The Dock Street Theatre was one of the first of its kind in Charleston. It is located in the French Quarter neighborhood. The beautiful architecture was seen as a huge change for the city and when visitors come to see the city, the theatre was the first spot that they would go to. It is still open today and has been through millions of dollars in renovations. When it was built, it was on Church Street and Dock Street. It opened on February 12, 1736. The first play that opened there was called “The Recruiting Officer” and visitors loved it and the actors that put it on. This version of the Dock Street Theatre did not last long though. There was a horrible fire in 1740 that burned down most of the French Quarter in Charleston, including doing quite a bit of damage to the Dock Street Theatre.
In 1809, it was decided that the theatre was necessary to the city and it was rebuilt. It was not called the Dock Street Theatre though. It was now Planter’s Hotel. This hotel was very fancy for its time and the patrons loved coming here for the atmosphere and the parties. It had some amazing accommodations and many historical figures either stayed here or worked here. In fact, Junius Brutus Booth, who was an actor at the time, worked here. He is also the father of John Wilkes Booth. Many survivors of the Civil War found work here and a lot of them became famous shortly after. The hotel did not stay in business very long though.
The Civil War put quite a strain on the economies of the South. The hotel was abandoned and it was to be demolished. The owner loved the building so much that he didn’t know what to do. He put it up for sale and the city of Charleston bought it. There were many renovations done to it and it was going to be a Works Progress Administration building during the Depression. The builders kept the theatre portion of the hotel and it was turned into a performing arts center instead. The theatre would become famous once again.
The theatre reopened in 1937. It would have another renovation in 2010 that would cost about $19 million. The famous balconies still enhance the theatre, along with the grand lobby.
The Ghost Stories of the Dock Street Theatre
One of the ghosts here is said to be that of Nettie Dickerson. Nettie came to Charleston when she was about 25 years old. She loved the city and thought that it was exciting and sophisticated. She really was hoping to meet her future husband by moving here. Times have changed quite a bit since then. At this time, in 1840, the average age for a woman to marry was 17, so Nettie was considered very old in those terms. She was determined to find the love of her life though! Nettie had many men who wanted her because of her beauty and intelligence. There were not many that wanted to marry her though.
Nettie ended up finding a job at one of the local churches and enjoyed her work there, but she would always look over at Planter’s Hotel and see the men with their prostitutes and thought that she could be part of that scene too. She decided to quit her job at the church and try that life for herself. Prostitution would be her new job and she did well at it. Men liked her a lot! She still went to church and would watch as the women there would gossip about her and make horrible comments about her. This made her angry and soon she became very depressed when men no longer wanted her because of their wives’ comments about her.
She stopped going to church because of how she was being treated there. She enjoyed hanging out on her balcony at the hotel and one fatal night, her priest visited her and asked her to come back to church. He said her life could change and while he was talking to her, on her balcony, a storm came through the city. A lightning bolt hit the rail of her balcony and electrocuted her. Nettie died horribly from the shock and many people say that she has never left the hotel.
Since the hotel became the Dock Street Theatre, there has been quite a bit of paranormal activity. One of the first ghosts to be spotted is the ghost of Nettie. Many actors in the shows here have said that they have seen a woman walking in a beautiful red dress. She glides across the floor, but those who have seen her say that she is not beautiful. Many described her face as zombie-like and others have said it looks like something out of a haunted house. Some of the workers here said that they see her every day, but others say she comes and goes for months at a time.
No matter how much Nettie’s ghost appears, it’s clear that she is still in the theatre and she wants everyone to know. If you want to try to get a glimpse of Nettie, you can book a tour of the theatre or even go see a show there. Who knows what you will see?
There is no proof that Nettie said, if I’m lying may God strike me dead!”
But there is no proof saying she didn’t either.
This story was originally posted in the blog, ‘Charleston Terrors‘. It has been edited by moi. Check their blog out for more stories from Charleston’s Dark Side!
