The Joggling Board: A Lowcountry Legend Born of Necessity, Folklore, and Charleston Charm

If you’ve spent any time wandering the piazzas of Charleston, South Carolina, you’ve likely noticed a curious piece of furniture: a long, springy plank—painted a deep Charleston green—resting on two arched rockers. Locals call it a joggling board, and it’s as much a part of Lowcountry identity as sweetgrass baskets, live oaks, and the scent of pluff mud drifting in on the tide.

But the joggling board isn’t just a decorative porch oddity. Its story stretches back more than two centuries, crossing oceans, plantations, and generations of Southern folklore.

The most widely accepted origin story begins in 1803 at Acton Plantation in Sumter County, just outside the Charleston region. The plantation house burned down in 1911. Mary (or Mrs. Benjamin) Huger moved in to help her brother, Cleland Kinlock, manage the house after the death of his wife. According to historical accounts, Mary suffered from painful rheumatism that kept her from enjoying carriage rides—her favorite pastime. In a letter to her family in East Lothian, Scotland, she lamented her limited mobility. Her Scottish relatives responded with an unusual solution: a model and plans for a flexible exercise bench designed to allow gentle bouncing and movement.

East Lothian, Gilmerton House

A carpenter at Acton Plantation built the first American joggling board based on those plans. The result was a long, pliant board—typically 12 to 16 feet—mounted on two wooden stands. The gentle “joggling” motion was believed to soothe stiff joints and provide low-impact exercise.

What began as a medical aid soon became a cultural fixture. By the mid-19th century, joggling boards had migrated from inland plantations to the piazzas of Charleston homes. Their distinctive look—long, narrow, and painted Charleston green—made them instantly recognizable. The color itself is a local signature: a near-black shade of green believed to withstand the Lowcountry sun and blend elegantly with historic architecture. One place to see a joggling board in Charleston is at the Edmondston-Alston House.

Edmondston House

Charlestonians embraced the joggling board not only for its gentle rocking motion but also for its social possibilities. The board’s flexibility allows two people seated at opposite ends to bounce toward one another—a feature that inspired one of the most enduring pieces of joggling board folklore.

Charleston legend holds that a joggling board is a “courting bench.” If two people sit at opposite ends, the board naturally dips and sways, drawing them closer together. Many Lowcountry families claim that “a home with a joggling board will never be without suitors,” and some even credit the bench with sparking marriages across generations.

Whether or not the board truly possesses matchmaking magic, it has become a symbol of hospitality, romance, and Southern charm.

Though joggling boards fell out of fashion in the early 20th century, Charleston artisans and preservationists helped revive the tradition. Companies like The Joggle Factory and the Old Charleston Joggling Board Company continue to handcraft boards using the same principles—flexible Southern pine, graceful rockers, and that iconic Charleston green paint.

Today, joggling boards appear on porches, in gardens, at wedding venues, and even on college campuses. They’ve become a beloved emblem of Lowcountry culture—functional, whimsical, and steeped in history.

The Spellbinding Story of Charleston's Famous Unknown Resident

In the grand sweep of American history, few names echo with as much intrigue as Aaron Burr—a vice president, a duelist, a man etched into the nation's collective memory. Yet behind his infamous legacy lies a quieter, more haunting tale, one that drifts like sea mist through the cobbled streets and salt-stained air of Charleston. It belongs to his daughter, Theodosia Burr Alston, whose life and mysterious disappearance have become part of the Lowcountry’s whispered lore. Her story, though often overlooked, is as compelling as any found in the annals of early America.

Did this rendering give you a chill? The following true account is so chilling that after reading it you will exclaim, "Burrrrrrr." It is a story that has no resolution and to this day, remains a famous unsolved mystery. The characters are well-known historical figures with a Charleston connection. It involves the tragic disappearance of Theodosia Burr Alston.

Theodosia was born June 21, 1783. Her father was the third U.S. Vice President, Aaron Burr and her mother was Theodosia Bartow Burr. She was schooled on a curriculum meant for a future scholar, fluent in several languages, and equipped to handle herself in just about every subject, from math to music. Unfortunately, she struggled with intense bouts of grief after her mother died when she was eleven years old. In 1801, she married Joseph Alston, a wealthy landowner from South Carolina and a person known for a having a kind and caring demeanor. They lived at 94 Church Street, a fine house built by Thomas Bee in 1730.

94 Church Street

Theodosia was very devoted to her father and corresponded often, their letters numbered in the thousands. Her life grew more difficult in 1804 when her father fatally shot former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a duel in Weehawken, NJ on July 11. Aaron Burr went on trial for murder with her full support and was acquitted. In 1807, he defended himself against a conspiracy charge and again she fully supported him. During this time, she traveled back and forth between Charleston and New York. After a year long, difficult trial, her father once again won acquittal, but due to opposition, left the United States for exile in Europe.

Theodosia returned to South Carolina. She remained a strong advocate for her father, writing letters to Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin and to Dolley Madison in an effort to secure a smooth return for her father to the United States. The date for his return was set.

Theodosia's health had become more fragile, and when her son died of malaria in June 1812, she collapsed. She wrote her father, "Less than a fortnight ago your letter would have gladdened my soul. Now there is no joy, and life is a blank. My boy is gone-forever dead and gone!"

Aaron Burr returned to New York after four years of exile. He looked forward to seeing his pride and joy. Deeply concerned about his daughter's health, he convinced her to come to New York for the holidays. The United States and Great Britain were now at war. Her husband was sworn in as governor of South Carolina on December 10 and couldn't leave. Her health continued to deteriorate.

