Community Corner

Patch Picks: 6 Spooky Spots in the Saucon Valley

All of these local landmarks are reputed to be haunted. Find out for yourself, if you dare...

The Saucon Valley was settled almost 300 years ago, and it's a beautiful place, so it's perhaps not that surprising that some of its residents have, well, chosen to remain here "in spirit."

Here's a list of 6 local places that are rumored to be haunted. If you know of others, please tell us about them by posting a comment!

1. . There's only one thing scarier than walking into Borough Hall to pay your tax bill--and that's the ghost that's reputed to walk the aged building's halls. Built in 1818 as the home of Dr. Henry Detwiller, this stone structure was a hotel from 1907 to 1939. It has been occupied by the borough since 1942, when it was dedicated as Borough Hall. Could the ghost be that of Dr. D, who was "the first homeopathic physician in Pennsylvania" according to a plaque on the front of the building? Or perhaps it's that of a hotel guest, who enjoyed his stay in Hellertown so much that he refuses to leave. Maybe it's the spirit of Morris Dimmick, who was Chief Burgess when the building was acquired and renovated 70 years ago. You decide.... 

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

2. . For many years this landmark building on Main Street was the Hellertown Hotel, which became a boarding house in its later years. Over the years many guests stayed here--and a few may have died within its turn-of-the-century walls. Today, the building's basement houses a sports bar and its second floor is occupied by private club rooms. The atmosphere on the ground floor is typically jovial, with special events including karaoke and taking place on a regular basis.

3. . According to popular local lore, the silhouette of a ghostly woman can be seen in an upstairs window at this historic restaurant on Route 412, just south of Hellertown. This would be a good place to drive by on Halloween night (as long as you have a designated driver who's not easily spooked!).

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

4. . The Wydnor Hall Inn is a bed and breakfast housed in an 18th century stone home on Old Philadelphia Pike in Lower Saucon Township. According to the inn's website, Wydnor Hall was once part of a 90-acre estate called "Bordaria," which was itself part of the "Walking Purchase" land grant of 1756. As a featured destination on the website www.LehighValleyHaunt.com, Wydnor Hall is described as possibly being haunted by the spirit of a girl thought to have drowned in the nearby Black River. A ghost wearing a tweed jacket with elbow patches has reportedly been seen smoking a pipe in front of a fireplace inside the inn, and guests who've stayed on the second and third floors have said they felt like they were being watched. For more information, visit Discover Lehigh Valley's "Stay and Investigate" website.

5. . The Olde Belmont Inne on Old Philadelphia Pike in the Seidersville section of Lower Saucon Township is currently closed, but that doesn't mean it's any less haunted than it was when it was open. If anything, the ghosts inside it are probably getting rammy without anyone to spook!

6. The Hexenkopf. The name of this infamous hill--which is actually just east of Lower Saucon in Williams Township--means "witch's head" in German. And if that alone doesn't scare you, read this recounting of the hill's history by Rick Cornejo, who once wrote about it for the Express-Times. In his synopsis of the Hexenkopf's history, Cornejo writes that it was once a sacred place for Native Americans, who--legend has it--trapped evil inside it, causing it to glow. Germans who later settled the area learned the ways of the Indian shamans, and performed pow-wows to exorcise spirits from people well into the 20th century. There is also a tale associated with the hill about a woman who was hanged on it for allegedly being a witch. Her ghost is said to haunt the hill, which is crowned by the rather sinister-looking Hexenkopf Rock. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that there is something vaguely "Blair Witchy" about this place, which is set amid breathtakingly beautiful countryside. On the day I drove past the Hexenkopf to take the photo that accompanies this story, I did experience a distinct feeling of foreboding, and I had no desire to get any closer to it than Hexenkopf Road.


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