The Lingering Echoes of Polly Barclay's Chains

Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic Media LLC

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.6 • 836 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Fitzpatrick Hotel has been standing on the courthouse square of Washington, Georgia for more than a century now, its red-brick walls and Queen Anne trim casting long shadows over the town’s oldest streets. But around here, folks say it wasn’t just the fire that cleared the way for the hotel to be built—there are darker stories too. Stories about graves left behind. About spirits that never moved on. And one name you’ll hear more than any other is Polly Barclay. Back in 1806, Polly found herself at the center of one of Georgia’s earliest true crime stories—accused of plotting her husband’s murder and sentenced to die. She was beautiful, sharp, and by all accounts sure she’d never see the gallows. But fate had other plans, and her execution would go on to spark one of the region’s most enduring legends. Some say Polly never left. Some say she's still there, beneath the Fitzpatrick, rattling her chains on stormy nights when the wind kicks up just right. This week, we’re digging into the real story behind the legend—who Polly Barclay really was, what really happened that night outside Washington, and why her ghost might still be walking among us today. Want to Listen to Southern Gothic Ad-Free? ⁠Patreon: Ad-Free Episodes, Premium Releases, Bonus Content & More⁠ ⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Spotify⁠ ⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Into History: History Without Interruption⁠ Connect with Southern Gothic Media: Website:⁠ SouthernGothicMedia.com⁠ Merch Store:⁠ https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/merch⁠ Pinterest:⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠ Facebook:⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠ Instagram:⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠ X:⁠ @SoGoPodcast⁠ Advertise on this podcast: ⁠[email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Autopilot Order.
0:01.7	Now, informal.
0:02.9	The strong urge felt at the ordering kiosk or drive-through
0:05.6	that takes over the entire body and mind
0:07.8	and results in a person ordering a Big Mac without even having to think.
0:11.5	Related phrases.
0:12.5	Looks like I've ordered a Big Mac again.
0:14.6	The Autopilot Order at McDonald's.
0:17.7	Serves from 11am subject to availability.
0:20.2	Ready to launch your business?
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0:24.9	Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business
0:29.0	with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand,
0:32.6	marketing tools that get your products out there.
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0:37.6	From startups to scale ups, online-person, and on the go. Shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you.
0:44.6	Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup. Southern Gothic is a podcast that explores the history behind some of the American South's darkest days, greatest mysteries, and most chilling ghost stories. The beautiful Fitzpatrick Hotel stands on the downtown square of Washington, Georgia,
1:34.3	a historic community located midway between Augusta and Athens.
1:40.3	Renowned, not only is the earliest city to bear George Washington's name, but also as the
1:48.6	place where Jefferson Davis officially dissolved the Confederacy. Yet the stately Fitzpatrick
1:57.5	wasn't built until later in 1898, its red brick facade and Queen Anne
2:05.0	Grandure arising from the ashes of a downtown fire that had cleared the way just three years
	...

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