Spookiest House in Hackettstown
You can't get there by driveway anymore... for one the road's a little hairy and two it's illegal. But if you ever have some time to kill and want about a 3 & 1/2 mile overall hike, head to the trail on Harvey Street and just start walking. The trail breaks up at a dirt-road cul de sac just after a wooden bridge and if you follow it for almost another mile you come to house that I swear has something up with it. Although it's boarded up, and is probably only looked after by police and rangers, if you stand there long enough looking at it, you'll be walking back to your car a little faster than you came. Go check it out... along with the trail and the streams, it's a very nice hike to boot.
Blocky Sounds intriguing.
Nice hikes are always good. Having something to hike to makes them even better!
jjmonth4 
maja 
Steve-0 Blocky you just made the hair on my arms stand up. I think you have something there. Call in the ghost hunters.
midnightgardener1 
deadhead Blocky is this the trail that leads to the tunnel on Grand? Several years ago my 26 yr. old son went hiking there late at night...He said that there was a lot of deer and water..But it was not safe if there had been a lot of rain bc of the mud...he also said that there was strange fur stuck to the lower brush, and at night there were really creepy sounds...He does not scare easily, but it felt like there was a presence of something eerie...And that it continually felt like something was following him..
reedfamily Howdy Reedfamily...
That's exactly the place! I was just laying on the couch and my wife read me your post... I don't get up for much... especially at 10:50 pm but your son described the exact vibe of the area. My dad and I were running the trail over the summer, and we would always turn around at the house. A few times I let my dad run ahead while I just stood there staring at the house. It was like one of those moments where all the sounds of nature converge on you at once. Needless to say, I ran away every time feeling like I wanted to jump under a blanket and hide. Creepy place, nothin' else you can say about it. We should ask the town if a bunch of us could stay there for the night...
with the directions given ...i guess you are walking on the old Morris Canal towpath...west from Harvey st...that route would roughly parallel...Roosevelt ave...never heard of anything spooky out there...spent much time hunting...camping and partying out there...never saw any spooky house...never ever scared by anything out there...
oldman Now I'm intrigued!! Anyone want to join me for a hike there today? Daytime hours (I suppose you'd have to be not working...).
Rebecka 
Chris Doesn't have to be a photo walk, although I usually do take my camera everywhere!
Does this mean you'll come?? ;-)
I would like to go for a photo talk today. Not sure about this though.
I think I found the morris canal trail, but with no vegetation it looks like you are walking through back yards.
Oldman: Could that be the old house the college bought and left abandoned that was supposed to be used for dorms? Off Roosevelt ? That might still be in that area. I think a elderly couple used to live in that house.
joyful 
Nosila If anyone wants around 2 or 3 pm today I can and show you this place... It's pretty far back there if you don't take the abandoned driveway. Oldman I partied on that mountain for years and never ran into this place. There was an old house back there that had the words, "Dead Milkmen" and other punk and crazy messages spray painted all over it... but they tore that down years ago. This one I've never seen until my pops and I started running. If anyone is up for a flat leisurely hike later today let me know. I'm kind of curious to prove to myself if this place really is a little off...
3pm, you're on, Blocky. Where do we meet - the end of Harvey Street? Looks like a dead end - maybe there's parking somewhere around there?
Sorry you can't make it, Nosila. Another time, definitely!
Chris?? You in? Blocky will lead the way...
Anyone bringing a dog? I'd like to bring my camera...
Kate S. Rebeka, you're on... I'll bring my hounds and if the spouse ain't doing anything she might roll as well... she's never walked that far back and seen the house. I'll see ya at the end of Harvey Street by the big sign and placard... you can't miss it. If anything else it will be a very nice hike and I'm sure you'll get some great shots!
c ya there
Definitely bears up there. Be careful..Also be sure that that land is not now posted "No trespassing".
Oh, how I wish I wasn't working today! I promised PC a walk and this would have been perfect! Enjoy!
Lori...since '73 
Tracy 
mjb Post pictures! Wish I could go. Reminds me of my Weird NJ days of exploring abandoned houses and such including the "Jersey Devil's Cabin" off Shades of Death Road. Or say Mary's Tower?
ComputerSharp 
Here's the trail. I had no idea there was a marked trail here.
