and red lights.

Brian Horton, Reiki Master, asks souls within the old Carthage jail to make their presence known at 7 p.m., Jan. 20, 2023.

Reiki Master, Brian Horton, used Reiki upon the first entrance to the property to remove the investigators’ negative energy and to clear the air.

Abigail Humphries, the wife of Robert Humphries, said the first night that something pulled on her pants’ leg three times, and she felt cold air on her face. She said her husband felt like somebody was behind him.

“There was a ripple of energy,” Abigail Humphries said.

The team was undecided if the jail was haunted and concluded there was activity needing further investigation.

Carthage Town Manager Emily Yopp shared in an email to Sandhills Sentinel that a 1915 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map indicated a structure in that general area as a hay storage building. It may have been converted into a jail.

The town owns the building and has made repair plans. It has deteriorated bricks and general neglect.

Is old Carthage jail haunted?

The interior of the old Carthage jail shows bricks and mortar in a crumbling state on Jan. 20, 2023. Photo by Marie Greene.

Yopp wrote that the building should be preserved and shared as a community point of interest because it is part of Carthage’s history.

Pee Dee Region Paranormal, LLC is making an episode for their Roku channel, which debuts Feb. 1. The name of it is Paranormal Family Channel, and it is monetized with a $2.99 monthly subscription or a discounted yearly subscription.

“We were approached to do a television show and were told to fake it till we make it, so we turned them down,” Humphries said about working with a national producer.

The team has been together for 30 years and was founded by Humphries and Horton.

Pee Dee Region Paranormal, LLC would like to hear from the public about haunted properties. Reach out to them here.

There are two old jails in Carthage. One is the 1900s jail on McNeill Street, and the other is the vacant 20th-century jail across the street from the library.

Without a proper address, several citizens erroneously waited outside the old jail across from the library for the Jan. 20 reception to meet the paranormal investigators.

After inquiry at the sheriff’s office, some found the 1900s-old jail.

Marie Greene, Bethany and Jim Bolyard, Kasia McDonald, Patricia Wallace, and Charles Pope stand outside the old jail across the street from the Carthage Library on Jan. 20, 2023.

With six years in Carthage, Kasia McDaniel said she loves the history of Carthage and has never seen a ghost but is from a Catholic family who believes in apparitions.

A 15-year Robbins resident, Patricia Wallace, said she had not seen a ghost but felt the presence.

“There are a lot of sensitives in my family,” Wallace said about seeing ghosts.

Charles Pope, a 35-year West End resident, said he has heard the stories but has not seen a ghost.

“My girlfriend doesn’t believe in this,” Pope said about his girlfriend, Marie Greene.

Jim Bolyard and his daughter, Bethany Bolyard, 12, said they watch “Expedition Unknown” and wanted to explore.

So what do you think, is the old Carthage jail haunted?

Feature photo: The old Carthage jail is rumored to be haunted, and Pee Dee Region Paranormal, LLC investigates Jan. 19 and 20, 2023. 

~Article, two photos and videos by Sandhills Sentinel Journalist Stephanie M. Sellers. Contact her at [email protected]

*Know ghost stories about the old Carthage jail and other Moore County properties? Contact Stephanie Sellers at (919) 353-2522.

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