Creepy tales of haunted houses have captivated people for centuries. Few of those eerie abodes, however, have embedded themselves into popular culture quite like the Amityville horror house. This suburban Long Island home with the now-iconic quarter-circle windows makes regular appearances across various forms of media over 40 years after a brutal killing spree took place inside.
This article will provide a comprehensive history of the Amityville horror house, examine the legitimacy of the supposed haunting events, and analyze the extensive impact the home’s story has had on movies, books and the public imagination.
The Amityville Horror House
Even before the national headlines stemming from the Lutz family’s frightening experiences, locals whispered about the property in the small Long Island town of Amityville. The stately suburban home set alongside a picturesque canal contrasts with such a horrific tragedy.
Built originally in 1927, the 2.5-acre lot and Dutch Colonial architecture exude an idyllic, elevated neighborhood vibe. Features like a boathouse, finished basement level, and multiple fireplaces checked boxes for Ronald DeFeo Sr.’s upper middle class aspirations when purchasing it in 1965.
However, the shocking murder scene left by his eldest son inside the residence created an imprint darkening the home’s backdrop for good. After sitting empty for over a year with the slaying’s imprint fresh, one couple stepping inside in late 1975 would kickstart decades of spooky lore.
Amityville Horror House Features and Layout
- Waterfront property on Long Island’s South Shore
- Private boathouse and dock on adjoining canal
- Multiple fireplaces and bay windows
- Fully finished basement level
- Inground swimming pool
The exterior facade bears distinctive quarter circle, lunar-shaped windows on the upper floor commonly associated with the horror franchise iconography.
Below summarizes some of the key specs and amenities:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Stories | 3 |
| Bedrooms | 6 |
| Bathrooms | 3 full, 1 half |
| Square Footage | 3,869 |
| Lot Size | 2.5 acres |
| Pool | Inground |
| Basement | Finished |
| Fireplaces | 6 |
| Windows | Quarter-circle accent windows upstairs |
With creepy folklore now firmly part of the estate’s identity, the stately home’s original early 20th century architectural elements fuse with modern interiors and comforts. This blend of old and new, paired with the tranquil waterfront setting belying a brutal history, creates a unique contradiction that fuels the Amityville house’s horror mystique.
The DeFeo Family Murders
The origins of this infamously spooky residence trace back to Ronald DeFeo Sr. purchasing the 2.5-acre waterfront property in 1965. The Dutch Colonial house built there in 1927 would eventually host Ronald Jr. and his four siblings – Dawn, Allison, Marc and John Matthew. Known to his family and friends as Butch, Ronald Jr. clashed frequently with his abusive father as a troubled youth prone to substance abuse issues.
Tensions escalated on the fateful evening of November 13, 1974. Around 3:00 am, the 23-year-old Butch DeFeo Jr. took a .35 caliber Marlin rifle from a closet and commenced executing his entire family as they slept. He first shot his parents, before similarly murdering each of his siblings in rapid succession. Butch finished the massacre by changing into clean clothes and discarding evidence in a storm drain.
Several tense hours passed before he appeared at a local bar frequented by off-duty officers to report vaguely that his parents had been shot. Numerous shifting stories followed from the sole DeFeo family survivor, initially placing blame on a mob hitman before he ultimately confessed. A judge convicted Ronald Butch DeFeo Jr. on six counts of second-degree murder, sentencing him to 25 years to life in prison, with parole hearings still ongoing.
The Lutz Family’s “Haunting” Claims
Barely a year later after the DeFeo family tragedy, a new couple named George and Kathleen Lutz purchased the murder site estate for a drastically reduced rate of $80,000. The newlyweds moved into 112 Ocean Avenue alongside Kathy’s three children from a previous marriage – Daniel, Christopher and Melissa. Their initial 28-day stay would spawn dizzying paranormal tales that maintain intrigue and skepticism today.
The series of strange incidents allegedly started immediately, with a menacing voice demanding the family “get out” and grotesque visions appearing to the children. Further episodes grew more disturbing by the week – walls oozing slime, demonic pig apparitions, objects levitating and a mysterious hidden “red room” amongst the sightings. A malodorous black substance would materialize as the physical decrepitude of the Lutz parents intensified during their short stay.
An investigation from local researchers and a Roman Catholic priest concluded the home exhibited “psychic imprints” from its violent history. Just four weeks after moving in, the Lutzes abruptly fled the residence – abandoning all their possessions due to fears for their family’s well-being and safety.
In the decades since 1976, scrutiny mounted over George and Kathy Lutz sticking resolutely to their frightening experiences inside the suburban estate. Later commentary highlighted the couple’s financial motives tied to publicity rights for a book released the next year. Additionally, new inhabitants of the Amityville house over subsequent years never reported anything out of the ordinary.
Impact on Popular Culture
On September 13, 1977, the book The Amityville Horror: A True Story arrived on shelves authored by Jay Anson. While not entirely factual, this ghostwritten tome crafted a gripping paranormal narrative around the Lutz’s 28 infamous days in the home. It featured the DeFeo murders alongside the family’s nightmarish episodes with sinister forces, molding chilling fiction into the actual tragedy.
The runaway bestseller status of The Amityville Horror demonstrated a ravenous public appetite for the bizarre events. Just two years later, renowned director Stuart Rosenberg adapted the book into a tense 1979 film of the same name starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as the new homeowners plagued by their house’s dark history.