There isn't really any parking in the area. They could have flattened out the area right before the path to allow 2 or 3 cars to fit.
Oh, I think I feel a 'hike' coming on for this weekend! We all got new boots, so maybe I'll get to break mine in!
a friend of mines grandmother used to live out that road a long time ago. i have to ask my husband, but the name binky buel also comes to mind as someone who used to live out there to .............
nonny 
darluggh Chris are you coming? Just wondering if we should wait for you or not in case we get there first...
That's it. Based off the description, it would be a lot easier to get there via Buck Hill Rd.
LOL@Rebecka!
Actually, I meant DH, DS, and I, but I can picture PC wearing a pair, haha
I looked at the clock and it said 3:30, so I'm guessing you had left.
I went to Buck Hill Rd and ended up finding this. I didn't bring proper shoes to get past this. It actually was a stream underneath the road, so on both sides it was even worse.
I did look up, but couldn't see an obvious paths, unless it was all the way up at the end. I thought the path would have been closer to the tracks, which were right behind.
Rebecka, you were a blast! The wife and I and of course the doggies had a great time! That was well worth the trip. The house along with the surrounding grounds were certainly interesting. I can't wait to find the next dilapidated house in the middle of the woods and do it again! Take care...
the house is at the end of buck hill rd , it used to belong to the cuff's. i know the state bought most of the land around it but not sure if they bought the property the house sits on
big mike Going out DEER PARK ROAD as you go towards Panther Valley, leaving town is a really cool old abandoned house! The park ranger said it was lived in up until around 10 years ago but it definitely looks spooky!
Also out behind Pub517 is another house.
Both seem "Spooky" and both require a little bit of hiking to get to. A great way to spend a beautiful day if you ask me...
CARNi Blocky - that was so much fun! So glad we had this spur-of-the-moment fun little hike. I'll send you a private link with pics of your dogs, and I'll also post pics of the abandoned house on this thread... sometime later tonight or tomorrow - must make dinner for the zoo now.
It's a beautiful, easy hike for anyone who is interested - just park at the top of Harvey Street, off to the left near the Morris Canal sign, and follow the Canal in.
Thanks Rebecka and Blocky! I too will investigate this the next time we have a nice day! :)
I look forward to seeing your pictures Rebecka...
I'm always so glad to find out I'm not the only one fascinated with abandoned houses.
The one behind Enzo's Pasta Grill gives me the creeps. I always park in the lower lot so I can walk by it. (Watch, someone's going to post and say they live there and I'm going to feel very embarrassed).
I was also very creeped out by the one that was behind the old monument place on the corner of Bell's Lane and Washington Street, by the Quick Chek. I didn't even know it was there until they cleared all that out, right before they tore it down.
Aquarius"Also out behind Pub517 is another house. "
This one, in Allamuchy North can be best reached from the Tranquility lot - walk the road on the left and head up the hill, you'll see it especially with no vegetation out. The neurotic yet perfectly written phrases covering nearly EVERY surface make this the creepiest in the area, by far.
Jams thats the road to Cuffs house...he used to ride his motorcycle on the canal towpath...nothing scary there... Binky Buells house was torn down years ago...the elderly couple who lived at the end of Roosevelt ave were the Palmers...at one time uphill from that house was a small pond and a small barn...i might take a ride out there later this week
Sometimes it is the most ordinary home that might creep me out.....just like this local (said to be haunted.....and after the other nights investigation I tend to agree) home.
John C 
Another local "things that go bump in the night" hot spot, last years destination for Hackettstown Lifers at a deserted Army Base.
Pic of the house attached and more to follow.
Oldman - yes, when we were there, there was a couple who knew someone who knew the family who lived in the house. It was the CUFF family, they said. Anyone know until what year the Cuffs lived in the house, or why there is a "Crime Scene" yellow tape on a tree there, or when the fire in the garage happened - the story behind the fire?
I did indeed get a weird feeling at the place when visiting. Sort of like, someone or something didn't want us to be there. I'm not that scared of this kind of thing, but it was just a strange feeling. I was glad that 1) it was a nice sunny day; 2) I wasn't alone, but was with a lovely young couple; 3) they had big dogs! :-)
If it had been a cloudy / dark day, and I was alone, I probably would have high-tailed it out of there!
