Haunted Real Estate

"Dearest new neighbor at 657 Boulevard, Allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I will find out. Who am I? There are hundreds of cars that drive by 657 Boulevard each day. Maybe I am in one. Do you need to fill the house with the young blood I requested? Better for me. Was your old house too small for the growing family? Or was it greed to bring me your children? Once I know their names, I will call to them and draw them to me. Welcome my friends, welcome. Let the party begin." - Unidentified spawn of Satan known as The Watcher.

Thats right guys, today we are talking about the Watcher house in Westfield, New Jersey that is surrounded with attention (IE: Netflix just released a mini-series about it). The letters themselves are incredibly ominous but the house and the Watcher seems to draw people in and make them a little crazy too. After all, you don't want to make 657 Boulevard unhappy... Check out what we know about this incredibly bizarre true story.

Sources:

Inside the real-life 'Watcher House' versus the Netflix home (nypost.com)

The Watcher: The True Story of the Haunting of 657 Boulevard (thecut.com)

The List Family Murders – Forensic Tales

Inside creepy The Watcher letters which taunted the family and thanked them for bringing 'young blood they'd requested' | The US Sun (the-sun.com)

John List: The Perfect Family Man Who Killed His Perfect Family (the-line-up.com)

John List Killed His Family In Cold Blood, Then Disappeared For 18 Years (allthatsinteresting.com)

Bonjour les amis! Today we have a special guest... Laura, our youngest sister! We all share a mother. Her birthday was December 26th and we wanted to a little tribute episode that focuses on her (and our) favorite city, NOLA! We are a little behind due to Christmas, strep throat, etc. Sorry for the delay but we’re back! This episode we are going to discuss the La Laurie Mansion in New Orleans. Buckle up buttercups because this one is gnarly!

Sources:

Madame Lalaurie: The Story of Delphine LaLaurie, One of New Orleans' Most Infamous People.” Ghost City Tours, https://ghostcitytours.com/new-orleans/haunted-places/lalaurie-mansion/madame-lalaurie/.

“Delphine LaLaurie.” Crime Museum, 19 Aug. 2021, https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/delphine-lalaurie/.

Fraga, Kaleena. “The Real Story behind Madame Lalaurie's New Orleans House of Torture from 'American Horror Story'.” All That's Interesting, All That's Interesting, 10 Jan. 2022, https://allthatsinteresting.com/lalaurie-mansion.

“Lalaurie Mansion (New Orleans) - All You Need to Know before You Go.” Tripadvisor, https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g60864-d181634-Reviews-Lalaurie_Mansion-New_Orleans_Louisiana.html#/media-atf/181634/303914625:p/?albumid=-160&type=0&category=-160.

“New Orleans Architecture.” Visit New Orleans, https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/architecture/.

“A Torture Chamber Is Uncovered by Arson.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-torture-chamber-is-uncovered-by-arson.

The only thing guaranteed in life, is death and taxes. Welcome to Catacombs of Paris. You likely already know where this one is heading... have your puke bag or bucket ready because it's a story you can't help but smell and visualize.

Also, please share your choice of burial/final send off. Vikings had it right. It is officially on the internet that Lanie does NOT want a send off in Ashleys backyard pool and this is my partial, final wishes in writing.... unless you (Ashley) want to be haunted forever while I speak German aggressively to you when you are the most relaxed - Lanie

Sources:

Catacombs of Rome - Underground burial places

What's the Difference Between the Rome and Paris Catacombs? | The Tour Guy

Catacombs of Paris History: Everything you need to know (thepariscatacombs.com)

The Paris Catacombs (lilimag.net)

Book: The Catacombs of Paris by Charles Editors

This week we will be visiting 620 Broad St, Milledgeville GA. This is the morbid history of Georgia’s Central State Hospital, formerly known as Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum, the United States largest mental institution and possibly the largest the world has ever seen, with its peak housing between 13,000-17,000 patients.

