There Is Evidence This House In New Jersey Is Stalked By A Paranormal Entity Called 'The Watcher'

Laura Allan
Updated October 17, 2022 115.4K views

The Broaddus family was sure they'd found their dream home when they bought a sprawling historic house in 2014. Little did they know that this seemingly perfect Westfield, NJ, house also came with a house stalker. An entity known as the Watcher haunts this home, and has sent letter after letter containing creepy threats to residents. Even more frightening, this Watcher speaks about himself as if he's some paranormal entity, or even the house itself, leading to theories that he is not even a real person, but a malicious spirit or creature.

There have been haunted places in New Jersey before, but the Watcher stands out among them as more than just an urban legend. Police have been involved, though they have found nothing, and the letters keep coming. For the family that moved in there, it has been like a real life nightmare ever since they got the first letter.

But what do these letters say? Who or what is the Watcher? Why won't locals talk about it? There are more questions than answers, but no matter how you look at it, the Westfield Watcher house is more of a nightmare home than a dream home.

  • The Letters Are Nothing Short Of Horrifying

    On November 13, 2018, The Cut released some of the most unnerving excerpts from the letters the Broadduses received. According to some of the notes, the sender was not happy with the Broadduses' decision to renovate the home, saying "Tsk, tsk, tsk... bad move. You don't want to make 657 Boulevard unhappy."

    The Watcher also said that "all of the windows and doors in 657 Boulevard allow me to watch you and track you as I move through the house," and said that they were always watching the home: "I pass by many times a day. 657 Boulevard is my job, my life, my obsession."

    Other excerpts reveal what we've already known about the Watcher - they are possessed by the notion of "young blood" and filling the house with it, and they fixate on death, musing how the new owners could pass:

    Maybe a car accident. Maybe a fire. Maybe something as simple as a mild illness that never seems to go away but makes you fell sick day after day after day after day after day. Maybe the mysterious death of a pet. Loved ones suddenly die. Planes and cars and bicycles crash. Bones break.

  • Someone Has Been Stalking The House For Decades

    The Westfield "Watcher" house, as it has come to be known, was built in 1906, and was originally purchased for a dollar. Throughout the years, it has been inhabited by a mayor and struck by lightning. Also, it may be home to some sort of strange sinister presence. The Watcher claimed to have been spying on the house since the 1960s, and repeatedly references some sort of secret hidden within the home's walls. The home was also repeatedly sold from owner to owner for $1. 

    While it's unknown if any of the older owners received letters, the Woods family, who moved into the home in the '90s, received a letter from someone claiming to be a “watcher” shortly before they sold the house to the Broadusses.

  • It May Be A Multi-Generational Stalking

    So, what exactly did these letters say that was so chilling? When the Watcher first identified himself to the Broaddus family, he also gave a bit of background as to why he was observing the house. He said that he had been waiting for a new family, and that the Woods had sold the house when he had asked them to. He also said that he was in charge of the house, and that it was something that ran in the family. Previous generations had watched the house, and now, for the past two decades, the honor had fallen to him. In particular, the note stated:

    "(The house) has been the subject of my family for decades. I have be (sic) put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming. My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time."

  • The Watcher May Be A Supernatural Creature

    The Watcher May Be A Supernatural Creature
    Photo: gfpeck / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0

    Initially, it sounds like the house is being stalked by a creepy person obsessed with whoever lives there. However, many points in the Watcher's letters indicate that he may not be human at all. In the letters sent to the residents, the Watcher often referred to himself as the address of the house itself. He also spoke of a "second coming" of the house, as if it was alive, and has even warned "You don’t want to make 657 Boulevard unhappy." He also speaks as if he is in the walls, or running from room to room, as if he is a ghost that lives in the house even now. It has been suggested that the Watcher may be the spirit of a local murderer named John List, or a previous owner who has died and come back to haunt the pace. However, the Watcher is able to send tangible letters, so whoever and whatever they are is likely tangible as well.

  • The Watcher Seems Interested In Any Children Who Live In The House

    The Watcher Seems Interested In Any Children Who Live In The House
    Photo: John Lee Maverick / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0

    As creepy as some of this is, just in concept, possibly the most disconcerting part about these letters is the fascination with children. The Broaddus family does have children, and the basement of the house had been set up as a playroom for kids (because that's not creepy at all). When the letters came in, the Watcher seemed downright obsessed with the idea of "young blood." Throughout the four notes given to the family over the years, the Watcher has criticized the family's treatment of their child, have said that the house needed young blood, and that he was looking for them. In the Watcher's own words:

    "Do you need to fill the house with the young blood I requested? Once I know their names I will call to them and draw them too (sic) me."

    In a later note, the entity reiterated this point again:

    "And now I watch and wait for the day when they (sic) young blood will be mine again.”

  • The Watcher Knows The Layout And Features Of The House

    The Watcher Knows The Layout And Features Of The House
    Photo: NJ.com / YouTube

    In talking about the young blood, the Watcher wrote that the children should be allowed to play in the basement. This indicates that the Watcher, at least to some extent, knows the layout of the house. The Watcher also said they had once run from room to room before, as if he has once lived there or still lives there, and that he was upset they had changed the interior to make it more fancy. Of course, this information could be obtained from a real estate description, or perhaps by looking through the windows. The content of the notes supports this second point:

    "Who has the bedrooms facing the street? I’ll know as soon as you move in. It will help me to know who is in which bedroom then I can plan better. All of the windows and doors in 657 Boulevard allow me to watch you and track you as you move through the house."

