A Halloween tradition is returning to Aiken that showcases the town's history and folklore – with a chilling, spooky twist.
Kent Cubbage, an Aiken resident of 25 years and college professor, has been giving Aiken Ghost Tours for 17 years. He was inspired by a ghost tour he went on in New Orleans, and wondered if one could be created for Aiken.
When he reached out to the community to learn more about local ghost stories, he discovered more than he "would have ever dreamed."
"I did about a year's worth of research and got more stories I could use," Cubbage said. "People were coming out of the woodwork with stories …and I was able to fit it all into a route downtown."
Cubbage's ghost tours, which will take place at the end of October, feature a unique blend of Aiken's rich factual history along with the cultural folklore of campfire ghost stories passed down among locals for generations.
The tour begins in the middle of the historic graveyard of St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church. On the tour, people can learn about the ghost stories of the Battle of Aiken, the quiet glamour of the Winter Colony and Aiken's connection to the Hope Diamond, famously rumored to be cursed for its long, bloody history (and its Aiken owners were no exception).
The tour also includes the old Aiken post office (currently Savannah River Nuclear Solutions). Cubbage calls it the "most haunted building in Aiken."
"There's many, many stories there," Cubbage said.
One of his favorite parts of the tour is its conclusion, when he hands the floor over to the crowd and asks them to share their own ghost stories.
"I've gotten some of the most harrowing stories, including from an 8-year-old girl who hadn't told her parents about something she said she saw at night, every night, in her room," Cubbage said. "She said she saw a woman come out of the closet, light a candle and read at the foot of her bed. I was able to find out later there was actually a fire started by a shut-in who dropped a candle in that house."
Cubbage has given tours since 2002, but he had to put his tours on pause last year when he was injured in a severe car accident as a pedestrian. He's thrilled to be bringing the tours back this month.
Cubbage, a professor of biology and education at Aiken Technical College and Georgia State College, said history and entertaining people are two of his great passions.
"I love telling stories and making people happy," Cubbage said. "…or scared."