Every state has its myths and legends, but growing up in New Jersey, the state’s ominous and bizarre history hits differently. Once teens get their driver’s license—especially in the fall when the leaves start to change—it becomes a rite of passage to seek out the strange and eerie. Legends are passed down from one generation to the next, and now shared and sought out online. From haunted roads to legendary creatures, New Jersey is full of eerie locations and urban legends just waiting to be explored. New Jersey Urban legends are so ingrained into our identity and culture that the only major league sports team we can call our own is named after the Jersey Devil.
Exploring New Jersey’s Urban Legends
Even though New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state, every region feels like its own unique country. When trying to come up with how our state’s identity is wrapped up in these urban legends and locations, I found myself breaking it down into three categories: North Jersey, Central Jersey (it’s real), and South Jersey. These three regions and their own legends have always stood out to me as not only scary but integral to who we are as a state.
The Devil’s Tree (North Jersey — Basking Ridge)
The evil of the Devil’s Tree is as real as its roots in the ground. It’s widely believed that the tree was once a meeting place for the Ku Klux Klan during colonial times, as Bernards Township served as a KKK stronghold in New Jersey. According to legend, the tree was used to hang escaped slaves—a horrific reminder of one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history. While such atrocities should haunt every inch of this country, few places seem to carry that weight in a supernatural way. The Devil’s Tree is one of them.
Curses and Supernatural Tales of the Devil’s Tree
But its legend doesn’t stop there. It’s also said that a farmer once hanged himself on the tree after murdering his entire family. Other stories speak of suicides, or even warnings that anyone who mocks or damages the tree is destined for an untimely death.
I remember learning about it as a kid—the images online and in Weird NJ gave me chills. The photos show a desolate, gnarled tree standing alone, radiating menace. My neighbor, who was older than me, told stories of friends who broke off branches only to have their car break down on the way home. Some say the tree can’t be cut down, and anyone who tries is cursed.
Visiting the Devil’s Tree Today
Today, the tree looks different from the photos you’ll find online. It still stands, but on private property. To reach it, you have to uncomfortably park nearby and trek through brush and weeds. Everything is overgrown, with a fence not far off. You’d never know something so steeped in darkness is just sitting there, hidden in plain sight. It’s completely untended, like a relic left to rot, but sorrow still seems to hang in the air the moment you approach.
Why the tree has never been removed, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the perfect metaphor for New Jersey’s and America’s ugly history: the remnants of our past still standing, quietly reminding us of the horrors we’d rather forget.
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital (Central Jersey — Trenton)
There are several shut-down and condemned insane asylums riddled throughout the state, and for many teens, sneaking into and “touring” them has turned into a rite of passage. The most infamous of them all is the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital.
The Horrors of Dr. Henry Cotton
Founded in 1848, the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital is the state’s oldest psychiatric hospital. While large parts of the original buildings and wards have closed down, the hospital is still functioning today. What separates Trenton from other facilities is the evil Dr. Cotton.
Dr. Henry Cotton became the medical director in 1907. At the time of his hire, he was considered a progressive doctor for his implementation of occupational programs that are barbaric and cruel by today’s standards.
Barbaric Practices and Patient Suffering
He believed that infections were the cause of mental disorders—this led to inhuman procedures and untimely deaths of patients who received unnecessary operations. He started removing teeth from patients, but “disappointing” results had him extending his treatments to include the removal of gall bladders, stomachs, uteruses, ovaries, testicles, and colons.
These mutilation practices were so inhuman that they’re worse than any supernatural story we could dream up.
The Lasting Impact of Dr. Cotton
After his death in 1933, a review found that he had killed 45 percent of his patients through these practices. Worse, these practices continued well after his death into the 1950s. It’s unfathomable that this torture was able to continue for so long.
Today, not much paranormal activity is spotted in the new areas of the hospital. However, those who explore the long-abandoned buildings have encountered Dr. Cotton’s apparition and heard the sounds of tortured patients.
Should Trenton Psychiatric Hospital Be Preserved?
It’s interesting that the hospital still stands today as a hybrid of the old and new. Even when most of our psychiatric hospitals were condemned, this one still stands. If you know how, you can tour the old one—with caution. Some argue that the old building needs to be condemned to put its gruesome history behind us. But stories like Dr. Cotton and the horrors of the facility shouldn’t die with history—they should be discussed as a reminder that everyone receiving medical care should be treated with dignity.
The Jersey Devil (South Jersey — The Pine Barrens)
You may not know the tale of the Jersey Devil, but you have likely heard the name through the cultural zeitgeist.
Maybe you first heard the name during the infamous Pine Barrens episode of The Sopranos. Perhaps your only reference to the Jersey Devil is watching the hockey team play in Newark, but 66.1 miles away is where the real devil lives: in the Pine Barrens. There are many tales of the supernatural lurking around the dense forest of the Pine Barrens, but none of them are as memorable as the Jersey Devil.
The Origin Story of the Jersey Devil
The legend starts in 1735, when Mother Leeds, a witch in her own right, birthed her 13th child, said to be hideously monstrous. That “child” is believed to have been born with a horse-like head, cloven hooves, a tail, and bat wings. The boy quickly grew into a giant creature and flew away. Since that fateful day, the devil has been terrorizing the Pine Barrens. People have told tales of the beast slaughtering their livestock and wrecking their vehicles.
Historical Accounts of the Jersey Devil
The first written mention of the “Jersey Devil” is in the 1859 Atlantic Monthly. Author W.F. Mayer speaks of townsfolk telling him about the tale of the “Leeds Devil” while he was exploring and writing about the Pine Barrens.
The Jersey Devil is our most “fun” urban legend that we get to own as a state. Not every place has its own Loch Ness Monster or Mothman, but that is what makes New Jersey special. The well of origin stories and imagery that people have conjured is almost endless, as more and more New Jersey residents report sightings and share their own horror stories. For almost 300 years, residents have passed down stories of the devil’s antics and terror in the state’s most desolate area.
The Hunt for the Jersey Devil
Some still offer a $100,000 reward for our devil. Even for $100,000, I don’t think I would want to be caught dead wandering the Pine Barrens searching for the unknown. Some have seen him on the Philadelphia side, but I wouldn’t want to be caught dead wandering around there either. But I do like to think that there is an otherworldly creature lurking around in one of America’s oldest and densest forests just waiting for the right time to strike.
Here in Jersey, we are home to countless tales of the supernatural and strange locations. What I have written about today barely scratches the surface. Every town seems to have its own haunting tale. I implore all readers to learn more about their state’s legends and perhaps even explore some if you dare!