While traveling through South Carolina, I noticed that in many small towns, the most magnificent buildings are often funeral homes. This elaborate Eastlake Victorian house in Marion, built in 1895 by prominent livestock farmer Jesse Gray Holliday, is no exception. Once celebrated as the prettiest spot along the rail line between Wilmington and Columbia, the home still stands as a striking reminder of Marion’s turn-of-the-century charm and prosperity.
Jesse Gray Holliday was born in Gallivants Ferry, South Carolina, on September 26, 1860. Together with his father, Joseph W. Holliday, and Governor W. H. Ellerbe, he operated a successful livestock business in Marion for many years. Jesse built this grand Victorian home for his first wife, Sarah Norman Davis, and their growing family.
The couple had four children. Their first daughter, Mary, was born in 1890. Tragically, two of their children died at very young ages. In 1892, their infant daughter, Jessie Holliday, passed away. Four years later, in 1896, their two-year-old son, Frank Holliday, died from phosphorus poisoning after ingesting match heads. Despite the efforts of a physician called to the home, the effects of the poisoning could not be reversed.
In 1901, just five years after their son’s death, Sarah Norman Davis Holliday died unexpectedly during a surgical procedure in Sumter. Her untimely passing was deeply mourned throughout the Marion community.
In 1903, ownership of the property was transferred to the Pace family. Mr. Charles Lexington Pace, a well-known figure in Marion at the time, established the town’s first funeral home, Pace Funeral Home, within the residence. He came to Marion from Salem, as a young man, and worked in the general store of W. S. Foxworth. He later went into the furniture business, under his own name, and spent the remainder of his days as an undertaker and embalmer. His first partner was his son, C. L. Pace, Jr. He later employed his nephews, Pearlie B. Smith and William H. Smith.
That same year, Jesse Holliday married his second wife, Bessie Gadbold, in a ceremony held at the home of her brother, William A. Gadbold, surrounded by family and friends. The couple went on to have four daughters. After Jesse G. Holliday’s death in 1940, Bessie relocated to Columbia, South Carolina.
Following Charles L. Pace’s death in 1943, the property was purchased by his nephews, the Smith brothers. What began as the Smith Brothers Funeral Home later became the Smith-Collins Funeral Home. In the 1970s, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property within the Marion Historic District.
In 2015, after serving the community for more than a century, the Smith-Collins Funeral Home relocated across town to a modern facility, leaving its historic building vacant. In the years that followed, severe storms caused extensive roof damage and shattered several windows. Water intrusion led to significant deterioration inside, including portions of the plaster ceiling collapsing on the first floor. Ongoing insurance disputes prevented the owners from making necessary repairs. Much of the furniture and many personal items were left behind in hopes that the funeral home would someday reopen, but that day never came.
As the building sat abandoned, members of the homeless community took shelter inside, leaving behind their belongings scattered throughout the once-grand parlor rooms. In late 2023, a new owner stepped forward to breathe life back into the property, reopening the former funeral home in 2024 for public tours and paranormal investigations. The house got a new roof and some repairs were made, but the owners shut down tours after the city informed them that their current license did not cover tours, investigations, or events. As of 2025, the Holliday House remains a private residence.
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It bothers me when the location is not given. Thanks
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Sometimes locations are left off to protect the property. Enjoy the photos.
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At least include contact info in case someone is interested in purchasing the property to save the building. There has to be a contact, or the photographer would have been trespassing.
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It’s not for sale.
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Precisely
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I understand the reasoning for not disclosing exact locations of these interesting places; however it seems at least the state/county/nearby city or town, could be made known. If a homeless person is living there, guess the owners don’t care. And yes, thank you for posting these abandoned places of interest!
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Clearly this isn’t a time when location was withheld to “protect” a property. The place is falling apart, and a homeless dude is trashing the place. How is the property being protected?
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Think of the photographer as a reporter protecting his sources. If he were to list the locations, he/she would lose their reputation and no one would trust them to photograph their property.
Anyone interested enough and willing to do the work, as the photographer does, can find the property themselves.
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I Completely understand. That was the reason I assumed the addresses weren’t given. It’s possible to find the locations if one is REALLY dedicated to wanting to KNOW their locations.
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Wonderful photos and story, I really enjoyed it and found it fascinating.
