America is pretty famous for its urban legends and myths, and one of the most loved is the story of Rehmeyer’s Hollow, or as it’s come to be known, Hex Hollow.
The legend of Hex Hollow begins with Nelson Rehmeyer, a local Pennsylvania “pow wow doctor” and faith healer, who was murdered after an argument about (of all things) magic. It seems that Rehmeyer had managed to make a local enemy who also happened to be a witch doctor named John H. Blymire.
Apparently there was a surplus of witch doctors in town, because Blymire was told by yet another local witch named Nellie Noll, that a powerful spell had been cast on him. This spell, Noll explained, was the cause of a string of bad health and horrible luck that Blymire had been experiencing. The target of the accusations? None other than Rehmeyer himself.
According to the "River Witch" Nellie Noll, Blymire had to retaliate in order to break the spell, and the only way to do that was to find Rehmeyer’s spell book… and burn it. Unfortunately things didn’t go quite as planned.
On November 28, 1928, Blymire and two accomplices broke into Rehmeyer’s house to take the book, but instead ended up attacking and subsequently killing Rehmeyer. Before leaving, the group searched the house but were unable to find the spell book, so instead they burned the body of Rehmeyer believing it would finally lift the curse. The group even set the house on fire, but according to the legend, Rehmeyer's magic had made it indestructible.
The trial, known historically as the “York witch trial”, rocked the small community and gave Rehmeyer’s Hollow its infamous nickname "Hex Hollow". Today Hex Hollow has been preserved so that curious guests can stop and take a peek around the home of one of America’s most famous urban legends.
Well, if that urban legend made you hungry, head over to Bonkey's Homemade Ice Cream and Snoballs, in New Freedom, PA.
Then rest your head at Jackson House Bed and Breakfast in Railroad, PA.
In recent years strange stories about the house have become popular, including tales about ghosts, curses, or my personal favorite, that if you toss a rock at the house, it will toss it right back!
Rehmeyer’s Hollow is a very cool piece of Americana, and is a fun detour through any Pennsylvania road trip... just don’t toss any rocks while you’re there!
