John LaVerne started Bulldog Tours back in 2001 as a way to meet girls. Really. Of course, things have gotten a little more serious since then, with the company expanding to offer walking tours of all kinds, from culinary adventures to haunted ghost treks.
And now, after years of trying, LaVerne has secured a spot for Bulldog Tours in Magnolia Cemetery, an idyllic spot just north of downtown that has previously never allowed commercial tour companies to operate on its property.
“Call it luck, call it perseverance, call it a great reputation, they agreed to allow us to come in and give tours there,” says LaVerne. After years of pitching the idea to the Magnolia Cemetery Trust, LaVerne has finally gained access to this plot of land, rich in stories and ripe for tours.
“There are 35,000 permanent residents there,” says LaVerne of the cemetery’s interred population. “We had to pick the top ten stories in a certain area that made sense.” Out of 35,000? As you can guess, choosing the right tales for the tour took some time — and some serious research.
LaVerne says that Bulldog has about 60 tour guides on staff, and that 10-12 veteran guides have been selected to launch the Magnolia Cemetery tours. Using books, CofC professors, and lots of time in local libraries, these tour guides have done their due diligence in finding the juiciest stories to pull for their tours.
“We feel so privileged to be the chosen company to launch the tours — we’ve put a lot of effort and resources into this,” says LaVerne. “We’re uncovering some fascinating stories, everything from unsolved murders to stories of politicians in the early 1800s and socialites and unknown burials.”
Part of LaVerne’s pitch to Magnolia Cemetery is the company’s dedication to preserving the Charleston properties they tour. Since 2001, Bulldog Tours has raised over $3.7 million for the restoration and preservation of the Old City Jail, Circular Church’s graveyard, the Old Exchange Building, and the Powder Magazine.
Magnolia Cemetery is currently on the Preservation Society’s list of Seven to Save, a program designed to preserve vulnerable historic and cultural resources in Charleston. The hope is that Bulldog’s tours can help raise the money to keep the cemetery in good condition.
The 90-minute tours of Magnolia Cemetery will take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. through Halloween. Be sure to sign up for the tours online or by calling (843) 722-8687.
You may hear stories about Confederate soldiers (over 2,000 lay at rest in Magnolia), William Washington’s monument, which features a rattlesnake wrapped around its base, and any number of fabled Charlestonians.
“We’re just scratching the surface,” he says. “There are so many great stories of the unknown and mysterious people out there. Eventually we could offer eight hour tours to get the whole picture.”
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.