The Haunted History of Philadelphia Alley
PHILADELPHIA ALLEY
Duelers’ Alley as it is known to locals of the Charleston area is better known as Philadelphia Alley. After several names for this supposed haunted gem in the downtown Charleston area, it earned the name of “Philadelphia Alley”; after the fires that ripped through multiple streets and the aid presented by the city of Philadelphia. The fires roared through what is now known as Cumberland Street through Church Street and spanning as far South as Broad Street. This aid was reciprocated after the fire of 1796; Charleston then collected aid for indigent victims of the yellow fever epidemic in autumn of 1798 for Philadelphia. While all of this was happening, the beginning of the ghost tales we are referred to and awed by Dr. Joseph Brown Ladd were taking place.
Dr. Joseph Brown Ladd was a young and ambitious doctor eager to start his life anew and make something of himself. New to Charleston from Newport Rhode Island, Ladd was the son of a farmer and was known for his incessant yet jolly whistling. After being slandered as a scoundrel in his hometown and affecting not only his personal relationships but also his apprenticeship, Ladd ventured South to Charleston, South Carolina. Ladd arrived in Charleston in October of 1783; Dr. Senter (Medical doctor who taught Ladd) pulled some strings with Revolutionary Major General Nathanael Greene to secure a residence for Ladd. Charleston was seeing a huge decline of medical professionals due to the Revolutionary war, which paved the way for Ladd being as aforementioned “young and ambitious” in his medical practice to make a name for himself.
Ladd was greeted by some rather rough-neck gentlemen who saw the young man as an easy target for misdeed. These men tried to send Ladd to a tavern down Meeting Street which was notorious for robbery and murder. Ralph Isaacs within earshot led the young doctor away and told him what their nefarious plans were. From that point on Isaacs and Ladd grew to be great friends. Isaacs after this grew to be jealous of Ladd once the young doctor grew in his social circles as well as his status. The jealousy took over for Isaacs and he then began to slander and smear Ladd’s reputation. Whilst Ladd was inviting and introducing Isaacs to Charleston’s high society, Isaacs grew to become uncomfortable in the limelight as well as his distaste of Ladd also grew more than before. In 1786 both Isaacs and Ladd attended a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III where after that Isaacs decided to pick a fight with Ladd stating that the young actress was outright terrible; Ladd coming to the defense of the young and inexperienced actress triggered Isaacs to state that Ladd was infatuated with her. Isaacs proceeded to threaten to write to Ladd’s true love Amanda and spread these heinous lies.
With Ladd’s integrity and honor in question, there was only one solution to which would become a fatal error, that answer of course was, dueling. History began to repeat itself; Isaacs went on to write to the Charleston Morning Post and Daily Advertiser and slandered Ladd’s reputation. In Charleston at the time dueling was legal and had a specific set of rules known as Code Duello which is a set of 25 rules set by the Irish in 1777. Fast forward to the duel itself, Ladd and Isaacs take their respective twenty-one paces opposite of each other, turn, and fire. Ladd shot wide of his target whereas Isaacs took aim and fired directly into Ladd killing him.
Ladd’s friends carried what was left of the young doctor a few blocks back to his second-floor home on 59th Church Street where he spent the next ten days suffering in pain before finally dying. Dr. Joseph Brown Ladd died at the ripe age of twenty-two.
It is said that Ladd’s incessant and jolly whistling can still be heard down Philadelphia Alley as well as other strange occurrences travelers and locals alike have experienced. Between the incessant whistling, ghostly mists, the sounds of gunshots, and people reporting being nudged out of the way of invisible gunfire; these are just a few examples of what Duelers Alley, respectively, has to offer. To experience this ghostly phenomenon, reach out to local ghost tour guides such as our friend Tricia Goron who loves all things spooky and eerie. Her ghost tour business Ghost Walk is very informational, and Tricia keeps things going with her bubbly and inviting personality as well as keeping those engaged with gripping tales of Charleston’s supernatural history.
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- Justin
Check out these tour guide companies and book a tour to get a better idea of what Charleston’s supernatural community has to offer and find out more about the mysterious side of the local history of our beautiful town and city.
Tricia Goron (843) 720-8687
(843) 819-4565
(843) 722-8687