Westfield leans into Addams legacy

Westfield, New Jersey, sits about 25 miles southwest of Manhattan. The town is known for its affluent neighborhoods and well-manicured lawns, but this October, the community embraces a darker side.

Cartoonist Charles Addams lived in Westfield and created the Addams Family characters. He drew inspiration from the local Victorian homes and the historic cemetery near his childhood home. The town now hosts AddamsFest, a monthlong celebration of the creator’s legacy. The festival is in its ninth year.

Downtown storefront windows feature seasonal art depicting Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, and Pugsley. The events include an art exhibit, a music and beer festival, a masquerade ball, and a competition for the spookiest front lawn display. Resident Kelly Heuschkel said, "Everyone really gets into it." She noted that many residents decorate more for Halloween than for Christmas. Her daughter will dress as Wednesday Addams this year.

Joy Fox, a visitor from Cleveland, Ohio, was surprised by the town’s aesthetic. She said, "It looks like a very nice suburb." Fox grew up watching the Addams Family shows. Dawn Mackey, a former town councilor and co-founder of AddamsFest, recalled a moment that validated the festival’s popularity. A visiting family listed Westfield alongside Salem, Massachusetts, and Sleepy Hollow, New York, as their Halloween itinerary stops. Mackey said, "I felt like that was the moment."

The festival launched in 2018. Mackey described the timing as serendipity, as it preceded the release of the 2019 Addams Family movie and its 2021 sequel. The Netflix series Wednesday has also introduced new fans to the characters. Before the festival, many locals were unaware that Addams was a native of Westfield. Mackey admitted that some initial skepticism existed when organizers proposed leaning into the local lore.

Visitors can explore a self-guided heritage trail that marks landmarks influencing Addams’ work. A historic marker on his colonial-style childhood home notes that his grandmother lived in the attic. She is believed to be the inspiration for Grandmama Addams. A nearby Victorian house helped inspire the family’s fictional gothic mansion. A miniature model of that mansion sits in a pond in the town center. An old cemetery next to a white steeple church contains tombstones dating to colonial times. Officials say a young Addams frequented the site.

A historic movie theater hosts an art exhibit. The display features works on loan from the Addams family foundation and pieces by local artists. A preserved section of a barn wall displays a life-size skeleton drawing made by a young Addams. Mackey explained that the rest of the barn was covered in graffiti, but this specific piece remained untouched. She said, "It was as if decade after decade, teenagers who hung out in this barn still had a reverence, even though they didn’t know who drew this."

Addams worked for The New Yorker magazine for most of his career. The magazine published his first Addams Family cartoon in 1938. He died in New York in 1988 at age 76. Mackey said Addams was ahead of his time by drawing strong female leads and quirky families. At the exhibit, one piece shows Wednesday and Pugsley lighting a fire to torch Santa Claus as he descends the chimney. Mackey said, "Every wholesome town has secrets and a dark side. I think he saw that."