Here is the garage that burned down.
I do believe the property belongs to the State now - probably bought as part of the Morris Canal project, right?
Here is what must have been a chicken coop.
One interesting thing was that the pretty spring flowers were popping up, and they created a strange juxtaposition to the dilapidated, graffiti-ridden buildings.
The back of the house is covered in graffiti. The light was falling on the house just right, that I had an idea... and took a pic of one of the dogs in front of the red graffiti - a backdrop which adds a lot of interest to his portrait, imho.
This is the house at the end of Buck Hill Rd, which is the dirt road by the underpass on Grand Ave.
Looks like the garage burned down recently, which explains the caution tape.
I remember going up there once when I was younger about 10 years ago with some friends on our bikes. There was definitely a family living there at the time because we were told to beat it in a not so nice way. I always thought Buck Hill Road was a private driveway before they put the actual road sign up.
There were some pretty nice trails in those Grand Ave. woods - other than by the power lines and of course the canal trail - not sure how much of them are left now. Also as soon as you go under the Buck Hill train track bridge and take the immediate trail on the right (not sure if it is there anymore) there is a plethora of garbage including a 60s Ford or Chevy truck.
Gianni Chris - that's the place. How do you copy a satellite image like that? I didn't think you could in google earth or bing maps...?
Was added to Vista and is in Windows 7. Lets you take a screen shot of the whole screen, a window or an area of your choosing.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Use-Snipping-Tool-to-capture-screen-shots
THE MAN Bing Maps, Bird's eye view.
http://www.bing.com/maps/
Click on Road and select Bird's eye
Driving up the drive way is legal just as long as you stay on the actual driveway and do not go on the Morris Canal (the trail from Harvey street). you are not allowed to drive onto the Morris Canal or go onto the property of the house.
Nice pics, Rebecka. Did you happen to bring a can of spray paint and tag the house "HL wuz here"? LOL
Seriously though, it seems like a cool place to check out. Along with the other places mentioned. Creepy, but cool!
SueR I Drove up there in my truck and ran into 2 guys and they didn't have a problem driving up there i do not know if they were from the state or the Cuffs but they were putting up new No Trespassing signs. Just don't go past the 2 posts at the top of the hill and your fine.
woww very very sad day for us. The house that most of you are talking about on buck hill road belongs to my family. The Cuff's. It was my grandparents house, and the childhood home of my dad. In feb. Someone set the garage in fire, and if that wasn't bad enough, sunday night the house was set in fire. The house was empty, but not abandoned like so many of you thought. My dad was there on a regular basis, just to endore the disrespect of those who vandalized the property.
cheryl71 So sorry to hear this cheryl71. It looks like it was a beautiful home in its day. So much history and many memories, I'm sure. Such a shame for your family.
Clawdia I live nearby, and my whole house vibrated from a blast two times right before the fire started. The blasts were a few seconds apart. I thought it was a car backfiring. So sorry about the loss of the house! Now that I know what it was making the sound, it certainly seems suspicious.
Cheryl, I am sorry about your family's house. It really pi$$es me off when people can't respect what does not belong to them. The graffiti was bad enough but to burn the place . . . there are just no words. I am very sorry this happened to your family.
Aquarius Cheryl Sorry to hear about what the a-holes did to your grandparents beloved home. Its a shame people have bo respect for private property and the pass history.
Marc I thought the graffiti was disgusting when Rebecka posted those pictures. Have people nothing better to do than vandalize something for the sake of fun and games? I do hope they find out who did this as well.
Sorry for your family's loss, Cheryl.
Cheryl71, do you have any pictures of the house in it's day that you could post on this forum?
I think we would all love seeing it when it was a well cared for family home.
lucky we will be going through pics, and as soon as i find one or a few, i will post them. Thank you to all who have expressed their sympothy...but i will ask, that even though the tape has been removed, please don't go on the property, the cops are still investigating, and chasing those who don't belong there away,.
Sorry to hear about your family's loss. It's such a shame and now it's gone. Please do post the pictures. I find the local history fascinating.
after much searching i have finally found some pic's of the house is its untouch state... I will try to scan them after work tomorrow and post them.thank you everyone for your thoughts and support, and interest in our property.
Cheryl71, if you or your family needs anything please don't hesitate to ask via this forum, or me personally. I'm saddened for you, and your family. My thoughts are with you.