The movie iteration ignited a decades-spanning multimedia franchise encompassing over 20 sequels and multiple remakes. Ryan Reynolds starred in a 2005 reboot version, with the image of the original house’s quarter-circle windows becoming instantly recognizable pop culture icons.
Documentaries, books and websites dedicated to the Amityville horror house persist today. While paranormal experts debate the home’s actual level of haunting compared to folklore, its ability to continually terrify audiences stands unquestioned.
Aftermath and Controversy
Inconsistencies plagued the Lutzes following their abrupt departure in 1976. Their subsequent book and television interviews saw details change regarding timelines, specific paranormal encounters, and the physical effects suffered. This flux of crucial facts fueled skeptics who dismissed the haunting claims as a financial ploy.
Lawsuits from William Weber, the defense lawyer for Butch DeFeo in the murder trial, further complicated matters. His own book proposal on supernatural causes influencing DeFeo during his crimes preceded the Lutzes’ story. Lengthy legal disputes over profits from the film and book rights ensued between Weber and the couple.
The truth behind the horrors faced in their 28-day stay remains elusive across these conflicting accounts. However, the sequelae of controversy and commercialization cemented the haunting notoriety.
Subsequent Owners and Renovations
In the years after the Lutzes fled in 1976, ownership changed hands on several occasions. The infamous address got changed in the 1980s to deter hoards of outside curiosity seekers. There have been renovations to modernize amenities along with various repairs from wear plus weather damage sustained by the nearly 100-year-old home.
Most recently in 2017, the 3,869 square foot Amityville horror house sold again for $605,000 – over eight times the initial discounted purchase value paid after the DeFeo murders. The waterfront property’s spike in market value over the past decade supersedes typical increases. This likely results partially from an upturn in home prices on Long Island’s South Shore, paired with enduring public interest due to its unique history.
Tourism and Commercialization
While public access to the Amityville house itself has been strictly controlled over the years, its imprint on the town remains. Tour companies operate frequent group trips explaining the hauntings lore across significant sites related to both the DeFeo tragedy and the Lutz experiences.
Visitors can check out the former DeFeo family home, boathouse murder scene, and investigate the surrounding village areas linked to ghostly sightings. The Amityville Historical Society leans into the paranormal history, housing exhibits with artifacts evoking the continued lore.
Beyond tourism, the evil image gets merchandised widely to this day. Collectors can purchase Amityville horror house Lego sets, miniatures, puzzles, and a litany of memorabilia items referencing the iconic quarter circle windows. The brand holds valuable recognition still exploited broadly in the consumer marketplace.
Conclusion
The astral legacy of 112 Ocean Avenue indeed lives on, immune to house flippers or address alterations. While direct ties to malicious entities remain debatable, the confirmed tragedy that claimed six lives ghosts the Amityville horror house decades on. The home’s cinematic franchise, celebrity owners, and extensive pop culture symbolism continue nourishing its myths.
This single suburban estate encompasses so much of the public’s fascination – true crime, horror storytelling, psychology and the supernatural. As generations pass along its tale like tradition, the infamy of the Amityville house remains imprinted into history’s darker corners. The iconic facade may change with time, but its ability to unsettle never will.
Unanswered Questions
Some elements of the Amityville horror house legacy resist definitive conclusions, fueling enduring conjecture:
- Neighbors reported no signs of trouble leading up to the night Ronald DeFeo Jr. erased his entire family. What sparked this previously ordinary young man’s murderous breakdown?
- Forensic evidence from the night remains puzzling. Neighbors claimed not to have heard gunshots, and the positioning of the bodies doesn’t fully support DeFeo’s shifting stories.
- Could apparent changes to the Lutz’s health and wellbeing during their stay have any factual root causes? Or does their experience live on mostly as fiction?
As the 1970s tragedy and its shocking aftermath drift deeper into the past, separating truth from embellishment only grows more difficult. For now, the lurking unknowns both in the DeFeo crime scene and paranormal sightings thereafter continue fueling the undying intrigue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Amityville horror house still standing?
Yes, the original structure built in 1927 remains a private residence to this day after multiple ownership changes since the 1970s. The address got changed to deter trespassers and sightseers, but tours still operate around the village of Amityville on Long Island.
Did anyone report strange activity before the DeFeos?
By most accounts, no anomalies occurred prior to November 1974. The family led an unremarkable suburban life with the children attending local schools. While Ronald DeFeo Jr. faced some minor brushes with the law as a youth, outwardly nothing seemed amiss.
What motives did Butch DeFeo Jr. have for the killings?
No definitive motives ever emerged explaining why DeFeo methodically executed his parents and four siblings in the dead of night. Speculation ranges from a heroin deal gone wrong to fears his authoritarian father discovered his petty theft from the family buisness. But ultimately the massacre remains shrouded in mystery.
Where are the Lutzes now? Do they stand by their story?
George and Kathy Lutz split up in the late 1980s, as George died in 2006 and Kathy passed on in 2004 after years out of public sight. In later years they maintained distance from the franchise success. While some recounting details varied over the years, they never made a grand statement disavowing their original claims.
Could the house be legitimately haunted?
Paranormal experts and psychic researchers remain divided with some making evidence-based arguments for supernatural phenomena. However, the commercial success around the horror franchise and sensational way the story spread breeds understandable skepticism from critics as well. The truth rests in a nebulous grey area.
