This South Carolina Victorian Home Became A Funeral Parlor And Now Offers Ghost Hunts
A curved staircase and pocket doors still show what the 1895 Holliday House was built to be: a family home in Marion, South Carolina. The Victorian house later became a funeral home, and an embalming room was part of that chapter.
The house’s own timeline dates its conversion to a funeral home to 1949, when the Smith brothers adapted the former residence for their business. The building still has details from its years as a home, from hardwood floors to fireplaces that once warmed the rooms.
Today, the venue advertises tours and paranormal investigations. A tour gives visitors time to look at the woodwork and learn how the house changed over the years.
An investigation offers a different way to spend time in the same rooms, with a voice recorder in hand.
The Real Story Is Stranger Than Any Headline
The 1895 Holliday House began as a family residence in Marion and later served as a funeral home. Details like the curved staircase and pocket doors still show its Victorian roots.
The venue advertises tours and paranormal investigations, giving visitors two ways to explore the house and its history.
Here’s what we know for sure. It began as a family home, became a funeral home in 1903, and stayed in that line of work until 2015.
That’s more than a hundred years of quiet, serious business behind those Victorian walls. Many people from the community were cared for here before their final goodbyes.
The popular tale about eight members of one family being embalmed upstairs is harder to pin down. Public records don’t clearly back up that exact number, so treat it as local lore rather than settled history.
Honestly, the true story doesn’t need any extra help. A family home, a funeral parlor, years of sitting empty, and now a full restoration make a pretty gripping timeline on their own.
Also, a quick heads-up before you plan a shopping trip. The house works mainly as a tour, investigation, and event venue today, not a walk-in store or traditional museum.
Think of it as history you experience by appointment. That actually makes each visit feel more personal and a lot less like browsing a gift shop.
A Livestock Farmer Built It For His Family First
Long before anyone thought about ghost hunts, this was simply home. Jesse Gray Holliday, a prominent livestock farmer, built the house in 1895 for himself and his first wife, Sarah Norman Davis Holliday.
It must have been an exciting project for a young couple. A fancy new Victorian home in a growing town was a real statement back then.
Sadly, the Holliday family faced more heartbreak than any family should. They lost three young children during these years, including a little boy named Frank and a daughter named Loula Christine.
Sarah herself passed away in 1901 at just 32 years old, following a surgical procedure. Jesse lived on for many more decades and passed in 1940.
Knowing these names changes how the house feels. Those grand rooms weren’t built for spooky tours, they were built for a family hoping to grow up together.
I think that’s worth remembering when you visit. The best tours here tie the architecture to the real people who once filled it with everyday life.
So when you hear the house called the Holliday House, you’re hearing a tribute. It’s a reminder of the family whose story started everything on this lot.
Your Town’s First Funeral Home Started Right Here
According to the Holliday House’s timeline, the property was sold to Alex and Eva Jenkins in 1916. The timeline dates the Smith brothers’ conversion of the residence into a funeral home to 1949.
The building later housed Smith-Collins Funeral Home.
The business didn’t stop with the Pace name, either. Over the years it operated as Smith Brothers Funeral Home and later as Smith-Collins Funeral Home.
Picture how many families passed through those front doors during that stretch. Weddings, holidays, and everyday errands happened all over town, while this house quietly handled the hardest days.
After more than a century of service, the building was finally abandoned in 2015. Empty Victorian houses don’t stay pretty for long, so time started doing its usual damage.
Here’s a fun way to view it on a tour. Every room has served at least two very different purposes, first as part of a home and then as part of a business.
Try spotting where those two lives overlap. It’s a little like reading a book that someone rewrote halfway through.
The House Had An Embalming Room During Its Funeral Home Years
The Holliday House had an embalming room when it served as a funeral home. That room was part of the building’s working life after its years as a family residence.
For history fans, this space tells you a ton about early funeral work. Small-town funeral homes often operated out of converted houses, and they adapted whatever rooms fit the job.
For ghost hunters, this room usually lands near the top of the must-see list. It’s easy to understand why, given everything that happened inside it.
My advice is simple and pretty polite. Treat the space with respect, ask your guide questions, and listen to the backstory before you start pointing gadgets around.
You’ll get more out of it that way. And if your nerves need a breather, the rest of the house offers plenty of beautiful, less intense corners.
That Eastlake Victorian Look Deserves A Slow Walk Around
Some houses whisper their age, and this one announces it with style. The building is an elaborate Eastlake Victorian, a style known for decorative woodwork and plenty of personality.