    As an additional creep factor, the Watcher also asked in a letter if they had found what was in the walls yet and, if not, they soon would.

  • It May Be A Deranged Neighbor

    The big question that looms here, then, is who exactly is the Watcher? If we assume that it is not a supernatural being that haunts the place, then it would still have to be someone who was close to, or had intimate knowledge of, the house. Many theories have been brought up over the years, including previous families, real estate agents, the current families, and even a neighborhood conspiracy. However, one theory actually holds a little bit of weight.

    One of the previous residents, who lived there during the fifties and sixties, reported that he had never experienced anything strange while living there. Then, later, he said that he'd been told by a local that the one writing the notes was a deranged neighbor, an adult living with his parents near the home. Whether or not the information is accurate cannot be confirmed, but the email does give some interesting details:

    "So... heard from a friend who knows someone who lives on that street in New Jersey. The Watcher is a local crazy who lives on the street and harasses everyone. Apparently he's an adult son of a couple living on the street. Everyone who lives there knows who it is and no one will speak up because they're afraid he'll genuinely retaliate. The guy's parents defend him and think he's harmless, when in reality he makes life uncomfortable and annoying for everyone in the neighborhood. He probably hasn't actually broken any laws, so the police will do nothing."

  • Families Have Been Scared Into Leaving

    Whether or not the Woods sold the house because of the Watcher, or if they did so to bring in the requested "young blood" is hard to say, but we do know for certain that the Broaddus family was terrified. There were thinly veiled threats against their children, and the fourth letter that was not released to the public was supposedly threatening and sinister in nature. This was enough to send them packing, only about a year after buying what they thought was their dream home.

    The family moved out in 2015 and began renting the place, because the city would not allow them to demolish the house. They were supposedly so frightened they sued the previous owners for not letting them know about this strange, possibly supernatural stalker. The Woods counter-sued, but admitted they too got a letter before they sold the house. Since then, the Broaddus family has been trying to sell the place.

  • Locals Don't Want To Talk About It

    Locals Don't Want To Talk About It
    Photo: towardsthesunset / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

    One would think that, given all the fame and attention that the mysterious Watcher house has brought the community in Westfield, that locals would be happy to speak about their experiences. This, however, is not the case at all. Not only do neighbors not like sharing their experiences with the house, but they outright avoid it. This could be because they know who is sending the letters, and that idea also supports the community conspiracy and deranged neighbor theory. It could also be that they just want to be left alone in privacy. And, lastly, it could be that they are afraid that, whatever or whoever this Watcher is may come after them too. When asked about it, one local simply said that it was an uneasy subject:

    "Most people aren't comfortable talking about it... I got my reasons... They're my reasons. Personal reasons. It reminds me of my past."

  • The Police Cant Do Anything About It

    The Police Cant Do Anything About It
    Photo: Thomas Hawk / flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0

    The other thing people might be wondering is why the police aren't doing anything about it. The fact is, they kind of can't help. There's no sign of who this person might be, and they haven't done anything violent or malicious and illegal beside harassing the family. The Westfield police as well as the Union County Prosecutor's office are aware of the situation, and have investigated the matter. The mayor has even brought up the matter in a town council meeting, telling the supposed watcher to speak up. However, this investigation has turned up next to nothing and, in the chance that something supernatural is going on, they likely won't ever find much to go on.

    When approached about the matter of the Watcher, the police tend to be less than open about it, however. This might be because they are asked about it so often, according to one officer:

    "People ask me about it all the time. Even when I'm off-duty, at parties. I tell them 'The only thing to watch is me drink another beer!'"

  • It Might Become A Horror Movie

    It Might Become A Horror Movie
    Photo: Edward Zulawski / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

    If this sounds like a horror movie plot to you, you aren't alone. Major film production studios like Blumhouse Productions, Dimension Films, New Line Cinema, and even Universal have been talking about getting the movie rights to the Westfield Watcher. Whether this is done as a supernatural thriller, a straightforward horror movie, or a crime thriller has yet to be seen. On top of that, major directors have shown some interest in this potential film. James Wan and Bryan Bertino have both voiced their desire to develop an adaptation of the story, so we may soon see the tale of the Watcher coming to movie screens soon.

    Perhaps the current home owners will be able to get some income from the sale of their story, because they have wanted to get their money back for this unlivable house for some time now. And it hasn't been going well.

  • The House Is Worth More Than A Million Dollars... And You Can Buy It Right Now

    Given that the house is well over a hundred years old, it makes sense that this sprawling historical house would be worth some serous cash. When the Broadduses purchased the home, they did so for $1.3 million dollars in 2014. They were there for only about a year before they had to leave, and have not been able to live in the home since due to fear of the Watcher. Since then, they have been trying to sell the home, but the pickings have been slim. The price has come down to around a $1.1 million, and the price has been steadily dropping over the past few years. The Broaddus family has said that the Watcher letters and stories have scared away everyone who has shown interest in the home, so the price may drop even further.

    So, if you've got a million bucks to spare, and feel like living in a potentially supernaturally monitored house, you might have just found your dream home.