CALAMITY CORNERS

Inscription

CALAMITY CORNERS
THE 1818 RICHARD JENNINGS
INCIDENT & OTHER CALAMITIES
THAT REPORTEDLY OCCURRED HERE
OVER SEVERAL DECADES MADE
THIS INTERSECTION NOTORIOUS.
NEW YORK FOLKLORE
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2026

In the quiet hamlet of Sugar Loaf, New York, there lies a crossroads with a chilling reputation. Known to locals as “Calamity Corners,” this unassuming intersection, between Hambletonian Rd. and Pine Hill Rd., has been the stage of a century of localized horror, earning its name through a recurring cycle of violence, accidental death, and misfortune.

The infamy of the site began in 1818 with a crime that shocked not only the community, but the entire nation: the murder of Richard Jennings. This was no random act of violence; it is widely cited as America’s first murder-for-hire. The case gained national notoriety and led to the trial of five individuals. Two of the accused ended up in prison, one was acquitted, and two were hung before a crowd of more than 15,000 people in the village of Goshen.

Decades later, in 1890, the intersection claimed another victim. Three young men broke into a local distillery, stealing a stash of highly potent, unreduced alcohol. As they walked home, they began to sip the undiluted spirit. The sheer strength of the pure liquor was overwhelming; they quickly succumbed to its effects and decided to rest near an abandoned fire near the very same intersection where Jennings had met his end. The next morning, a grisly scene was discovered. One of the men was found dead, his legs having been consumed by the fire while he lay in a drunken stupor. The other two men survived the night, serving as living witnesses to the “calamity” of the crossroads.

The site’s reputation for tragedy was further cemented by a violent carriage accident. A young woman was traveling through the intersection when her horse became spooked. The animal bolted, throwing her from the carriage. This caused her to be dragged across the rough road, leaving her badly injured.