Rehmeyer's Hollow

Rehmeyer's Hollow, also known as Hex Hollow, is located in Central Pennsylvania (York County) near the Maryland border. The area was brought to national attention by a murder that occurred there in 1928. The name of the hollow was later changed to Spring Valley County Park.

The Murder of Nelson Rehmeyer

John H. Blymire, a pow-wow doctor—or Pennsylvania Dutch witch -- had, for years, been suffering from illness and bad luck. When another pow-wow doctor, Nellie Noll (the River Witch of Marietta), told him he had come under the hex of witch doctor Nelson D. Rehmeyer, Blymire decided to retaliate by breaking into Rehmeyer's home in search of a book of spells. Noll also informed Blymire that burning the book or burying a lock of Rehmeyer's hair would remove the Hex. Upon arrival to his farm house in North Hopewell Township, they encountered Rehmeyer himself.

Blymire and his two young accomplices (John Curry and Wilbert Hess) murdered Rehmeyer, and then mutilated and burned his body. The murder took place exactly one minute past midnight on November 28, 1928. They were unsuccessful in locating his copy of Long Lost Friend; however, Blymire felt the hex lifted when Rehmeyer died. In the trial that followed, the country was shocked to learn of the existence of 20th-century witchcraft, especially in quiet York County, Pennsylvania.

Rehmeyer's house where he was murdered still stands on Rehmeyer's Hollow Road. Many locals believe it to be haunted. Teenagers can usually be found down in the hollow legend tripping.

Cultural references

Central Pennsylvania-based novelist Brian Keene wrote two novels loosely-based on Rehmeyer's Hollow and the region's powwow magic: Dark Hollow (2007) and Ghost Walk (2008).

Horrorcore rapper Hex of the group L.U. Cipha recorded an EP called Hex Hollow based on the events.

Power metal band Walküre wrote a song titled "Fire and Smoke" about the Nelson Rehmeyer story.

The film Apprentice to Murder was based on the events.

Further reading

• Lewis, Arthur (1969). Hex. 
• McGinnis, J. Ross (2000). Trials of Hex. 

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