Seven Gates of Hell
Encyclopedia
The Seven Gates of Hell is a legend of the York, Pennsylvania
area of America. Two versions of the legend exist, one involving a burnt insane asylum and the other an eccentric doctor. Both agree that there are seven gates in a wooded area of Hellam Township, Pennsylvania
, and that anyone who passes through all seven goes straight to Hell. The location in question never housed an institution; the aforementioned doctor only constructed one gate, to keep out trespassers. The area still receives a number of tourists, some of whom harass local residents, causing them to call the police.
. It was erected in a remote location so as to isolate people deemed insane from the rest of the world. One day in the 1800s, a fire broke out and, due to its remoteness, firefighters could not reach the hospital in time to save it. Many patients died in the flames, while others escaped and were soon beaten to death.
The gates' role in the story is disputed. Some say that the gates were put up by the local search party to trap the remaining inmates. Others say that, completely unrelated to the asylum story, an eccentric physician who lived on the property built several gates along a path deep into the forest. Both accounts agree on only one gate being visible during the day, but the other six can be seen at night. According to the legend, no one has ever passed the fifth gate, but if they passed all seven, they would go directly to hell
.
, England. The area purported to be the location of the seven gates is on private property and trespassers can be prosecuted.
, and Matt Lake featured a section on the gates in his book, Weird Pennsylvania. Lincoln published a page debunking the myths. Local resident Cheryl Englar reported a number of tourists searching for the gates, some harassing her and giving her cause to call the police.
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
area of America. Two versions of the legend exist, one involving a burnt insane asylum and the other an eccentric doctor. Both agree that there are seven gates in a wooded area of Hellam Township, Pennsylvania
Hellam Township, Pennsylvania
Hellam Township is a township in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,043 at the 2010 census. Founded around 1736, it was the first township in the area, and it originally included the entirety of modern York and Adams counties...
, and that anyone who passes through all seven goes straight to Hell. The location in question never housed an institution; the aforementioned doctor only constructed one gate, to keep out trespassers. The area still receives a number of tourists, some of whom harass local residents, causing them to call the police.
Myth
There are two popular versions of the myth, with numerous variants of each. One states that a mental institution used to be located on either Toad Road or Trout Run Road, depending on the source, in Hellam Township, PennsylvaniaHellam Township, Pennsylvania
Hellam Township is a township in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,043 at the 2010 census. Founded around 1736, it was the first township in the area, and it originally included the entirety of modern York and Adams counties...
. It was erected in a remote location so as to isolate people deemed insane from the rest of the world. One day in the 1800s, a fire broke out and, due to its remoteness, firefighters could not reach the hospital in time to save it. Many patients died in the flames, while others escaped and were soon beaten to death.
The gates' role in the story is disputed. Some say that the gates were put up by the local search party to trap the remaining inmates. Others say that, completely unrelated to the asylum story, an eccentric physician who lived on the property built several gates along a path deep into the forest. Both accounts agree on only one gate being visible during the day, but the other six can be seen at night. According to the legend, no one has ever passed the fifth gate, but if they passed all seven, they would go directly to hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
.
Reality
In reality, there is no road called "Toad Road" in Hellam Township, but there is one named Trout Run Road. There was no asylum on Trout Run Road, and the local doctor only put up one gate to keep out trespassers. A related myth states that Hellam was named after hell; this is untrue as well as it is a corruption of Hallam, after HallamshireHallamshire
Hallamshire is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, in the current city of Sheffield.The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hallam" originating from a formation meaning "on the rocks"...
, England. The area purported to be the location of the seven gates is on private property and trespassers can be prosecuted.
Notoriety
The Seven Gates of Hell have received a fair amount of attention. Mike Argento wrote about it in the York Daily RecordYork Daily Record
The York Daily Record/York Sunday News is a morning newspaper that serves York, Pennsylvania.The paper, printed in a broadsheet format, is published seven days a week...
, and Matt Lake featured a section on the gates in his book, Weird Pennsylvania. Lincoln published a page debunking the myths. Local resident Cheryl Englar reported a number of tourists searching for the gates, some harassing her and giving her cause to call the police.
External links
- Seven Gates of Hell, www.hauntedusa.org