The Stull Cemetery is surrounded by a host of urban legends and spooky tales of the occult, black magic, the devil, and a gateway to the netherworld. On the property stood an old stone church, vacant since 1922. One legend says that this church has been used by Satanist for worship and that the church itself is the gateway to hell. The church has no roof, but it is said that rain never falls inside. Another legend states there is a secret staircase behind the church, hard to find, and covered with a seal that opens on Halloween and the Spring Equinox.
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| Church at Stull Cemetery (weirdus.com) |
An article appeared in a Kansas newspaper in 1974 about the location. According to the article, the Devil once came to Stull and mated with a local witch. This mating spawned a child, who died shortly after it was born. Twice a year, at midnight, he visits the child and his mate, summoning all those who have died violent deaths to dance with him.
The entire area where the church and cemetery stood is considered unholy ground. One strange story I read claimed the pope's plane detoured around Stull to prevent the pope from flying over the unholy ground. Also, there was a very tall pine tree that grew in the cemetery, right through a headstone, that was cut down in 1998 to dissuade thrill seekers. This tree is allegedly where they hung witches before the church was built. In fact, if you search the Stull Cemetery, it's easy to find a ton of stories of personal experiences!
The stone church was demolished, much to the surprise of the actual property owners, on Good Friday in 2002. No one is sure who did it or why. Could it have been an actual portal? If the legends are true, do you think knocking the building down would actually help?
The entire cemetery and land where the church stood is private, so if you are having any ideas about checking this place out, I would advise against it! In fact, the locals are not happy about the attention the cemetery gains, and won't talk about it! Maybe it is just the fantastic stories of local teenagers and writers wanting to capture the imagination. I guess, since they keep everyone away, we will never know.
Have you ever been to Stull, Kansas? Have a story from there? Post it in the comments, or
email me. I would love to hear about it!
Stull is a small town about 10 miles west of Lawrence, Kansas.
Sources:
http://www.weirdus.com/states/kansas/stories/gateway_to_hell/
http://www.prairieghosts.com/stull.html
A Ghost A Day, by Maureen Wood and Ron Kolek, p.87-88
The Willard Library opened in 1885 in an amazing Victorian gothic building. It is the oldest library in the state of Indiana. The library is said to be the home of The Lady In Grey, first seen in the 1930's by a custodian. Although they do not know who she is, there is some speculation that she is the daughter of the library's founder, Willard Carpenter.