Alston was uneasy about sending her on what would be a five to six day voyage by ship. Adding to his concern were rumors circulating around the Carolinas about pirates operating along the North Carolina Outer Banks. Theodosia begged her husband to allow her to reunite with her father and after certain conditions were met, he consented. Alston wrote a letter to the British Navy blockading the coast, asking for safe passage for his wife and a doctor and close friend of Burr named Timothy Green was assigned to accompany her.

Theodosia, carrying a recent portrait of herself that she intended to give her father as a Christmas gift, Dr. Green, and a maid climbed aboard the schooner Patriot moored in Georgetown and set sail on December 31, 1812 into the dimension of both shadow and substance and crossed over into the Twilight Zone. The Patriot, crew, and passengers disappeared without a trace into oblivion. Thus, the chilling tale of Theodosia Burr Alston was born.

Joseph Alston wrote letters seeking information on whether his wife had safely arrived, only to receive the devastating news. Her father, Aaron Burr, accepted the theory the ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic in a raging storm that battered the coastline on January 2 and 3 near Cape Hatteras, but rejected the astounding rumors of the legendary kind that circulated and morphed with the passage of time into today's legend.

Wild stories were theorized. Some claiming pirates, such as Dominique You aka "The Bloody Babe," took over the ship and made every passenger walk to plank. Others say Theodosia was captured, taken prisoner and transported everywhere from the Caribbean to Texas.

Then, there is the tale of the portrait, discovered in Nags Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the 1860s, that many believe to have been the very one Theodosia took with her to be a Christmas gift for her father. While never verified, it's owner claims it was salvaged from a shipwreck that washed ashore on the barrier islands.

Yet, another story claims a Karankawa warrior came upon the wreckage of the Patriot and a dying white woman, who gave him a gold locket bearing the inscription "Theodosia" and told him that if he ever met white men, he was to show them the locket and tell them the story.

Legend has it her ghost is eternally chased by three pirates on the shores of Bald Head Island as she still frantically searches for a way to escape. Some versions even say those pirates are headless, beheaded for their incompetence in guarding her. In recent times, she is seen dressed in a flowing emerald-green gown, but most of the time she's dressed in all white, the outfit she is said to have slipped into before pirates made her walk the plank.

Some late December evening, you are walking on the Battery's waterfront after enjoying a dinner at one of the downtown's fine restaurants. At some point, you stop to look out over the darkened harbor waters. Suddenly, you feel a chill in the already cool air. Then, you realize you are not alone. In the corner of your eye, appears a figure. You turn and see it is a petite young woman dressed in a full-length white dress wrapped in a soft haze. You try to convince yourself the strange aura could be the result of the moonlight. You sense she is distressed. Out of concern you inquire, but she offers no response. You perceive she wants to be left alone and you move on. When shown a photo of the Nag's Head portrait, witnesses say they believe Theodosia is the woman they saw staring into the harbor. It was an unusual encounter to be sure.

Ghost Walk Tours

Charleston Tours

Ghost Walking Tour and Pub Crawl in Haunted Charleston

Narrated Haunted Ghost Cruise of Charleston Harbor

Charleston's Walking Tours- An Intimate Up Close Look At Its True Personality

Charleston has carriage rides, sightseeing helicopter rides, scenic harbor cruises, and a host of ghost tours. All of them are dedicated to acquainting you to the charm and wonder that is historic Charleston. But if you want to get an intimate, up close look at the Holy City, the walking tours are the best way to go. The guides are knowledgeable and entertaining.

Nathaniel Russell House

It was on a walking tour I first learned about the strange, green, bouncy rocking boards found all over Charleston called the joggling board. Also, learned some of the more intimate details of the homes and families of Charleston past that I didn't get on the carriage rides.

The Nathaniel Russell House has a self-supporting elliptical spiral staircase that ascends three floors and is an example of the ingenuity and craftmanship typical of early Charleston. There are two notable stories associated with the Edmondston-Alston House. I will only tell you one has to do with Fort Sumter and the other Robert E. Lee. Book the tour for the fine points. Both houses are part of the walking tours.

Want to learn about and sample Charleston cuisine? Schedule a culinary tour featured by Bulldog Tours. The guides will immerse you in the history of Charlestons unique southern cuisine while you walk and taste your way through local eateries, markets, bakeries, restaurants, and culinary landmarks. You will also get a behind the scenes look into top chef’s kitchens and the fine dining establishments at which they conjour up their own unique creations. Bulldog Tours offer two different culinary tours.

Ednondston-Alston House

There are tours aplenty, something for everyone. Tours designed to raise the hairs on the back of your neck from a little innocent scare and tours to raise your eyebrows as your learn about the seedier side of Charleston's history laced with stories of brothels, prostitutes, corruption, crime, scandal, and sordid affairs, an uncensored glimpse meant for adults only. Also, a tour where you can raise a glass of cold brew. All have one common thread, to inform and entertain. All tours last anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.

 

-Bulldog Tours-Savor the Flavors Tours of Downtown Charleston and Chef's Kitchen Tours of Charleston

-The Original Charleston Walks-offer the greatest variety of routes, historical themes, utter historical accuracy, and the most outstanding guides in Charleston.

-Charleston Strolls-Home to Charleston's first and finest walking tour.

-Dark Side of Charleston-Take an uncensored look at Charleston's true history.

-“Charleston – Behind The Scenes Tour” with John LaVerne - $1,000 per person-This is really decadent.