Snoopy Cheryl71...i am sorry for your families loss... {if it helps any} my son was one of the firefighters who responded to that fire...my family once owned a nice piece of property...near Hackettstown...but vandalism...trespassers...and illegal dumpers...got us fed up and we sold the property...I used to hunt and camp in that area for many years...one of your family members used to ride a motorcycle on the old canal towpath...and he always stopped by to say hello...when we were out that way...sorry to see things have changed for the worse...
oldman, thank you. And thank your son for all he does as a firefighter. We've suffered through 6 years of vandlism, and it was so hard knowing what it was doing to my dad. The person your referring to with the motorcycle as far as we can figure was my uncle. He also passed a few years ago. I'm thankful they kept the whole mountain from going and as i understand from the police chief, it had started to go. I will be posting pics hopefully tonight, both before the fire, and after. Thanks so much to all of you in this forum... I do have to say, i still think its funny that everyone thought this house was spooky, cause it was always the most peaceful place i knew.
It's a shame it had to take a fire for us to find out more about the history of this house, and how life used to be in Hackettstown! We are all here to support you Cheryl. Its a great loss to the history of this town. Watch after your dad that is what is important right now everything else is replaceable.
cheryl71. I like to mountain bike up Buck hill road and ride down the Morris canal to Harvey street. will i get in trouble? also I think I may have met your grandfather up there sometime last summer.
cheryl71...check this out...this picture is from 1903...it was taken from near your families house on the Morris Canal...note the Hackettstown Iron Mill in the foreground ...and the dome of Centenary College in the background...does the view look familiar
Oldman... I love the pic!! thanks for posting it.. yes the view looks familiar, however my memories include ALOT more trees..LOL.. I had things come up last night so I was not able to scan my pics to post, I'm gonna try for tonight...oh... and on the other link... thats for the history lesson... I did know that the Allamuchy history revolved around indians, but I did not know about the burial of the chief there, that was similiar to the one on our mt. Well off to work... thanks again. the pic is awsome, can't wait to have my dad look at it.
unbelievable!!!! My dad and my sister went to the "house" tonight, and someone is still vandelizing... Burning down the garage and the house wasn't enough??? Someone through a brick the the window on the brooder coop. And my sister kick to young guys off the property, the we're sitting in their truck looking at the chicken coop, talking..is that the next building to be burned?? They told my sister she mean for making them leave, she asked them if they knew they were on private property, they said no... Guess they don't know how to read the words no trespassing...ugh!!! Wonder what or who i'm gonna find tomorrow when i go up there... All i know is if i find someone, they may not like me either... I've got a lot of anger building...sorry for venting... But you guys have alk been supporting...and i'm hoping that you guys get as mad as i do... Pictures are coming.. I promise.. Having issues with the scanner.., but i'll get it worked out.
This is ridiculous...............I would be calling the local PD and maybe they can keep an eye out. So sorry for you Cheryl.
Christine Hey Cheryl I would have your sister give a discription of the two young guys to the police.
earnhardt 
If I did this right... here's a pic of the front of the house from many years ago... I'd say sometime in the 1940's
Cheryl71
So sorry for the loss of your property - it's unacceptable that someone could think of burning another person's property - not to mention, spray paint all over a house.
Hunters use cameras that are installed high in trees to see what animals are passing by their areas - just a suggestion to maybe get one of these outdoor, weatherproof, motion activated cameras and have it installed high in a tree and it will snap a photo when it senses motion - You probably would be surprised to see who is hanging out there and if your property is posted with No Trespassing signs, use the photos to bring the people who are violating the trespassing laws to the eyes of the Police - My friend set a camera up in his yard and got great pictures of deer and other critters passing through - a few problems: the cameras click when a picture is snapped and at night, the flash is activated so the person would know a picture was being taken, not to mention once they notice the camera, it could be vandalized or stolen. Just thinking of somehow giving you and your family a little peace of mind.
