Creature Feature Friday: The Moving Mystery Mannequins of the John Lawson House
There is certainly no shortage of mysteries in the world, and today’s Creature Feature Friday takes a look at one from the great state of New York. From the early 2000s to later 2016, the moving mystery mannequins of the John Lawson House were the talk of the town - because no one knew where they came from, what they were doing, or how they seemed to move of their own accord every night. It’s been over a decade since the life-size dolls first appeared, and the riddle of the moving mannequins is still unsolved! Check out 5 things we know about these creepy artificial creatures, and try to answer all the questions that remain:
Image from Atlas Obscura.
1) The John Lawson House is located at 9A Main Street, Wappingers Falls in New York. It was built in 1845 by resident John Lawson, and is one of only two historical homes to survive a massive fire many years ago that destroyed nearly the rest of the block. While it has been described as one of the creepiest homes in America, until recently no one knew who lived there or who owned the property - or who was responsible for the unsettling moving mannequins on the front porch.
Image from Atlas Obscura.
2) For at least ten years, the mysterious moving mannequins took up residence on the John Lawson House porch. They appeared one day, and became a near constant creepy presence that led to much speculation about their origins and their purpose. The reason the mannequins are cloaked in such an air of mystery is because, allegedly, over the entire decade that they lived on the front porch, they continuously changed positions, clothing, and accessories - and no one ever saw another human being moving them around. The home itself was shrouded with dark shades on every window, and no one actually lived there - even though on some nights, a soft light could be seen around the window cracks. By each morning, the mannequins would be clothed in new ensembles, right down to their hairstyles. Their positions would be dramatically altered, and different props would surround them on the porch. And perhaps even more strangely, on rainy days the life-size figures would disappear completely, only reemerging when the weather was clear.
3) Since no person was ever spied moving them in the dead of night, the mystery of the mannequins generated many questions, and no real answers. Neighbors and mystery hunters came up with theories about the mannequins, with some wondering whether they were a strange art project. Others thought the home’s unknown owners were deliberately trying to create a mystery to get people talking (and if so, well done). And still others took the creepiness of the mannequins to a higher plane, believing the figures actually moved themselves because they were possessed by the spirits of the dead.
Image from Atlas Obscura.
4) The theory of the spirit-possessed mannequins was not quite without basis, however, as a tragic event (besides the devastating block fire) once took place a mere 200 feet from John Lawson’s home. In the winter of 1871, a freight train running on the Hudson River Railroad line broke an axle at the drawbridge spanning Wappinger Creek and derailed onto another track, where it was struck by an approaching passenger train. The freight train, carrying oil tank cars, burst into flame, collapsing the bridge and sending both trains into the frigid water below. At the end of the chaos, the crash had killed 22 people. After the appearance of the moving mannequins, people wondered whether lingering ghosts from the tragedy inhabited the plastic dummies and caused them to come alive each night. Sometimes, all of the mannequins would even be turned directly toward the crash site, as though looking sadly back into the past.
Image from Roadtrippers.
5) If you were hoping to glimpse the mannequins and solve their mystery, then you’ll be disappointed to learn they are no longer a part of the John Lawson House. Since August 2016, they disappeared from the property for good. Around the same time, the house was renovated and assumed new owners, who must not have been keen to share their home with the eerie figures. A former neighbor claimed that the mannequins had reappeared at a secluded home located not far away on Route 9W, but that property is private and inaccessible, obscuring the mystery of the moving mannequins possibly forever.
While an industrious sleuth could probably discover the mystery of the John Lawson House’s previous owners by digging into real estate records, it still wouldn’t answer why the mannequins were put on display, or how they managed to move around without any evidence of human interference. Were they ghosts? Possessed dolls? Art work? The world’s best-kept inside joke? Their watchful presence was eerie and their permanent removal from the front porch feels like the end of a creepy tradition, but in some ways, the moving mannequins of the John Lawson House may be one mystery that remains better when it’s left unsolved!
Did you ever visit the John Lawson mannequins before they disappeared? What are your theories about the mysterious moving mannequins? Leave us a comment!
