Egg Hill Church

    

     There is a church in Potter Township, Centre County that has been a "hot spot" for paranormal investigators and thrill seekers alike. For a good ghost story a perfect setting is needed, and Egg Hill delivers that setting. First, the church is in a remote site. Secondly, it is old; built-in 1860.Thirdly, it looks creepy; made of unfinished pine on a stone foundation. Finally, it hasn't been in regular use since the 1920's. So lets recap, a church in the middle of nowhere that has not been regularly used and is undoubtedly visually eerie, no wonder so many stories have circulated about it being haunted.

    The most well-known story about Egg Hill is of the supposed mass murder that took place their. The story is ever evolving and is not very consistent. That being said, the story I have gathered goes like this. At the turn of the century in the 1800's, the pastor at that time killed his whole congregation and disposed of the bodies in the near by woods. Other stories say that the pastor only killed the children of the parish. He reportedly would kill them one by one under mysterious circumstances and got away with the murders. Then one day fretting that he would be discovered, he hung himself in the church. These are the largest circulated tales but many other versions exist. I could not find any records of any mass deaths in the area at the time when the church was regularly used. Again this little church just seems unfortunately in the right place for urban legends. Stories include: a murder, phantom bell ringing, apparitions hovering in the near by grave yard, and spirits following your car home as you leave. Normally I am an avid believer in paranormal happenings; however, in this instance very little factual evidence could be found to credit the claims made about Egg Hill. If Egg Hill has any supernatural happenings at all, I believe they reside in the cemetery beside the old one-story church.

     My many experiences at Egg Hill have been pretty fruitless. I have been to this location in the day time to get a better idea of the surroundings and at night. I do admit that it does give off a weird vibe even in daylight. Many of the old grave markers are worn and unreadable. The church is locked from the outside and "No Trespassing" signs mark the outside of the building. During my nighttime experiences, there have been eerie noises coming from the church. They could be easily dismissed as the building settling. However, some unexplainable voices have come from the cemetery while taking pictures that I can not explain. Overall if there is any paranormal activity at this location I believe it minor and in no way related to the folklore about Egg Hill.

    The easiest way to get to Egg hill is to take Rt. 144 north from State College and make a Left on Upper Georges Valley Rd. Approximately after 1 mile you take a right on Egg Hill Rd. The church is about a mile up the hill. A warning that he property is Privately owned and Permission is needed to be on the grounds. Although, most of the church and graveyard is visible from the road.

Gravity Hill - Bedford County

     

Starting Point

     Why go to the moon to defy gravity when you can do it in Bedford county? A short drive west from the town of Bedford there is a curious phenomenon known as Gravity Hill. True there are many of theses so-called optical illusions, however, none are as well-known or traveled to as this one. On a summer day while taking a mini tour of Bedford county me and a few friends decided to stop and put the claims of Gravity Hill to the test. Finally after traveling back a heavily wooded country road we came across the huge "X" in the road marking the starting place. We then put our car in neutral and watched as it slowly rolled "up hill". I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to see Gravity Hill, but if you're in the area its a free amusement.

Looks like an incline but actually a decline.

      Now for some directions, first take a left on Bethel Hollow Rd. just off of Rt. 96 between New Paris and Schellsburg. Following Bethel Hollow rd. then simply make a right turn on Gravity Hill Rd. and look for the huge painted "X" marking the starting point. Now the fun part, place your care in neutral and watch as it climbs uphill. Take a ball, water, or anything you can think of with you and watch in amazement. I really wish there was more to say about Gravity Hill, but you really just have to see it yourself.

The End

Children's Cemetery - Mt. Etna PA

    

  If you have ever heard the name Mt. Etna, you probably think of the old furnace that is now under the care of the Blair County Historical Society. Of those familiar with the site, very few know about Children's Cemetery. The cemetery above Mt. Etna is now in complete disarray and has not had many visitors over the past hundred or so years. From what little information I could discover, they placed the cemetery far up the hill from Mt. Etna due to the outbreaks of small pox and disease in the 1850's. Most of the graves are unreadable or broken, but few that still stand and date from 1832-1859. 

   

  To get to the cemetery I had to use what little information I had, as well as, satellite images. After planning our course, my friend Dakotah and I made our walk through tall weeds, thorns, and brush. The Cemetery at one time had a wire fence enclosing it. Once we arrived there was only a small 4 foot by 2 foot gap in the brush to enter the Cemetery area. It was an eerie feeling stepping into the old cemetery. The trees and dense brush surrounded the site and only let a small amount of light into the hollowed ground. We didn't think to bring a flash light in mid day; nevertheless, we were able to read and get a few photographs of the remaining stones.

      After paying our respects we left the old cemetery. I began to wonder on our way back to the car how many those graves were unmarked and how long had it been since the last people had been to that old cemetery. It is a shame that so many of these old resting places have fallen out of the community's knowledge. I can only hope that my writings will keep these bits of our history alive for future generations.

  

Bedford's Old Log Church

Front View of Church

2nd Floor Seating

      Continuing on my Lincoln Highway adventure, a short distance from Story Land, sits the Old Log Church which it is rightfully named. The 1808 church, as it is also sometimes called, is on the left if heading west from Schellsburg PA, on Cemetery Road. The old church caught my eye as I was driving. It rests in the center of an old cemetery, as if watching over the old graves. I was lucky enough to go inside this old building. Instantly, I was taken back in time by the unique character of the church.

View Looking Towards the Entrance

      The church was built in 1808 on land bought from John Schell, the founder of nearby Schellsburg. The majority of the building was made from logs. The first thing you notice upon opening the door, is an elevated pulpit at the opposite end of the entrance. The main floor of the church is laid out with two columns of pews with stairs up to the balcony pews. The church remained in use by the Reformed and Lutheran denominations for years until 1852 when they erected a new church in Schellsburg. The Old Log Church and Cemetery Preservation Society is now in charge of the still used cemetery. The society continues to do maintenance and repairs on the church, as well as care for the cemetery.

Entrance

      The Church is open to the public with a book to sign to leave
your mark and a place for donations. The next time you travel Rt.
30, take a stop at this quaint church; you won't be disappointed.

Grave Yard