Haunted Illinois Review/ Research #2: Horrors of the Old Slave House
The large house on Hickory Hill just outside Equality, Illinois goes by many names including Crenshaw House/ Manor, Hickory Hill, and The Old Slave House. The original owner and builder, John Hart Crenshaw, used the house to run a “ reverse underground railroad” where he, with the help of some local “Night Riders”, would kidnap free African-American men, women, and children as well as escaped slaves coming from the south and sell them back into slavery. Hickory Hill was built for this very purpose with over a dozen cells built into the third story attic (barely big enough for the average-sized modern American to fit into). There are also rumors of a large carriage entrance enabling vehicles to enter directly into the back of the house and a tunnel running from the basement to the Saline River, however, if either of these features ever existed they are no longer there.
Crenshaw kept his captives in the cramped, poorly ventilated attic until they were transported to the south or his buyer arrived to take them. He began his criminal side business in the mid 1830′s after the house was completed sometime in 1935/36 and continued to kidnap and sell people for 30 odd years until he sold Hickory Hill during the civil war. John Hart Crenshaw died on December 4, 1871, and was buried in Hickory Hill cemetery.
In the 1920′s, the Sisk family, who owned the house at the time, began to get a surplus of tourist type visitors after hearing stories about the house. In 1930 they began charging admission for tours. The house is now a historic site and still allows day time visitors but no longer allows night time “ghost hunting adventures” due to an incident with a lantern being overturned and starting a small fire.
Reports of supernatural happenings started soon after the house was open to the public as a tourist attraction. Visitors often complained of hearing the sounds of rattling chains, crying and whimpering, many people also reported feeling as if they were being watched or were overcome by intense fear and sadness. There were also reports of other common paranormal activity such as cold spots, phantom touches/voices, etc.
As none of the former or current owners have reported experiencing anything paranormal or supernatural in the house before it was open to tourists, I’m not sure if the experiences were simply a case of tourist empathy and the power of suggestion or if the large amounts of activity and energy from the living tourists, jostled/awakened or empowered the spirits, making it easier for them to reach through the veil and interact with our world. Considering the tragic past and horrors of the house it is likely that there would be many restless spirits throughout the house, but especially in the attic and the cells (where most of the paranormal activity has been reported) which are the “main attractions”.
the best photo I could find of the back of the house, the large square is where it is rumored the carriage entrance was. (cropped for convenience)
credit for all photos goes to David R. Chittenden
Haunted Illinois: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Prarie State - Troy Taylor
The Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal (TM)- Neil Gail, Ph.D.
https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/2018/02/john-crenshaw-hickory-hill-plantation-old-slave-house-reverse-underground-railroad-equality-illinois.html
http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2011/10/old-slave-house-equality-illinois.html
(p.s. sorry for the long post, I wanted to be relatively thorough. (: )
