Flesh-eating Albinos, Witches and Murder: An Aggregated Account of Buckout Road

If you live in Westchester, especially in White Plains or Harrison, you’ve undoubtedly heard some version of an urban legend about Buckout Road where locals still go to get spooked.

The two-mile stretch of road runs from White Plains through West Harrison (is mostly in West Harrison), and used to look as if it were straight out of a horror flick.

A haunted-looking mansion used to stand on the street, where the dark road was so narrow only one car could pass at a time. However, the mansion has been knocked down, the road widened and lights installed in recent years.

The various stories about the spooky street have created a cult following of locals who have dedicated , websites, articles, and Facebook pages to Buckout Road.  

Here is an aggregated account of the legends of Buckout Road:

All Things Buckout Road

Eric “Tapout” Pleska’s website—“Buckout Road: The Alleged Haunted Road of Westchester County, New York,” at http://www.bedofnailz.com/buckout.html—offers the most detailed account of the history and various legends of Buckout Road. 

The White Plains resident’s site gives a fascinating history on the area and road itself that goes as far back as the mid-1600s, where soldiers, settlers and Native Americans quarreled and were killed. The account also mentions famous local families like the Harrisons, Buckhouts and the Baldwins (not Alec and Stephen, like ).

This website offers a full rundown on just about every crazy story ever conjured about Buckout Road, including: the Great White Deer, flesh-eating albinos, the boyfriend hung from a tree, Leatherman, Mary’s Lantern, a demonic doll, the Lady in White, the three burned witches, the slaughter house and haunted mansion. 

Pleska also notes that real life cannibal-serial killer Albert Fish was said to have lived on Buckout Road. You can also check out photos of possible ghosts and spooky ruins off of Buckout Road, as well as purchase Buckout memorabilia.

Buckhout the Murderer

There was a Buckhout who was convicted of murder. Though he didn’t live on Buckhout Road, and wasn’t John Buckhout who died in 1915, and whose gravestone is still located on the West Harrison street.

Issac Van Wart Buckhout was hung in White Plains in 1871 for murdering his wife Ann Louise Buckhout and friend Alfred Randall in a jealous rage.

According to an April 4, 1971 New York Times article, Buckhout was born in Chappaqua and secretly dated his wife against her father’s will. The two eloped, and moved to a farm which she owned after they were married. Within three months, Buckhout began accusing his wife of cheating on him with other men, including his brothers and her own nephew.

It was New Year’s Day in 1870 when Buckhout asked Randall over to his home in Sleepy Hollow, which was then located in the Town of Ossining. Randall brought along his son Charles Randall. When Ann Louse Buckhout went to the kitchen to fetch refreshments, Buckhout pulled out a shotgun and shot the Randalls. When his wife returned he shot her, as he suspected that she and Randall were having an affair. Charles Randall lived, though he was badly wounded and lost his eye.

The murders were deemed “The Sleepy Hollow Tragedy,” in the New York Times, click here to read the full article.

Buckout De-Bunked

A 2006 article in “Westchester Magazine,” debunks some of the lore surrounding Buckout Road, citing that the notion of having a cult of albinos who would eat your flesh if you honked three times outside the red house on Buckout Road would be highly unlikely, since albinism is rare—1 of 17,000 have some from of the condition.

Other tales about Buckout Road tell of three witches burned at the stake. The story goes that if you drive over the three X’s marking the spot where they died something strange will happen to you. Mary Buckhout was said to have hung herself from a nearby tree, where people still see her white ghost return.

According to the article, while people accused of being witches were burned during the 1600s, there is no historical data to prove that the three witches or Mary Buckhout died according to the legends.

New Rochelle resident John Pascucci puts his own twist on the various stories of the alleged haunted Westchester Street in his screenplay “Buckout Road.” The film is to be produced by Brad Clark and Ambush Entertainment. Click for the full story.

Buckout Road a.k.a Head Road

Weird U.S. tells the tale of high school kids who would taunt albinos living on Buckout Road by pulling mean pranks, honking their horns and banging on their door. According to this version, one night a teen attempted to put an M-80 into the mailbox only to find the decapitated head of a child. How messed up is that?  

The Hilarious Haunt

If you’ve ever recently driven down Buckout Road, you’ll find Fairfield resident Joe Stracci’s 2009 blog post on his thrill-seeking excursion through Buckout Road to be downright hilarious. I literally almost cried I laughed so hard. By the way…I love those animals in that person’s yard.

Buckout on Facebook, YouTube

The lore surrounding Buckout Road has spurred several Facebook pages where locals offer their own account of its history, as well as their experiences being frightened over the years.  Here are a few: The Real Buckout Road Tribute, i went to buckout road and lived, Buckout Road.

Many have also taken to documenting their escapades on Buckout Road and posting it on YouTube. Here are a few: Buckout Road in White Plains / Harrison, NY, Buckout Road [September 07,2007],

Be sure to leave your memories in the comments section below, and add photos/video you have of Buckout Road by clicking "add your photos" under our pictures/video.