by Molly Jennings, Ellie Reinhardt

​The John List murders and the Addams family home top the list of the creepiest aspects of Westfield’s history, but it doesn’t end there. Recently, “the house at the end of Prospect Street” has attracted many brave souls who claim that this house is not only creepy; it’s possibly even haunted.

The boarded-up windows and doors, the vines twisting around the house, the traces of many intrigued visitors and the woods surrounding 1411 Prospect St. all come straight out of a horror movie. In the past couple of years, some brave WHS students have ventured the mile out of town to explore the house for themselves.

Senior Emily Smith said, “Even though I was really scared, I just wanted to go to the house because I was curious to see if it was really haunted.”

Some visitors claim to hear noises, especially at night. Erin Debbie, a junior at WHS, said of her experience: “We swear we heard creaks. I dropped my flashlight near the house and going back was the last thing I wanted to do. It was beyond scary.”

Remnants of the family’s past provide a spooky atmosphere that is sure to scare anyone. Stone faces of the family who lived there line the garage wall, although the years of wear and tear have taken away any hopes of recognition and leave the viewer with only a horrifying memory. Freshman Gavin Conlon said, “I’ve had nightmares about the stone heads because it seems like they’re staring at you.”

The house, half in Westfield and half in Scotch Plains, has attracted visitors from both towns. Junior and neighbor Mady Cannone said: “There are people there almost every day. My cousin, who lives in Scotch Plains, and her friends go to the house a lot too. Most people come on weekend nights because it is definitely a lot scarier in the dark.”

According to Cannone, a woman named Caroline Stephens Holt, who passed away in October 2010, owned the house. Her father built the house in the early 1900s, and she lived in it with her family until she sold it in 2006. A developer now owns the house and has left it abandoned for over five years.

Although the house lacks a story like those of the John List murders or the Addams family home, “the house on the end of Prospect Street” attracts for other reasons. Its creepy looks and even eerier interior make it impossible for anyone to walk away without getting unnerved. But in the end, it’s up to you to decide: will you take the trip to the end of Prospect Street, or will you leave it a mystery?