Aghost story from Charleston, that isn’t really too scary. Spoiler alerts, the story includes two popular names in Charleston; Edgar Allan Poe and the rich and powerful Ravenel family. It was Edgar Allan Poe’s last poem before his death …2 days later.
This is a ReBlog from a Charleston WP site, Charleston Daily, ‘Taking your Breath Away with Warm Southern Charm’
Annabel Lee, by Edgar Allan Poe was the last complete poem ever published of Poe, two days after his death in 1849. The beauty and elegance of the poem, with its theme of eternal love, reaches deep into the depths of Charleston folklore. Delving into the mystique of the supernatural, the romanticism of the city and the love affair between a rich young girl and the orator/soldier who was swept away by her beauty and intelligence, this is a tale that needs to be shared from generation to generation.
Poem: Annabel Lee
Author: Edgar Allan Poe
Published: October 9, 1849
Poe Death: October 7, 1849
Annabel Lee
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and…
With everything opening back up I have not been able to get back to the beach for awhile from all the other distractions.
But today I made it.
Back to sea breezes, hot sand and the healing powers of the ocean.
Back to my long overdue reunion with my friend, the Beach
Follow the sandy, winding path
The beach corridor was lined with tropical flowers
… Yucca plants to keep you from straying off the path
(you don’t fucca with a Yucca!)
More tropical foliage
all highlighting the way to the beach entrance
Running back to the ocean was like being a kid again, diving through waves, riding some waves, tossing the football in the waves, and crashing into some waves.
It was a good day.
So after spending some good time with my ol’ friend,
Ieventually headed back to my chair, my shoulders a little crispy, red flag wet hair, and a big grin.
And there on the edge of the water was a shiny coin.
A sand dollar put right in my path as I headed to dry off.
Now anyone who knows me knows how I treasure a ‘whole’ sand dollar.
Usually when the sand dollars make it through the surf its broken, or tramped on. And with all the other beach dwellers and small children roaming around its amazing that something that shiny was not discovered before me.
A gift from God?
A welcome back gift from Poseidon?
Something put there just for me?
The healing powers of the ocean did not disappoint.
And after another hour in the ocean a little bit later,
the ocean’s mighty powers did give me back some 20 years of my life.
(at least it felt that way)
But as all as all good things must come to an end, so must this day. I headed on back to the beach house..
Adios and vaya con Dios.
I had my ass in the water and my toes in the sand,
So late last Friday I got a knock on my virtual door. A young lady was going to rent one of my cars and was asking for a favor.
Despina Papamichail rented a car starting on Sunday but wished to receive the car late Saturday but the app would not let her.
I wantedtohelp but geez, it would be midnight.
She went on to say she is flying in from Europe and coming to play in a local tennis tournament.
It turnsoutshe was an International Tennis Pro from Greece, which instantly won a place in my heart, given my kids.
Now renting cars on Turo I have met a lot of nice people but never an International Athlete. This Turo renter was very matter of fact and polite in her messages so I was all in to help her out.
The fit and tall 28 year old from Greece was all that and more when we met for her to pick up her Mazda. She instantly stuck out her hand to introduce herself and then introduced her coach Ivana. Very professional, like the International traveler she was.
She didn’t realize it but she had it made at that point.
Mr. Hospitality kicked it in gear. Like another renter said that same week, “he would give you the shirt off his back.” And Despina was not going to lose this week. 💪
Needless to say I was excited meeting her and her coach Ivana and blurted out, “great, I can’t wait to watch you win the tournament and that if she needed anything just ask”.
I told her I had a 101 questions for her about being a travelling tennis Pro.
The tournament was an International event, with the LTPorganization. I later found out she was the # 2 seed.
Was she good?
She is the Greek women’s #2 in her country.
And…..
She canhonestly say she never lost to Serena. That’s how good. 💪
Yes she is good, and very determined!
Her first day came and went as she tried to find lodging in my town. Not an easy thing to do this time of year. She was impressive as she went about her lodging look. To her, it was business as usual on her business trip to Charleston.
She asked if I was going to watch her play the next day, since a large tennis tourney was all new to me.
