WESTFIELD, N.J. (PIX11) – On Elm Street in Westfield sits a house you may think is mysterious and spooky, like a certain family you’ve seen on screen.
Erica, who lives in Indiana, came to Westfield with her family from the Philadelphia area to see what many call “The Addams Family house.”
“I just love it because I’ve loved it since I was like 8. I was in second grade when I discovered it,” said Erica. “It’s just always been part of my dichotomy, I guess.”
Town leaders said it’s no mystery why people “pay a call on” the house from all over the Northeast.
“I am standing in front of what we believe to be one of the inspiration houses for the original ‘Addams Family’ cartoons that first appeared in New Yorker magazine,” said Westfield Councilwoman Dawn Mackey.
Charles Addams was born and raised in Westfield, passing the house daily on the way to school. He took inspiration from its 19th-century design, along with the headstones from the Presbyterian cemetery just down the block.
“The architecture and the gravestones are very interesting,” said Mackey. “And you’ll see them reflected in Addams’ art.”
The town has leaned into the history, with an annual event paying tribute to the late cartoonist. Mackey is the chair of a monthlong event called Addamsfest.
“In 2018, we decided to really celebrate the fact that we had such a beloved, famous cartoonist from our hometown,” said Mackey. “We created Addamsfest, which is a collection of events that happen all throughout the month of October.”
But leaders hope you’ll find there’s more to the town than the creepy and the kooky.
