Tillman Hall: Winthrop's "Haunted" Hotspot

Tillman Hall is arguably Winthrop's most well-known building. The iconic bell tower is featured on many of Winthrop's logos and official seals on documents. Yet, there was another side to Tillman Hall, one that I wanted to find out more about for myself. I set off to make a video production about Tillman Hall, and the secrets that lie within it. Click here to watch the production.

Tillman Hall

There were rumors that Tillman Hall was haunted, and that going to certain "forbidden" parts of the building would make you cursed. I wanted to explore the depths of Tillman Hall. I wanted to see for myself if the rumors proved true, and I wanted to brave the "curse" of going to the haunted hallows of the Hall.

I explored the main parts of Tillman Hall, and I was impressed with the architecture and detail of the building. The woodwork on the walls was intricate, and the overall structure and layout of the Hall was impressive. I did notice that there were many staircases, one of which led me to a scarier part of Tillman - the fourth floor.

The ominous staircase leading to the "haunted" fourth floor.

The door was locked, but I was not giving up that easily. I contacted Mr. Walter Harding, who is Winthrop University's Associate Vice President for Utilities Management, to see if he could let me go to the fourth floor. He and I met and he told me more about Tillman, much of which I didn't know. He had essentially grown up at Winthrop, because his mother was the daughter of the very first Head of the School of Music, and she later worked for the University.

On the fourth floor, there is a sense of antiquity in the fact that there are hundreds of signatures upon the walls, from students past and present. He pointed some out to me, past students that went to school with his mother, some that went to school with himself, and some that go to school with me, currently. The timelessness of that floor, to see the old editions of Winthrop yearbooks sitting in boxes on the floor, made me picture the other students that had been on that floor, and it gave me a strange sense of community with past Eagles. It was almost an out-of-body experience to see the names of people from years and years ago.

The names of Eagles past and present stain these walls.

As far as the "haunted" parts of Tillman Hall goes, I would venture to say that spirits may roam around. The stocks used to hold the prisoners that built Tillman Hall still stand in the building, and I actually got a picture with my own wrists in the stocks that were used hundreds of years ago. Some say that Benjamin Tillman, for whom Tillman Hall was built, never really left the Earth when he died, and still roams Tillman Hall. I did hear some creepy creaking noises throughout my time in Tillman, and the ambiance of the fourth floor would lead one to feel a "presence" of Ben Tillman. I couldn't find any proof to either show that Tillman was haunted or not, so you will have to brave the "haunted" halls to find out for yourself.

The actual stocks that held prisoners during Tillman's construction.

Overall, I think researching Tillman Hall's history really gave me a broader knowledge of Winthrop University. I got to see a glimpse of the past, and it made me relate to those who were in my position years ago, feeling the emotions I did as a freshman, studying the same concepts I do, and living on the campus I live in. Tillman is a beautiful building, and learning the rich history behind it can change one's outlook on being a college student in such a historical place. I know now that when I pass Tillman, I will look up to the bell tower, and perhaps I may see a spirit of Winthrop's past looking back at me.