Deconstructing the Haunted House

At WHA we spend most of our day contemplating how to make houses and neighborhoods better. Today, however, we are flipping the script! With Halloween just a few days away, we are exploring the opposite; what makes a house downright evil, or dare we say … HAUNTED?

In a recent article in Builder Magazine, Colin Dickey postulates that the size of a home can impact its haunt-factor. Properly-scaled homes typically have a “primary mass” with “secondary masses” supporting it. If a house is too large (i.e. a “McMansion”) it tends to become an unsettling aggregation of forms that devour the primary mass and render it as a mere filler piece connecting all the inconsistent and inharmonious supporting elements resulting in disturbing architecture. Dickey implies that any discomforting vibe can, subconsciously, create the suspicion of a haunting presence.

Certain architectural styles can add to a home’s haunt-ability. The architectural style most often associated with haunted houses is Victorian. Typically, these homes are vertically proportioned and when combined with steep roofs, towers and turrets, create a feeling of foreboding and oppression from which it may feel difficult to escape. Those brave enough to enter may be greeted with high ceilings that add to the perception of vulnerability. Victorian homes were built on raised foundations with wood flooring that often creaks and moans throughout the house — was that sound from the living or the … “not” living?

Several movies, television shows and theme parks have featured spooky Victorian homes. Alfred Hitchcock turned a Victorian style home into the Bates Motel in the 1960 thriller Psycho. In Amityville Horror, the possessed residence becomes a character in the film with the semblance of a face to intimidate and reinforce its nefarious intentions. The Addams Family lived in a cobweb-ridden Victorian near a cemetery. Finally, the most visited Haunted Mansion in the world is at Disneyland, which takes you on a chilling journey through the frightful chambers of an old Southern Plantation House with some splashes of Colonial and Victorian detailing.

Another interesting component of “haunt” can be uncovered in the history of the place. If there has been a death in a house, not only must it be disclosed to any potential buyer, (at least in California, Alaska and South Dakota) but some believe it may also remain inhabited by spirits of the netherworld!

The Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures featured a group of fearless 30-something ghost hunters that enjoyed locking themselves in “known” haunted structures, overnight, in total darkness, armed only with an arsenal of highly sensitive recording devices to capture proof of supernatural activity. They believed that the materials of a structure absorbed the life energy of its occupants and released that residual energy long after they passed. Another reoccurring feature involved houses that had basements or some internal connection to the soil; in such cases, they believed that portals to the demonic world could be formed.

For those brave enough, we present some local southern California examples:

290 Wave Street, Laguna Beach
Built in the 1920s by the same carpenter / architect who later designed the UCLA Medical Center, Vernon Baker, this house has steep gables facing in several different directions with awkwardly located and shaped doors and windows – many of the shortcomings of which Dickey wrote about in his article.

16 Walden Drive, Beverly Hills
The Spadena House, also called The Witch’s House, has a precarious main gable that looks like a witch’s hat. It was designed by Harry Oliver, a Hollywood art director, and built in 1921. It was moved in 1934 to its current location.

5924 Springcrest Street, Eastvale
For a less intimidating Halloween destination, suitable for all ages, check out this “Nightmare Before Christmas” themed house. Located on a street corner with a large front yard, this house has plenty of space for this amazing installation. The owners also have a “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme which will be on display in 2017 – which alternates annually with Nightmare. They are always adding new pieces to the presentations so it’s worth the trip each year.

Photo Credit: Israel Pena

If you have any other suggestions for other Haunted Houses or great Halloween destinations, please reply below.

First image source: pixabay

Special thanks to Lindsay Hezmalhalch.