A covered wraparound porch stretches across the outside. It’s the kind of porch that makes you wish rocking chairs came standard with every home.
The house also holds a spot in official history books. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s as a contributing property in the Marion Historic District.
That means it helps tell the bigger story of this South Carolina town. Many neighboring buildings share that historic district, so the whole area rewards a stroll.
Bring a camera and give yourself time before your tour starts. Details on Victorian homes are easy to miss when you rush straight to the front door.
Look up, look around the porch, and notice how the house sits on its lot. Builders back then wanted homes to impress anyone passing by on foot or wagon.
Over a hundred years later, the plan still works. Few houses on any street pull your attention quite like this one.
Six Huge Bedrooms And A Staircase That Steals The Show
Grand staircases were the Victorian version of a dramatic entrance. Inside, a small foyer opens into a majestic main hall, and a curved staircase grabs your eye right away.
Go ahead and stare for a minute. Craftsmanship like this took serious skill, and it’s still standing strong.
The house is roomy, too. It holds six massive bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms, which is plenty of space for a big family or a busy event.
Hardwood floors run throughout the home. Fireplaces appear in nearly every room, which tells you how families stayed warm long before central heating.
My favorite detail might be the recessed pocket doors. The current owners uncovered these after they had been hidden for years, and they slide right into the walls.
Finding something like that feels a little like a treasure hunt. Every restoration project seems to reveal a new surprise tucked behind paint, boards, or old updates.
Wear comfortable shoes and take your time on the stairs. You’ll want to look at everything, and old houses reward curious eyes more than fast feet.
Ghost Hunts Here Keep The Groups Nice And Small
Got a voice recorder collecting dust in a drawer? The 1895 Holliday House offers professional paranormal investigations and guided ghost hunts, so it might finally get some use.
Groups are kept small, which makes a big difference. You can actually hear your recorder instead of twenty other people whispering behind you.
Equipment is sometimes provided for investigations. Refreshments can be part of the night as well, which helps when a session stretches late.
Many paranormal fans bring their own gear anyway. If you have favorite tools, ask the hosts ahead of time about what to pack.
The house has hosted themed nights too, including a Friday the 13th investigation. Special dates like that tend to draw serious enthusiasts, so booking early is smart.
Not a believer? You can still enjoy the evening.
The history portion of these events is rich enough to make the trip worthwhile even for total skeptics.
Here’s a friendly tip for first-timers. Dress in layers, charge every battery you own, and bring a little patience, because good investigations are rarely rushed.
A Brand-New Roof Was Only The Beginning Of The Rescue
Saving an abandoned Victorian is not a weekend hobby. Raven Historical Preservation owns and operates the house, with Jennifer and Zackery VanBoskerck leading the restoration work.
Their effort is ongoing, so expect a house in progress. That’s part of the charm, honestly, since you can watch the story still being written.
A major milestone came in 2024. The house received a new roof, which is about the most important gift any old building can get.
Water is the enemy of historic homes everywhere. Without a solid roof, floors, ceilings, and woodwork can fall apart fast.
Every tour ticket and event booking helps keep this kind of project moving. Restoring a home this size takes money, sweat, and a stubborn love of old craftsmanship.
I really admire people who take on projects like this. It would be so much easier to let a building fade away than to rescue it board by board.
If you visit, ask what’s changed lately. Owners who work this hard usually love sharing their latest discovery, and you might hear about something nobody has seen in decades.
Book A Party, A Conference, Or Even A Spooky Sleepover
Birthday party in a former funeral home? That’s one way to make sure nobody forgets the invitation.
The house is available for single-event rentals, from celebrations to conferences.
Event length is flexible, too. Rentals can cover a few hours or stretch into a multi-day gathering.
Overnight stays may also be possible by special request. Full bed-and-breakfast service isn’t a regular offering right now, so talk with the owners directly about what works.
You’ll find the 1895 Holliday House at 619 Willcox Avenue, Marion, SC 29571. It sits in the Marion Historic District, a pleasant drive from the Grand Strand side of South Carolina.
Google lists general hours of 11 AM to 10 PM daily. Since tours and investigations run mainly by appointment, reach out before you show up.
Plan ahead, especially for popular ghost nights and special dates. Small groups fill up quickly when the guest list is kept intentionally tight.
Whatever brings you here, you’ll leave with a story. Few places let you admire Victorian woodwork, learn real local history, and maybe hear a mystery voice all in one night.