Southern Gothic

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Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic Media LLC

1 hour 19 minutes

Introducing Macabrium: True Crime & Dark History

Y'all join us as we explore Macabrium, a podcast that explores the secrets of the past-- true crime, dark history, lore, and legends. Join Megan on Tuesdays for true crime & dark history, and Derek on Sundays for lore & legends.

This True Crime & Dark History episode is titled "Villain By Nature: The Cannibal Boone Helm."

Listen to Macabrium today on your favorite podcasting apps!

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21 May 2025, 7:00 am
29 minutes 10 seconds

Fire at the Nottoway Plantation and the History of Plantation Tourism
On May 15th, 2025, flames tore through the largest surviving antebellum mansion in the South—Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana. Within hours, the storied structure was reduced to a charred skeleton. But as officials made statements mourning the loss and news channels skirted larger issues, much of the public saw something different: the fire was a symbol of racial reckoning.

In this special episode of Southern Gothic, we examine how Southern plantations like Nottoway went from sites of forced labor to luxurious resorts and wedding venues. From the Lost Cause myth and the rise of heritage tourism to the backlash against plantation weddings and the emergence of museums like Whitney Plantation, which aim to tell the real story of slavery-- join us as we explore the history of plantation tourism.

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19 May 2025, 7:00 am
37 minutes 33 seconds

Listener Tales, Volume Three
This week we are going back to you & telling your listener-submitted stories! Tales include a haunted college, an apparition on an old battlefield and a lonely spirit on vacation in Gatlinburg...

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15 May 2025, 7:00 am
55 minutes 54 seconds

Count Carl von Cosel's Macabre Obsession
In the shadow of Key West’s sun-drenched charm lies one of the island’s most disturbing true stories. In 1930, a reclusive hospital technician named Carl Tanzler became convinced that a young Cuban-American woman was his fated bride—sent to him by visions from beyond the grave. But after her untimely death, his obsession took a grotesque turn. From stolen corpses to waxen recreations, what followed is a tale so surreal, so haunting, it defies belief.

In this episode, we unravel the true story of obsession, violation, and the twisted lengths one man went to in the name of so-called love.

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12 May 2025, 7:00 am
31 minutes 43 seconds

The Black River War | Encore Episode
Long before the Hatfields and McCoys became a symbol of Southern feuding, two Louisiana families waged a decades-long battle of their own. The Black River War between the Liddells and the Joneses tore through Catahoula Parish with ambushes, political rivalries, and cold-blooded murder-- culminating in a deadly shootout aboard a Mississippi steamer and vigilante justice carried out by torchlight. What sparked this violent feud? And why has history largely forgotten it?

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5 May 2025, 7:00 am
38 minutes 51 seconds

The Lingering Echoes of Polly Barclay's Chains
The Fitzpatrick Hotel has been standing on the courthouse square of Washington, Georgia for more than a century now, its red-brick walls and Queen Anne trim casting long shadows over the town’s oldest streets. But around here, folks say it wasn’t just the fire that cleared the way for the hotel to be built—there are darker stories too. Stories about graves left behind. About spirits that never moved on.

And one name you’ll hear more than any other is Polly Barclay.

Back in 1806, Polly found herself at the center of one of Georgia’s earliest true crime stories—accused of plotting her husband’s murder and sentenced to die. She was beautiful, sharp, and by all accounts sure she’d never see the gallows. But fate had other plans, and her execution would go on to spark one of the region’s most enduring legends. Some say Polly never left. Some say she's still there, beneath the Fitzpatrick, rattling her chains on stormy nights when the wind kicks up just right.

This week, we’re digging into the real story behind the legend—who Polly Barclay really was, what really happened that night outside Washington, and why her ghost might still be walking among us today.

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28 April 2025, 7:00 am
54 minutes 58 seconds

The Southern Gothic Oracle w/ Stacey Williams-Ng | Interview
This week, we’re taking a brief detour from our usual haunted history to explore the deeper symbolism behind the stories we so often tell. Brandon sits down with artist and folklorist Stacey Williams-Ng, creator of The Southern Gothic Oracle, a richly illustrated divination deck that draws upon the archetypes, landscapes, and traditions of the American South.

In this conversation, Stacey shares the inspiration behind her work, from the hurricane lamp to the sassafras root, and discusses how these everyday objects become powerful symbols of Southern identity, memory, and myth. We also delve into her latest project, HAUNTS, an upcoming oracle deck featuring ghosts, cryptids, cursed places, and poisonous plants—all drawn from regional folklore.

Launching soon via Kickstarter, HAUNTS builds on the success of Stacey’s previous decks, The Southern Gothic Oracle and The Southern Botanic Oracle, and continues her mission of preserving Southern folklore through art and storytelling.