JennyMc jennymc..thank you.. We have thought about camera's, but have thought.once its spotted its gone. And unfortunely, if we're to set boobie trap..it would come back to bite is in the@ss. My brother is military..and when all this started, he wanted to set a trap... It wouldn't have killed anyone... Put they sure wouldn't have been happy, but we didn't do it in fear of a law suit. This is the type of things that make me hate people..
ok i was just checking out the huge fire thread, someone has posted that it was an 11th grader and 8th grader that started the fire...i'm not sure how accurate this information, because its more info than my dad has received from the cops..waiting to find out... But as soon as i can get information confirmed.. I will let everyone know... Thank you everyone for your support.
Wow cheryl71, that series of pictures like totally broke my heart. Like especially the one with your grandfather and then directly after it, the fire.
Funny thing about the picture with your grandfather and you said, the man who built it, you cant really say that about a man and a house anymore these days. These days if a man knows how to even use a hammer he's one step ahead of most. LOL
SeeintheReality I absolutely LOVE the pic of your grandfather in front of the house. You can see the look of sheer pride all over his face! I am so saddened by the events that have led to the end of his dream house.
Thank you for sharing these pics with us. I hope the law prosecutes the arsonists to the full extent.
lola Cheryl71. Showed my DH pic of your grandfather and he said he remembered him well. In fact, my DH was born and raised in the Hackettstown area. We also are saddened by the unnecessary loss of your property. Especially when it was posted and patrolled and had no trespassing signs and people still went there. This was a terrible tragedy.
Cheryl71, my grandfather built his first house too. He started before WWII and then finished it when the war was over. I have a great picture of him in front it as well. He's looking at it like he was remembering all the time, blood and sweat that went into it. But most of all there was pride. They were special men back then!
@joyful..your post made me smile... my grandfather and my dad were both born and raised in hackettstown. I grew up close enough.. in Mansfield. The first seven years of my life were Allamuchy, so still close enough, new most things that happened in my time there. Not as up on the htown things now, as I don't like there anymore...but still close enough to drive though, which I did today, I went to the property and it was very sad... but yet peaceful to be up there.
@h'town driver.... yes they were special men back then, and my dad inherited those traits too. My grandfather finished building the house, his dad had started it, but passed before it was finished.
I'm praying everyday that they catch all involved and that each and every one that was involved is punished to the fullest.
went up to see the remains from the fire last night. Was increditably sad. But as sad as it was, it was still nice to just enjoy the peacefulness of the mountain. My sister and i told my son about different things we did there in out childhood. And there we're no trespassers while we we're there.
cheryl71: I'm so sorry for your family's loss. People can trash our stuff but they can't trash our memories.
cbel cheryl- Just curious and sorry if I missed it how come an adorable house like this remained vacant?
Nosila.. it wasn't by choice, since my grandmother passed, we have been in a long drawn out legal issue. Which has been keeping us from doing anything. Its been a very long 7 years, and the last five have been the worst since all the vandalism started. Thanks for asking.
Thank God, Independence Township police say they've charged two juveniles with third-degree arson in a fire that destroyed a vacant house earlier this month. At least Cheryl71 you have some justice!
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2011/05/independence_township_police_c_1.html
Cheryl- I was just curious since the house seemed to have so much character.
I'm glad they were able to charge to people with the fire. Their parents must be proud
@Marc.. not justice yet, but definitely a step in the right direction. I'm very very thankful that Independence PD worked so hard and found these kids.
@Nosila... my thoughts exactly!
and to everyone on this forum... thank you to all of you from my family for the support that you have provided us during this hard time. I can't express how much it means to know that you were all angered by this event like we were.
Also a huge thank you to all the fire departments, for doing such an awesome job. If it weren't for them the whole out come could have been so much worse. So again thank you!!
Now we wait to see what happens, just hope it happens quickly.
if you go under the huge fire thread, you will see a link to the newspaper article about the girl who set the fire. Check it out.
@blocky... I just want to thank you for starting this thread, i'll admit, at first, i'd made me angry... Until i actually read everything everyone wrote. But, one of the things i couldn't say before is it was this thread that lead to the arrest of those kids.... And for that, and the wonderful support of everyone on here,THANK YOU!!!
Out of town in Independance on cemetary road was a big erie house that over looked the train station
Caged Animal Cheryl - how in the world did this thread help to lead to the arrest of the kids?????