Sources:

A Brief History of Mental Illness and the U.S. Mental Health Care System (uniteforsight.org)

Introduction · Central State Hospital, Milledgeville, GA · Georgia Public Library Service (omeka.net)

Lunacy in the 19th Century.pdf (wisconsin.edu)

Asylum: Inside Central State Hospital, once the world's largest mental institution - Atlanta Magazine

Controversial Psychosurgery Resulted in a Nobel Prize - NobelPrize.org

The World's Largest Mental Asylum: From The Horrors Of The Back Wards To Today's Jails and Prisons - Pete Earley

Inside Georgia's Real-Life Lunatic Asylum - Deep South Magazine

7 FACTS ABOUT THE ABANDONED INSANE ASYLUM: CENTRAL STATE HOSPITAL MILLEDGEVILLE GA (365atlantatraveler.com)

Central State Hospital - New Georgia Encyclopedia

Scoop: The Evolution of a Southern Reporter - Jack Nelson - Google Books

This week's episode, we cover the Bell Witch. The story surrounds the particularly spooky events experienced by John Bell, his wife, children and household staff on their property in the 1800's. Mysterious dogs appearing, gnawing and scratching at the bed posts, sheets pulled off the beds, knocking sounds in the walls. This creepy story is about an entity dubbed the name, Kate. Who was she? Why was she focused on this family and particularly the youngest daughter who was physically hurt by this entity multiple times. Kate would sometimes show kindness too on occasion. Word spread and folks all over came to see if the rumors were true, even confirmed the supernatural events they saw themselves. President Andrew Jackson even paid a visit himself! Jump into this spooky tale with Ashley and Lanie to find out more to this disturbing yet interesting tale of the Bell Witch.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @haunted.real.estate

Send us an email with your stories or suggestions at [email protected]

Sources:

The Official Home Of The Bell Witch (bellwitchcave.com)

The Bell Witch Site - All About the Epic American Haunting Legend

The Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch by M.V. Igram (book)

This week we get into the darkness within Houska Castle in the Czech Republic. Built in the 13th century, it has served various roles throughout time. Supposedly built over the "gateway to hell" where half human/half animal creatures would fly out to attack villagers, the castle was meant to cover and contain the dark, seemingly bottomless pit with its walls meant to keep things in vs keep out. Over time, the Castle changed as it also served as a noble residence. When we think the gloom and doom is less present, think again. Nazi's took over as an experimental headquarters because, well they are Nazi's and a castle meant to trap things in seems up their alley, right? Today, we still don't know what is down this hole that's been surrounded by mystery, horror and death. Dive in with Ashley and Lanie to learn more about this spooky piece of real estate in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic.

PSA: A grandaddy grasshopper joins us as a guest star to scare us during recording. No grasshoppers were hurt in the making of this podcast.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @haunted.real.estate

Send us an email with your stories or suggestions at [email protected]

Sources:

Czechcenter.org

Book: Real Haunted Castles and Fortresses

Prague Trips (on youtube) documentary

Houska Castle - The Little House of Horrors

Gate to Hell at Houska Castle - McGee's Ghost Tours of Prague - Prague guided walking tours (mcgeesghosttours.com)

Welcome to the former home of the cannibalistic tribe known as, the Karankawa tribe. Captain Jean Lafitte's gloomy clan of pirates and slave owners then invaded and massacred the tribe making it their home. Feeling good vibes of this land? Well don’t… because there are also hell hounds and voodoo queens. Just wait till you see how it all unfolds and what people see today in this creepy hell hole located in Galveston, TX.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @haunted.real.estate

Send us an email with your stories or suggestions at [email protected]

Sources:

Galveston Ghost - Jean Lafitte's Maison Rouge

Jean Laffite | Galveston & Texas History Center (galvestonhistorycenter.org)

The Ghost of Jean Lafitte | The ghost stories of Galveston's first Pirate (ghostcitytours.com)

Galveston JeanLafitte.net

Jean Laffite | Biography & Facts | Britannica

TSHA | Karankawa Indians (tshaonline.org)