Tucked away in the quiet woods of Jacksonboro, South Carolina, stand the weathered brick ruins of the Pon Pon Chapel of Ease, sometimes called the “Old Brick Church.” To many, it is a reminder of the Lowcountry’s colonial past. To others, it is a place of mystery, whispered about in connection with hauntings, curses, and the strange ghost light said to appear along the road nearby.
A Chapel for the Isolated
In the early 1700s, St. Bartholomew’s Parish stretched across a vast swath of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Travel to the main parish church was often long and difficult, so a smaller place of worship—known as a “chapel of ease”—was built around 1725 on the Pon Pon River to serve parishioners living in the area.
The chapel quickly became a central gathering place, hosting worship, baptisms, and community events. But fate did not smile kindly on Pon Pon. Fire, war, and time each took their toll, and the little church would never know lasting peace.
A Church That Refused to Survive
The first chapel burned in 1754, but the congregation rebuilt. Just a few decades later, during the Revolutionary War, the structure was attacked and damaged again. Another fire consumed the building in 1801, and yet again, the faithful rebuilt it in brick.
But this time, the new structure would prove short-lived as well. By the 1830s, the chapel had been abandoned, and the surrounding forest began to reclaim it. What remains today are haunting brick walls, weathered by centuries of storms and sunlight, standing like a skeleton of a past long gone.
Whispers of Hauntings
Like many places with such a turbulent history, Pon Pon Chapel is said to be haunted. Visitors often speak of a heavy stillness in the air, a feeling that they are not alone among the ruins. Some have reported ghostly apparitions wandering the grounds, while others hear whispers carried on the wind as if sermons from the past still echo through the empty walls.
The chapel is also tied to one of South Carolina’s most enduring ghost legends—the Jacksonboro Light. This strange phenomenon, often described as a glowing orb drifting along Parkers Ferry Road near the chapel, is said to be the lantern of a preacher killed by an angry mob in the 1800s. His restless spirit, locals claim, continues to search for justice along the lonely road by Pon Pon Chapel.
A Place of Uneasy Peace
Today, the ruins of Pon Pon Chapel stand as both a historical landmark and a place of mystery. Surrounded by a quiet cemetery, the old brick walls are a stark reminder of how fragile life—and faith—once was in the Carolina Lowcountry. Whether you see it as a sacred ruin, a haunted relic, or simply an echo of the past, Pon Pon Chapel has earned its place among the most atmospheric and eerie sites in South Carolina.
📜 Pon Pon Chapel Fact Box
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Name: Pon Pon Chapel of Ease (also called “Old Brick Church”)
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Location: Jacksonboro, Colleton County, South Carolina
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Built: First chapel around 1725
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Destroyed/Rebuilt:
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Burned in 1754 → rebuilt
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Damaged during Revolutionary War
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Burned again in 1801 → rebuilt in brick
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Abandoned by the 1830s
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Present Condition: Ruins of the brick church, surrounded by an old cemetery
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Legends:
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Haunted by ghostly voices and apparitions
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Linked to the famous Jacksonboro Light ghost story
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Significance: Serves as both a colonial-era landmark and one of South Carolina’s eeriest haunted sites
