The Legend of the Wissahickon Hermit

Johannes Kelpius, a German mystic, arrived in 1694 with about 40 followers and settled on the ridge above the Wissahickon Creek, where they lived in a communal "tabernacle" and practiced astrology, alchemy, and Rosicrucian mysticism while awaiting the end of the world. Local tradition holds that Kelpius lived and meditated in a small stone cave until his death in 1708, though historians think the surviving structure was more likely a later springhouse or root cellar. The "Cave of Kelpius" still exists in Wissahickon Valley Park and is marked with a plaque. Some hikers say the spot feels uneasy, and some say Kelpius's alchemical experiments left behind spiritual residue.