The Gray Man Untold: Secrets from the Pawleys Island Marshes

Out of every eye-opening spot along Myrtle Beach that tourists frequent, this place is devoid of traffic, typically found in the summer. The palm trees, the small windy roads, the miles of marshlands seen in the distance. Even the beach houses stand out. I got the impression right away that this must be a community that sticks together. They seem to go on a first-name basis. Therefore, when guests at my allegedly haunted destination saw my car pull up, they knew I wasn't from there.

The logo for the Pelican Inn.Photo byIsrael Petty

As I opened my car door, a raindrop hit my shoulder. I noted this due to the stormy weather associated with the specter that shows himself on this island, according to the countless stories written.

The Gray Man haunts the shorelines of South Carolina, but more specifically, Pawleys Island. He is said to possibly be a benevolent spirit, appearing as a warning before a hurricane comes in. I wanted to know more since a few identities are associated with him. I was hoping to find some answers here.

"Hi, can I help you?" A woman asked, food in hand as she headed towards her car. She was leaving the Pelican Inn, the place I was looking for. You would have thought she worked there with how outgoing she was. I quickly realized she was only a Pawleys Island resident and didn't recognize me.

"Hi, yes!" I replied, "hoping to speak to somebody inside the Pelican Inn about the supposed hauntings."

"Oh, let me get the owner for you," she said. A jogger caught my eye as I turned to watch him run towards the docks that take you further into the marshlands. As a couple of pelicans flew seemingly out of nowhere from underneath the docks, I turned around, seeing the owner come to greet me. His name is Bruce Taylor, and he has owned the Pelican Inn for fifty years.

I explained who I was and why I came to the Pelican.

"My business gets a ton of attention from people who want to come in, and it disturbs my guests. I don't care about the attention. I don't mind it. But it isn't about me." I told him I completely understood, and he appreciated that I did. It turned out I was the 25th person that day to contact him. Bruce had been getting calls all morning leading up to my visit.

"In all fifty years of owning this place, I have never bumped into the ghost myself. I don't discourage the myth," Taylor said.

"What can you tell me about him?"

"The Gray Man is known to wear a uniform from the mid-1800s, resembling a Confederate soldier to people who have spotted him, leading people to believe his identity is Plowden Charles Weston."

I found this news to be incredibly fascinating. Weston was the original owner of the place now known as the Pelican Inn. The very place we were standing in front of.

"But that can't be right," Bruce added.

"Why not?"

"There's a discrepancy in the timeline. Weston was born in 1819, whereas the earliest signs of the Gray Man go back to the early 1820s. He would be small," the owner said, gesturing with his hand as he lowered it closer to the ground.

"So that's it then?" I asked. "We don't know who The Gray Man is? And he doesn't seem to haunt the Pelican Inn?"

"That's right," he concluded.

Before going inside, he told me it was nice to meet me and shook my hand. Bruce welcomed me to take all the photos I wanted of the building from the outside. And I did just that. As soon as Bruce went inside, I turned to pull my phone out and felt another raindrop, and another – and another. Within 30 seconds, I began fighting the wind and the rain, aiming to get just a few more photos.

I started jogging to the car, got in, and proceeded to go back in the direction I came. I told my wife how amazing Pawleys Island was and how wonderful the residents were, and I noticed something. Just as we hit the highway, it stopped raining as quickly as it started.

Written by: Israel Petty

Disclaimer: The Lantern does not profit from any businesses mentioned in our articles.