The carriageway (legend tested) Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
Legend says Crenshaw drove captives through a carriageway into the back of the house. A 2015 SIU survey instead found a back porch built with the house, which "contradicts the legend." Source: SIU News, 2015.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Real history
The house was built in the 1830s for John Hart Crenshaw, who leased the state salt works near Equality. In 2004 the National Park Service named it a "station" on the Reverse Underground Railroad for his kidnapping of free Black people and selling them into slavery (Wikipedia).
Ghost stories
These are reported legends, not verified events. The creepiness score (1–5) is Spook Atlas's own editorial rating, not a measurement.
Then and now
Public access
Closed to the public Illinois DNR says the site "is closed to the public" (Illinois DNR). Last checked: Nov 1, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Equality and Illinois
- More haunted & abandoned houses
- Nearby: Willard Library (Evansville, IN), Kentucky State Penitentiary (Eddyville, KY), Hindostan (Shoals, IN), Bell Witch Cave (Adams, TN)
⚠️ Please read: This information may be outdated and conditions change. Verify access with the owner or operator before you go. Spook Atlas does not encourage trespassing. Entering private, closed or condemned property can be illegal and dangerous. Report a correction.
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