Poogan’s Porch is located at 72 Queen Street in Charleston, South Carolina. It is an old stately home now occupied by a Southern comfort food restaurant. Although the exterior draws guests in with its vivid, sunshine-like color and the smell of fresh biscuits lingering in the air, the history is way more eerie.

Poogan’s Porch is rumored to have been built between 1888 and 1891. It was part of an emerging neighborhood of single-family homes in Charleston. Over the years, various families resided in this home, but none as famous as Zoe Saint Amand and her sister Elizabeth. Zoe and Elizabeth moved into this home in the early 1900s and lived together for four decades. Despite societal standards for women to be wed, have children, and tend to their homes, they chose to live in solitude until Elizabeth’s tragic passing in 1945 after a short battle with an unknown illness.

Following Elizabeth’s death, Zoe lived alone in the home. Distraught from her sister’s death, it is rumored that she spent most of her remaining time there, staring out the upstairs windows and mournfully calling out for her sister, Elizabeth. Eventually, Zoe moved to a nursing home and passed away in 1954. After her death, various families sold and owned the house through the years.

In 1976, 72 Queen Street was acquired by new owners and was named “Poogan’s Porch” after a scrappy dog that was said to have been abandoned by the former homeowners. Poogan watched over the house from his perch on the front porch and later retired in 1979 due to death from natural causes. Guests of Poogan’s Porch have shared that they feel Poogan brushing up against their legs as a friendly welcome when they enter the restaurant.

Although Zoe did not die in the home, locals believe that her soul returned due to her deep connection with the house. When the home was converted to a southern restaurant, Zoe became restless and angry about her beloved home and the changes being made. Patrons and employees of Poogan’s Porch tell tales about their encounters with Zoe and the eerie feeling of a stranger’s presence when they are all alone. Have you encountered Zoe at Poogan’s Porch?

Want to hear more ghostly stories of the Holy City? Book your Ghost Tour today with Sandlapper and learn all about Charleston’s chilling history.