Doctor's ghost said to haunt Carolina Inn

The smell of flowers that aren't there shadows without bodies and mysterious voices are just some of the things a guest might encounter at the Carolina Inn.

The Inn opened in 1924" is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was named one of the nation's ""nine best haunted hotels"" this year by professionaltravelguide.com.

Since 1965" stories about the ghost of Dr. William Jacocks haunting the inn have mystified employees and guests.

 Jacocks a physician with the International Health Division of the Rockefeller Foundation retired to the Inn in 1948 and lived in a suite on the second floor. While there he was known as a prankster.

In 1965 he died but not at the hotel. Not long after that odd things started happening at his former apartment.

When staying in Jacocks' suite guests would report waking up in the morning and smelling flowers. But they wouldn't be able to find any in the room.

Others reported room keys not working. One time the maintenance crew had to climb through a window to open the suite.

Even after switching to key cards some guests still have problems getting into the suite said Mark Nelson director of sales and marketing at the Inn.

Allal Kartaou an employee at the Inn recalled a former co-worker's encounter near the room. He said she heard people talking and a piano playing inside the suite but found no one when she opened the door.

Nelson said he has heard of at least a dozen strange occurrences during his three years working there.

He said the most recent report of paranormal activity occurred in 2003 when professional ghost hunter Christopher Moon came to the hotel.

Nelson said Moon picked up ghostly activity in the historic part of the building" including the Old Well Ballroom and the Carolina CrossRoads Restaurant.

Nelson said he is not worried about guests not wanting to stay at the Inn because of Jacocks.

""It doesn't deter anybody since he is a friendly ghost" he said.

But some guests at the hotel said they were afraid of the spirits.

My aunt and uncle request to stay in the new wing" employee Kat Byrd said. They don't want to stay in the old wing because they think it's haunted.""

More spirits might be living in the hotel — not just Jacocks" Nelson said.

In the past employees also have reported seeing shadows moving up the staircase.

The hotel was built where a chapel once stood" and Nelson said a lot of activity has happened on the site.

""A lot of things have occurred in the hotel"" he said. It's not just bricks and mortar and plaster.""



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