The "Beware The Seven Gates Of Hell!!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Doing some research on an area in nearby York, Pennsylvania known as Wild Cat Falls.  Trying to find literature and photos, as well as documentation, that tells about the falls that lead into the Mighty Susquehanna River that flows between the counties of Lancaster and York.  As I was reading accounts of activity along the river relating to the falls, I came upon an extremely unsettling piece of urban folklore telling the tale of a series of portals in Hellam Township, York County, which open an entrance to the fiery pit below ... meaning Hell!  

The area of York, Pennsylvania that is known as Hellam Township.

Hellam Township was founded in 1739, a pleasant little backwater area in a corner of York, Pennsyl- vania.  It boasts of rich forestry, lakes, wildlife and waterfalls.  So, where does Hell fit into the story?  Seems that in the 1800s a mental asylum stood in the woods of York County off of Toad Road.  It was home to the mentally deranged.  The asylum was a few stories high and contained hundreds of rooms.  

The caption on the photograph says: Destruction
of Brandon Asylum by fire.  Nov. 4th, 1910

It stood deep in the woods and was the perfect place to send the insane from all across the state of Pennsyl- vania.  The home was miles from civilization which was viewed as a blessing by those who didn't want to face their fears.  Then one day the place caught fire.  Firefighters were unable to get to the scene and many of the patients burned to death in the upper floors of the building while other fled into the surrounding woods.  Some of the most deranged and dangerous people in all of Pennsylvania had disappeared into the woods as the asylum burned to the ground.  Finally the fire was quelled and officials set out to capture the inmates.  The search party was so aggressive they beat into submission many of the inmates and killed others.  Is this true or not?  My search did find a photo of the burning building, but little else.  But, the event forever cursed Toad Road.  People today say that the area is so cursed that is the location of seven gateways that lead to Hell.  After the fire, local officials constructed barriers, in the form of gates, along the paths that led to the former asylum.  It was assumed that the gates would keep adventure seekers away from the site of the asylum.  For those that still searched and found the path, it is said that by the time they reached the fifth barrier the sense of evil and overpowering feelings of death would turn then back.  

The first gate that lead you through the
Seven Gates of Hell.  This gate was later
removed to keep trespassers from trying
trying to pas through it to find the other gates.

Allegedly apparitions are often seen along the paths as well as hearing strange noises and menacing screams.  The legend finalizes by saying that those who do manage to get past all seven barriers or gates would be standing upon the burned remains of the mental hospital, a bona fide passageway to hell itself!  So what should I believe?  Should I head to Hellam and see for myself if I can find the gates?  Nah!!  I read some more and found that the role of the gates in the legend is somewhat disputed.  Some say that the gates were put up by a search party to trap the inmates.  Others say the gates have nothing to do with the legend at all.  Also read that no one has ever passed the fifth gate and if they had they would go directly to hell.  It is said that the township is named after hell itself, but officials say the name comes from a corruption of "Hallamshire," an area of South Yorkshire in England.  Township officials also say that there never was an asylum on Trout Run Road.  So, what was the photo I found?  Pretty eerie and spooky!  Today the residents who live in the area find there are many hell seekers who think they can trespass on their property while searching for the seven gates.  The residents have removed the gates to discourage thrill seekers.  One person who lives 5 minutes from the alleged site says that you will no longer find any gates, but notes that when you drive past the cornfield close to where the gates once were and you roll down your car windows and stop along the road on a hot summer day, you will feel a cool wind blowing right through your car.  Well, that did it for me.  No way am I making a trip to find gates that no longer exist and taking a chance of being arrested for trespassing.  All that just to find Hell!  Hell no!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.