From The Watcher to The Amityville Horror: Seven real homes which inspired Halloween classics

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Here, we look at seven homes still standing that caught the attention of screenwriters for their histories, mysteries and straight-up scariness, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR HOUSE open image in gallery This Dutch Colonial on Ocean Avenue in Amityville on Long Island’s south shore has sparked countless books, movies and TV shows Around 3am on November 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ron DeFeo Jr walked with a rifle through his home in Amityville, a coastal village on Long Island. “Artifacts from the murder case are displayed while memorabilia from the era line shelves and mantel tops.” THE SNEDEKER HOUSE open image in gallery The Perron family experienced terrorising indicents while living in this Southington, Connecticut home When the Snedeker family moved into their new home in Southington, Connecticut in 1986, things began to go awry on the very first night, they say. THE WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE open image in gallery The Winchester Mystery House, in San Jose, California, garnered urban legends as widow heiress Sarah Winchester oversaw decades of unusual construction An eccentric, grieving, rich widow oversaw the construction of a labyrinthine home in California which stands as one of America’s most unusual houses. THE WINEVLLE CHICKEN COOP MURDER HOUSE open image in gallery This home in Mira Loma, which used to be called Wineville, was on the Northcott ranch, where a farmer, his mother and nephew murdered several young boys The atrocities that happened on a ranch outside of Los Angeles wouldn’t need a film to expose their horror.