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TO THE PUBLISHER OF THESE PROPERTY’S ! IM INTERESTED IN POSSIBLELY BUYING ONE OR MORE OF THESE PROPERTY’S IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR THE PURPOSE OF RESTORING ONE OR MORE TO ITS ORIGINAL BEAUTY ! I AM COMING INTO A LARG SOME OF MONEY AND IT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH A PORTION OF IT SO IF YOU RUN ACROSS ANY OF THE OWNERS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN PUTTING UP ANY OF THESES PROPERTY’S FOR SALE I GIVE YOU MY WORD THEY WOULD BE RESTORED WITH KEEPING IN MIND THE RESPECT OF THE DEAD AND DONE CORRECT AND NOT TO MAKE PROFIT BUT TO MAINTAIN THE HISTORY OF OUR GREAT COUNTY AND ITS HISTORY INTACT
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I hope you don’t come into a large SOME of money. It would be far better to come into a large SUM of money and, if that were the case, I hope you would know the difference.
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I’m amazed that so many things are left behind. It’s like everyone just decided to leave and didn’t bother with their belongings. It is fascinating to see it all sitting there and at the same time, it is sad that antiques and such a lovely building were left to rot.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful places.
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A quote from one of the photos: “The owners left mostly everything behind in hopes of one day returning and reopening.”
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Always sad to see places rotting….
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Creepy!
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1. ASE generally keeps the location private because of prying eyes. Imagine of this was your property and you had snoops. Wouldn’t like it, would you?
2. Are you going to scoop it up, make the repairs needed and keep it up to standard, since it’s on the National Register of Historic Places? Yeah, didn’t think so. And I’m thinking ASE is up and up enough to get contact information on the places he photographs and permission on said places before he photographs them and is up and up enough to not give that information out to the public.
But both of you are probably more than welcome to travel around the Southeastern United States in hopes of trying to find these places.
As for the homeless man: You don’t know the situation with the local authorities. Squatter’s rights is a huge deal and it has happened a few times in my hometown. Perhaps the owners are fighting to get the homeless man out.
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Now, there’s an oxymoron.
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Thank you for sharing this beautiful building. What a gift that it still has original fittings and furniture for us to see. I look forward to the next email.
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It took me hours, but I have looked at every single post you have made and all the photos and history behind each of these are absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing these 🙂
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Thank you for reading! I am glad you enjoyed the blog.
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@Abandoned Southeast wonderful pics and awesome illustrations, i have to say I just came your work randomly but I’m very intrigued. Said I was going to sleep hours ago but I can’t put my phone down, your photos are a work of art and the historical data you collected is interesting and educational. I love what your doing please, keep up the great work.
Also , thanks for not charging me to view your talents, and soak up ur knowledge.
👀🧠💝
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Love reading about these places. Makes me think of my grandfathers old, old home and wonder what it looks like now.
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this place is actually not hard to find if you search correctly on the internet…i’ve been doing urban exploring for 11 years and have compiled my own database of over 350 places between GA, TN, AL, NC, and FL and a good 40% of my locations you can’t find anywhere on the internet, they are that secluded…however, places like this one – there are very creative ways to find the location of these thru searching online. I too never disclose the addresses of my locations because then everyone goes and then tells their friend, and their friend tells the next, and next thing you know the place is boarded up completely because of ppl disrespecting the place by graffiti or vandalism or not being discreet when exploring. I’m not even a photographer, i just love exploring abandoned places and I can tell you that I have personally located an easy 90% of the places that ASE has documented on his website. Again, it just takes creativity. You can’t just google abandoned funeral home in Georgia or abandoned Victorian house in Georgia and expect to find it. If you wan’t to find it bad enough you will search hard enough and figure out the best methods in doing so.
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Hey Ryan, do you think you can shoot me a message on snapchat @ambermersadiez
or email me bambitheabandoned@gmail.com
ive been urbexing for a few years and while i know you wont disclose your locations, i’d love some pointers on finding some more places 🙂
~Amber, 24 F, Alabama
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Oooh creepy! The abandoned places are even more eerie when there are signs of people once living there. Thanks for sharing the photos — I enjoy this blog a lot. Especially during Halloween season during COVID, since we can’t go outside, this is some great virtual sPoOkY exploration.
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So is the homeless guy paying the power bill?
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No, the owners that moved across town pay the bill.
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So very interesting . thanks for your research and bringing us the photos and stories !
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I am happy to report that this place has changed hands, and much has changed. A wonderful transformation is taking place as the new owners have a vision. Marion, SC, being my hometown, I’m happy to see this come to fruition. It will be fun and bring tourists to Marion! https://www.hollidayhouse1895.com/
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Thank you for the update, Wesley.
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