That is amazing.
look at the post from May 8th.... "all gone now, up in flames" ... and the one right below it...that was them. :( stupid kids.
caged animal...the house you speak of was owned by Stewart Johnson...it sat behind the train station...the Caeser family later owned the house when it burned down from a chimney fire...it was a huge yellow Victorian house...pictures of that house are still around
i missed all of this but im sorry for your family cheryl, from the original pictures the house was very beautiful! :(
icicle icicle.... Thanks for your kind words... Its still hard to believe its gone... And even though the girl has been charge, it doesn't take the sting away.. Waiting to see what happens to the other one.
Also, still working on how we're gonna get it all cleaned up... So many nj laws we have to follow for cleanup, and the estimate we got to have an outside company do it, and the amount is over $20k.
Verysure I have been walking the trail for years. I took a trip yesterday for the nostagia and couldn't believe what I saw, the old farmhouse had burned down. My immediate thought was lightning, then I remembered the punks that run around this town, and figured they had something to do with it. I searched the internet for "hackettstown arson" and lo and behold, found this story. Extremely disheartening situation this is, that home was a piece of history. In fact I clearly remember exploring there with a friend and being attacked by honeybees, we made a hasty retreat back towards the canal route. Going back there and seeing it burnt down was very overwhelming. I would like to give those teens who burned it down a piece of my mind...
Joshua Porphy So I was just informed that the 2nd juvenile was sentenced yesterday. I don't have all the details yet, and it hasn't hit the paper yet. Only thing I know for sure is that he was sentenced to 1 year in Jamesburg, with credit for 120 days already spent in Jail. Thats all I know at this time, will post more when i know more.
Thanks again everyone who has supported my family during this terrible time. Hackettstownlife is awesome!!
I know it doesn't bring your family house back, but I am glad that some measure of justice was served. I still can't believe what those kids did. It is such a shame.
Thanks aquarius.. I'm glad they were punished, but it just doesn't seem like it was severe enough. Yes we lost our families house, but if conditions had of been different, so many other families could have been at risk. Considering that there is a developement on the other side of the mountain. Its just so sad.
Cheryl - it is so sad. An unnecessary loss for you and your family.
I will see if I still have the files of the pics I took of your family's home during our walk, probably the last pics of it taken, and will post them on my website (via a private link for just you/your family).
Rebecka, Thanks so much, that would mean a lot to my dad. Its held so much of the pain in, and he still goes up there to check on the 2 remaining building, and people are still going up and vandelizing, and then there are those that are going through the rumble of the house, and taking whatever they can that they can make a quick buck... The digging around the rubble part, i try to look at the possible side, ya know that they are helping with the cleanup, but you know its not that at all, and its still makes us very angry.
But I am so glad, that the newspaper printed both names of these kids. Now everyone knows who they are!! We weren't allowed to tell anyone their names, so it amazes me that the paper printed them.
Check the Warren county prosecutor website. The names are published there. You need to open the document.
the spookiest house is the one that has no pepsi and brownies when a woman is pmsing..just saying very scary stuff
luvjaz Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the fire that destroyed this house. Its still very painful to think about. I still wish I could go and see the house again.
The second kid was released from jail a few months ago. That is like salt in an opened wound. At least they couldn't /can't take away my memories.
Cannot believe it is a year since that happened...cheryl71...I hope soon you will have some closure. As in most things in our lives we have our memories and Thank God for that!!
Sorry for your loss Cheryl...the house I grew up in (in Htown) caught fire back in 1994 so I know first hand how tough it is. Memories can never be taken away =-)
EG1982 Cheryl,
I am a lover of old and abandoned houses...my friend once told me about your family house and I wanted to go hike along the canal path to look at it but before I could, the arson took place. So sad. If I can ask, why was the house unoccupied? As I understand it, the property is still owned by your family, right? The house looked to be in fairly good repair aside from the graffiti. Every time we lose an old house to neglect, arson, or the wrecking ball we just lose a part of our collective history.
BTW, love the picture of your grandfather. A proud looking man.
eperot eperot.. there were legal issues with the house. too many hands in the pot..if you know what i mean. We have sold have the property back to the state, and hopefully soon the other half will also be purchased by the state. The land is all protected so it cannot be built on again, so if there is at least a bright side, there wont be another housing development. As I understand it, they are supposed to make walking trails and such up there when the sale is complete. we'll see..I hope they do, I know I'll go up there to go walking on them.
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