The Warlock of Wesley Chapel: Inside the Strange Florida Compound That Became a Local Legend

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Long before Wesley Chapel became synonymous with subdivisions, shopping centers and explosive suburban growth, there was a strange property hidden among the woods of Pasco County.

Visitors traveling down the sparsely lit road encountered stone faces, gargoyles, dragons and bizarre sculptures surrounding an ivy-covered dome-shaped house that looked more like something from a fantasy novel than a Florida residence.

The man responsible for it was Lewis VanDercar.

Some considered him eccentric. Others considered him brilliant. VanDercar encouraged both interpretations. He called himself a warlock, claimed mysterious powers and became known locally as the “Warlock of Wesley Chapel.”

Nearly four decades after his death, his unusual property is experiencing a revival.

An Artist Unlike Anyone Else

Born in Flint, Michigan, in 1913, VanDercar lived an extraordinary life before arriving in Pasco County. He left school after eighth grade, served in the Navy during the Great Depression, worked as an animator in Miami and later served in the Merchant Marine during World War II.

By the 1960s, he had established himself in Miami as an eccentric surrealist artist and sculptor.

One of his most famous creations wasn't even in Miami.

On Merritt Island, VanDercar helped create Annie, an enormous concrete dragon that became a landmark at Dragon Point. The fantastical sculpture, with glowing eyes and the ability to breathe fire on special occasions, perfectly reflected VanDercar's approach to art: it wasn't supposed to simply hang on a wall. It was supposed to become part of the world around it.

Then, in 1973, VanDercar moved north.

He purchased roughly eight acres in the Quail Hollow area near Wesley Chapel and began creating what may have been his greatest work of all — his home.

The Enchantment

VanDercar constructed an ivy-covered dome residence resembling a collection of caves. Around it, he created an increasingly bizarre landscape.

Stone walls featured carved faces. Dragons, tiki heads, gargoyles and mythical figures appeared throughout the property. Sculptures emerged from the vegetation.

He called the place “The Enchantment.”

For young people growing up around Wesley Chapel during the 1970s and 1980s, the property became the stuff of local legend. Stories spread about the mysterious artist living inside the strange house in the woods.

And then there was Halloween.

Halloween became part of family life at the compound, with costumes, tricks, treats and surprises adding another layer to the property's mythology.

VanDercar continued creating almost until the end of his life. He died of heart failure at his unusual Wesley Chapel home in December 1988. He was 75.

The Warlock was gone.

The Enchantment remained.

Nearly 40 Years Later

Today, VanDercar's descendants are bringing his world back to life.

The Warlock House Enchantment remains on the historic property, where the family is preserving his sculptures while introducing the grounds to a new generation. The site is also home to The PlanTree Nursery, operated by Christine and Bobby VanDercar. The family describes the property as a generational space combining art, nature, education and community.

Visitors can arrange guided tours of VanDercar's statuary and sculpture garden, allowing people who have heard stories about the mysterious property for decades to finally see it for themselves.

But this October, the family is taking another step.

Halloween is returning.

The first Warlock Family Spookfest is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2026. The family-friendly event will feature themed villages, characters, games, crafts, storytelling, live entertainment, food and vendors throughout the historic property. Children will receive “Warlock Apprentice Passports” and collect stamps while moving through different experiences.

The property will also offer nighttime statuary tours on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout October, allowing visitors to experience VanDercar's strange sculptures under dramatically different conditions.

A Piece of Old Wesley Chapel

The timing is appropriate.

Modern Wesley Chapel bears little resemblance to the rural community VanDercar encountered when he arrived more than 50 years ago. Development has swallowed enormous stretches of pasture and woodland.

Yet hidden among that growth is a surviving piece of a very different Wesley Chapel.

The Warlock House isn't really a haunted house in the conventional sense. There is no established evidence that the property is haunted, and today's operators emphasize art, history and whimsy rather than claims of paranormal activity.

The real story is arguably better.

It is the story of an eccentric artist who moved into the Florida woods, constructed a cave-like home, surrounded himself with dragons and gargoyles and created such a peculiar world that generations later, people are still talking about him.

Now his family is opening the gates again.

And nearly 40 years after Lewis VanDercar died inside the strange world he created, the Warlock of Wesley Chapel is becoming a local legend all over again.