22-03-2025
North Jersey historic 'haunted house' last sold in 1990 listed for $649,990
There's often that one home in a town that residents can't help but be in awe of, either because of its unique architecture or just curiosity about its history. In the Passaic County suburb of Hawthorne, that home is 400 Goffle Hill Road.
Listed for $649,990 on March 14, the property hit the market for the first time since it was last sold in 1990. And despite being in need of some major TLC, the home is now under contract within less than a week of being listed for sale.
"My phone has not stopped ringing since I listed this. It's not even just realtors and buyers and investors. It's also folks that are just in the neighborhood that have been looking at this as kind of the quintessential 'haunted house' for a decade, and wanting to know what was going to happen with it," said listing agent Alex Houser of Keller Williams Prosperity Realty.
Sitting on a 0.67-acre lot in the Heights section of Hawthorne, 400 Goffle Hill Road dates back to 1889. The historic property has fallen into disrepair due to the circumstances of its previous owners, but Houser said he believes it's going to be given a second chance at life.
Referring to it as a "diamond in the rough," Houser said the property's structure and interior do require some work from its next owner. But he does believe it can be restored, rather than torn down, to preserve all of the architectural and historic details that remain throughout the home.
"It's a very interesting property because it's been left to the ages of time just to rot and sit there. There's water damage in the roof that's gone on over the years. There was a hole in the living room floor. There's just a lot of old artifacts and antiques that have just kind of been left," he said. "And yet, despite all of that, when you look underneath all the dust and everything else that's in there, there's just this gem that's waiting to be restored. And it has so much charm."
Overall, the property is considered to be a Colonial-style manor that is broken up into four distinct wings on the main level, which was common for the time it was built. This includes one each to the left and right when you enter the home, as well as one that consists of the kitchen and one that consists of a sitting room toward the back of the home, Houser said.
With about 5,300 square feet of living space, the home boasts five bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms — though Houser said that's been hard to confirm given the state of the home — as well as a full walkout office at street level and a double garage.
As for its unique architectural details, there's multiple original stone fireplaces, thick hand-hewn wood beams that run across the home's vaulted ceilings and its original stone foundation, among other things.
"You can see the craftsmanship throughout this property," Houser said. "We just don't see homes like this anymore. And for sure Hawthorne has nothing like this anywhere else in town."
When going through the offers — and they received quite a few — Houser said they made it a priority to find someone that would cherish the property for what it is and work to restore it to its fullest potential, rather than turning it into just another modern home in North Jersey.
"I think somebody with the right vision could come in and rebuild it to spec toward the historical charm that it has. You'll see this diamond in the rough just become a modern-age gem that I think a lot of people would highly desire," he said. "It's certainly unique. There's nothing else like it."
Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@
This article originally appeared on North Jersey 'haunted house' last sold in 1990 listed for sale
