Westfield residents concerned Netflix series ‘The Watcher’ will bring unwanted attention to town

The Netflix series “The Watcher” debuted last week – a series based on a real situation that happened in the town of Westfield.

News 12 Staff

Oct 18, 2022, 2:23 AM

Updated 723 days ago

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The Netflix series “The Watcher” debuted last week – a series based on a real situation that happened in the town of Westfield.
Fans of the show and fans of true crime have been coming by the real “Watcher House” in Westfield since the series debuted so that they can catch a glimpse. Many say that they are happy to see New Jersey get some of the recognition.
“We don’t get a lot of the spotlight over here – like New York City is next to us, so we get overshadowed a lot,” says Dakar Hamlet, of South Amboy.
The “Watcher House” is a home on Boulevard in Westfield. For years, the owners of the home received letters from a mysterious sender without a return address. The sender called themselves “the Watcher.”
The home has gone through several owners since the letters were sent.
"The family that lives there now has nothing to do with the actual story,” says Amy Delpuerto, of Westfield.
The original family – and the family the Netflix series is based on – is the Broadus family. They received notes that contained messages like, "[the house] has been the subject of my family for decades now and as it approaches its 110th birthday, I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming."
Another note read, “I am pleased to know your names now and the name of the young blood you have brought to me. You certainly say their names often.”
Since the Netflix series debuted, many people have driven by the home. Police have now placed caution tape on the front yard and have blocked off the driveway.
"Neighborhood-wise, it's been nuts. Even when we're standing here there's a lot of people doing U-turns, and, I mean, kind of going all over the place,” Delpuerto says. “It's definitely a change from what's normally a pretty quiet street."
The home was eventually sold for way under its value because the family just wanted out. Delpuerto says she is worried the added attention will make the quiet neighborhood a target on Mischief Night.
"I mean, it's a Netflix top show, it's just so much more intriguing, so much more magnetizing to do something that's probably not the best decision,” she says.
The series, while based in New Jersey, was actually filmed in Westchester County, New York.