I told her I couldn’t as I needed to work the next day.
But curiosity got the best of me on Tuesday and so I went to watch.
I got there and noticed she was up one set already. So I found a seat to watch my Greek renter do her thing.
She noticed me almost instantly, among the other ten people watching and gave me a quick smile thenwent back to work.
I watched long enough to see her lose her next set so I figured I needed to leave. I was bad luck for her. She ended up winning the match, 2nd seed and all.
So far so good.
The next day I messaged her and told her if she wins I will show her around the fine city that I live in, attractions and restaurants and all.
Well she won again. Her bad luck charm was not there to jinx her this time.
Despina was on a roll!
Itturns out tennis players of her caliper are always on the run. Real nomads. Their season lasts eleven months and do literally fly all over the world. That part seemed really enviable.
Reality is these International pros are constantly looking for flights to their next city after the current tourny is over. Then there is the endless search for lodging in her next city, and transportation.
She speaks four languages, which would come in handy I imagine. Her coach, from Croatia, spoke four as well but the only language they shared in common was English, which was good for me.
Despina told me she had been a professional tennis player for eight years. But the eleven month season says she can only see her family for about a week each year. She is part of a wonderful family of seven where she is the youngest; and the shortest. She grew up on the coast of Greece and, at the age of 20,left paradise behind as she followed her dreams in tennis.
The next day tragedies struck on multiple levels!
First, since she didn’t know how long she would keep winning, she only had lodging reservations through Thursday. She had her next match Friday at 10. Her Turo car rental reservation also ran out for the same reason.
She needed to find new flights to her next destination, Poland, again not knowing when her tournament would be over for her.
Ontop of that, her coach, and support here in the states, was flying out on Saturday, win or lose.
Oh, and thru all this craziness she still found time to get a JNJ Covid shot.
Sobeing the host in the US I tried to help out. It was easy since I so enjoyed my time with Despina, a humble, polite, down-to-earth young lady.
She found a new place to stay. I drove her and her coach around to stay on schedule.
For a positive distraction, I toldher if she won the next match I would let her drive my convertible to the beach afterwards.
It was on!
Thenext day she showed up to play and won in two straight sets. I stayed far enough away not to jinx her till her match was almost over. She was good!
So I met her, got a really great, sweaty, celebratory hug from her and proceeded to the Mercedes.
I had to keep on reminding her, she is #1 this week!
Well done Despi! Well done.
I metthem back on the beach. Their next challenge was to check out of where they were staying and check into a nearby Stay America through the weekend.
The next day, the semi-finals the first thing I heard from the girls was that their new lodging had bugs in it.
No good!
So afterher semi-finals she would need to checkout and find a new place to stay……She said, “if she wins.”
I told her, “WHEN she wins” she could stay at our house so she wouldn’t have to stress about that and just focus on winning.
We just had our house sprayed for bugs I told her 😉
She was our newly adopted Greek now!
She was like family.
The next day she was on a mission! The semi- final she won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.
Did I tell you she was good?
And I learned how to say her last name as the CourtJudge kept saying, ” Advantage Papamichail” over and over.
So after her semi-final win she had to check out of the Stay America, return her rental car, take her coach to the airport, then move into our unused bedroom.
Did I tell you she was going to play in the finals the next day?
Is this crazy life the norm for successful tennis pros?
Well I was confident she would win in the finals and I tried to see to it that she would.
I didn’t know what was going on in her head, as far as the final match, but I wanted to remove any of the outside stressors or distractions.
We found a good Italian restaurant nearby so Despina could get a big plate of pasta the night before her final match. Afterwards we all went down town for some casual sightseeing and shopping. Hopefully a relaxing enjoyable evening for our Super Star.
Weasked her, ” how does she celebrate winning a tournament?” looking ahead to tomorrow.
She laughed and said,
“Rest!!”
The day of the final I drove her to the tourny. I was her own personal driver by now but also her new coach (promoted from ball boy), bag carrier and bodyguard.
