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.
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.
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.
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."
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
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 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.