Stay tuned until the end of the episode for a special reading from Stacey using her original deck.

Links to check out:
- The Kickstarter for the Southern Gothic Trilogy starts April 29, 2025 - don't forget to pledge on the first day for a special bonus!
- Purchase more of Stacey's work, including her Rhythm & Blue Tarot deck, at La Panthère Studio.
- Follow Stacey on Instagram: @Southern_Gothic_Oracle
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24 April 2025, 7:00 am
27 minutes 12 seconds

Hilton Head Island's Haunted Lighthouse | Encore Episode
Hidden among the pines of Hilton Head Island, the skeletal remains of the Leamington Lighthouse stand as a relic of the past—and a vessel for something far more haunting. Local legend tells of Caroline Fripp, a dutiful daughter who braved a deadly storm to save her father, the lighthouse keeper, only to lose her life in the process. But did she ever exist? And why do locals still see a woman in blue when storms roll in off the Atlantic? This is the tale of Hilton Head’s haunted lighthouse and the enduring ghost said to guard it.

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21 April 2025, 7:00 am
34 minutes 58 seconds

The Spy Who Still Haunts Franklin w/ Alicia King Marshall | Interview
In the quiet town of Franklin, Tennessee, one woman’s loyalty to the Confederacy earned her a place in history—and perhaps something more permanent.

Sally Carter was just a young woman when the Civil War arrived at her doorstep. Defiant and devoted, she made her allegiance known by raising the first Confederate flag over Franklin’s square, a bold act that would define her wartime role as a spy. But unlike many women who took on covert duties during the conflict, Sally was celebrated by her community—beloved enough to help erect the town’s Confederate monument and remembered as a heroine long after the war ended.

Yet her story doesn’t end with peace.

Today, the house where Sally once lived is said to echo with footsteps no one can explain. Guests report strange sounds, cold spots, and a presence that lingers long after the tour ends. Could it be that Sally Carter—so fiercely tied to Franklin in life—refused to leave in death?

In this bonus interview, we speak with Alicia King Marshall of Franklin Walking Tours to explore the life, legend, and lingering spirit of one of Tennessee’s most enduring figures.

Book a Tour with Franklin Walking Tours Today!

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17 April 2025, 7:00 am
51 minutes 2 seconds

The Most Hated Woman in Virginia
Perched high on Church Hill above the James River once stood one of Richmond’s grandest homes—a mansion of wealth, refinement, and Southern prestige. But behind its stately white columns and sweeping staircases, something far more dangerous was unfolding.

For it was here, in the heart of the Confederate capital, that Elizabeth Van Lew—an elite Southern woman raised among Virginia’s most powerful families—launched a covert campaign to undermine the rebellion from within. Though she moved through society’s upper circles, Van Lew secretly loathed the Confederacy and used her privilege to orchestrate one of the most daring spy operations of the Civil War.

Her network included formerly enslaved individuals, Union sympathizers, and even a woman who posed as a servant inside the Confederate White House. And while her intelligence helped shape the Union’s military strategy and even aided in the escape of more than 100 Union officers from Libby Prison, her actions made her a pariah in the city she once called home.

By war’s end, Elizabeth Van Lew wasn’t hailed as a hero—she was vilified as a traitor. Branded “Crazy Bet,” her legacy was twisted, her sacrifices forgotten, and her name all but erased from Southern memory. Yet beneath the folklore lies the true story of a woman who risked everything for the Union—and helped change the course of history.

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14 April 2025, 7:00 am
56 minutes 46 seconds

Spirits in the Stone of the Castillo de San Marcos
Along the western shore of Matanzas Bay stands the Castillo de San Marcos. Constructed from rough, seashell-laced coquina stone, this star-shaped fortress has loomed over St. Augustine for more than three centuries—an enduring symbol of Spanish colonial ambition in what would become the oldest city in the continental United States.

Built in the wake of a violent pirate raid, the Castillo was designed to be impenetrable—and history has proven it to be just that. It has never fallen to an enemy force. Yet the fort’s legacy is not merely one of military strength. Over the years, it has served as a prison, a staging ground for colonial conflict, and later, a site of Indigenous captivity and forced assimilation.

And according to legend, those centuries of violence, betrayal, and loss have left behind something more than just scars. Some say the Castillo de San Marcos is haunted—its walls echoing with the scent of a vanished woman, the footfalls of forgotten soldiers, and even the drifting head of a once-proud Seminole warrior.

Want to Listen to Southern Gothic Ad-Free?
Connect with Southern Gothic Media:
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- Pinterest: @SouthernGothicMedia
- Facebook: @SouthernGothicMedia
- Instagram: @SouthernGothicMedia
- X: @SoGoPodcast
Advertise on this podcast: [email protected]

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7 April 2025, 7:00 am
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