I got her set up at the courts then left her to go on my weekly donut run to Fractured Prune for my family.
By the time I got back out to the final my tennis pro was losing her first set 1-6.
Ouch!
Not the beginning I hoped for.
What I just discovered the morning of her final was that she had played her finals opponent twice in the past, losing both times.
As Iarrived courtside and sat down to watch her final match. I heard a frustrated Despina tell the Court Judge to tell the spectators that were talking to shut up, or she will!
This polite, humble world traveler is a real lioness on the courts, fierce, competitive, never quits and relentless.
I took my seat strategically in front of her opponent’s coach so I could drown him out and have her feel my support. As the second set started she saw me as she took her position, gave me a fist bump and put on her game face.
As the match rolled on Despina seemed to be getting stronger. Her flustered opponent was frustrated as the momentum changed to Despina’s favor. Second set she won 6-3.
The final set the ‘wheels seemed to come off’ of her opponent. Despi was grunting with EVERY powerful return. Her opponent could only yell at the court, or the tennis ball, or the Judge. My sonic clap was there to drown her out and sound like ten of me, not just one.
Despina didn’t know how much I knew about tennis but I did know the scoring and as she went up 5-2 in this last set it was clear.
I willed her opponent into another double fault. 30-15. Then 40-15.
This is the feeling of Sports I thought, tennis or any sport.The build up. The excitement. The knowing that anything could happen at any certain time.
And I was into it!
Despina walked over to the fence where I was sitting to retrieve a tennis ball.
She gave a quick glance up to her fill-in coach /bag carrier.
I smiled back at her, just grinning like a fool, and I asked her,
“are you having fun yet?”
The next serve had Despina smash a backhand down the baseline, where her opponent couldn’t reach it.
And it was over!
Despi immediately threw both hands up in victory long enough for some photo ops, then turned and proceeded right to the edge of the court to celebrate with her US fan club and fill-in coach.
Ahhh,
host and ……. Turo partner.
Her new good luck charm.
Itwas a great moment!
Afterwards I escorted her, as if I was her coach or bodyguard, through taking winning pictures to talking with tournament pros on her next matches in Poland.
After the photo sessions and congrats with the tournament staff we drove home to tell My family.
Everyone was super excited for Despina!
How can we help her celebrate her big win?
We Tried to throw our house champion in the pool
Telling friends and family back home about her victories in a comfy new way
Celebrating!
But some residents of the house were hungry, since they only had some donuts so far.
So I made a few calls and found a scenic restaurant that could seat all of us without waiting. I thought the place scenic, Shem’s Creek, not knowing our guest of honor grew up in a coastal town.
We celebrated with some yummy finger foods, lots of water and a special surprise for our champion……
again, well done Despina!
And so ends just another normal week in a foreign country for our 28 year old Jet-setter.
Hardly.
On the way to the airport Despina confided in me that she had not won a tournament in two years, given 2020, Covid and all.
Wow.
I am feeling kinda helpful; and lucky and maybe special.
Lucky to be part of her crazy world, if only for a week. Infact each person in my family told me what a great week it was.
Special, as I felt so good to be the presence of such a great young athlete, and an even a better person. Words, Greek, English, or Spanish couldn’t describe all the respect and admiration I had for her.
I drove my new tennis star to the airport the next day. I parked at the airport for Despina to Depart and I looked at her and boasted, ” your best years of tennis are still ahead of you I think.”
I totally felt that in my gut, with her competitive spirit and boundless strength. Its not something I normally say. And in reflection now I wonder if they were really my thoughts or God’s
Advantage Papamichail!
Afterwe parked at the airport and got her checked in.Despi still had a little time to kill.
But I didn’t.
I had three Turo rentals coming in during the next hour. So Despina helped me receive a car or two at the airport, including our favorite convertible.
To the Winner go the spoils!
I let her park it while I talked with my renters. Then we walked inside. I walked her to security. We hugged one last great time. Then my new Hellenic tennis pro friend flew out of our freshly enriched lives..
OUR LIFE IN 3D 
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