Drive-By
Hilltop Church Drive-By
View the isolated 1860 church and cemetery from the public road on Short Mountain.
- Duration:
- 20 min
Photo coming soon
Other Dark Tourism Site
Egg Hill Church
An 1860 hilltop church on Short Mountain near Spring Mills, on the National Register of Historic Places, infamous for a vivid but thoroughly debunked legend of a minister who poisoned his congregation.
Egg Hill Road, Spring Mills, PA 16875
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free to view from public road. The church and grounds are private property with posted no-trespassing.
Access
Limited Access
Isolated hilltop on Short Mountain; rural gravel access, uneven ground.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1860 · Rural Evangelical Association church organized 1838, current building erected 1860 · Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 · One of central Pennsylvania's most circulated (and debunked) haunted-church legends
Egg Hill Church sits on an isolated hilltop on Short Mountain in Potter Township, Centre County, in central Pennsylvania, near the villages of Spring Mills and Centre Hall. The congregation traces to 1838, when the Evangelical Association organized a church on farmland donated by John Dauberman Sr. and his wife, Mary. The present one-story banked building, roughly 35 by 42 feet, was constructed of pine on a stone foundation in 1860.
The church served its rural congregation into the early twentieth century, but regular services were suspended around 1927. The historic building survived and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Its remote setting, small adjoining cemetery, and long disuse made it a focal point for local legend and a recurring stop for thrill-seekers and ghost hunters.
The property is privately held and posted against trespassing. Local accounts and regional coverage note that visitors who ignore the signs have reported being confronted, and the legend's notoriety has been a persistent nuisance for the property and neighbors.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_Hill_Church
- https://centrehistory.org/article/egg-hill-church/
- https://www.hauntinglypa.com/egg_hill_church_debunked.html
Footsteps around the boarded churchApparitions and shadow figuresA sense of a hostile, unwelcoming presenceLegendary bleeding knife in a tombstone (folklore)
Egg Hill Church is best known for a dramatic mass-murder legend. In the most common version, a deranged minister in the late nineteenth century held a night service — often Halloween — and poisoned members of the congregation with tainted communion bread; some tellings have him chaining the doors and killing the entire congregation before taking his own life in the bell tower. A popular embellishment claims a knife is lodged in a cemetery tombstone, and that pulling it free leaves a pool of blood.
Researchers and local historians have systematically debunked the story. As documented by HauntinglyPA and the Centre County historical record, there are no newspaper reports of any such killing and no cluster of gravestones sharing a common death date — exactly what a mass poisoning would have produced. The tale appears to be pure folklore that attached itself to an atmospheric, long-disused hilltop church.
What persists are experiential reports from visitors: footsteps around the boarded-up building, fleeting figures, and a strong sense of being unwelcome — sometimes reinforced by very real, living property owners. HauntBound presents the murder narrative as debunked legend and cautions that the site is private and posted.
Notable Entities
The legendary 'mad minister' (unsupported by record)
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Egg Hill Church family-friendly?
Private property with no-trespassing signage and reports of hostile confrontations. View only from the road; not suitable as a family outing destination. Overall family fit: Low.
How much does it cost to visit Egg Hill Church?
Free to view from public road. The church and grounds are private property with posted no-trespassing. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Egg Hill Church wheelchair accessible?
Egg Hill Church has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Isolated hilltop on Short Mountain; rural gravel access, uneven ground..