In the Beginning

 Getting Technical

 Moving... Indoors!

 The 21st Century

 A New Chapter

  Investing in Tomorrow

     It all began in the Fall of 1991 when Seneca Falls Police Officer Fred Mellini decided to spend his favorite holiday (Halloween, of course) scaring trick or treaters as they came knocking for their candy.  He dressed up in costume and waited on his front porch, donned with the season's decor, to give them their tricks as his wife, Lorie, passed out the treats.

    A few years later, Fred's friend, New York State Park Police Officer Tom Fischer joined the fun when he sat perfectly still in a chair on the front porch, dressed in a Michael Meyers costume.  When the kids were either certain that he was not real, or engrossed in conversation with Mr. Mellini, Tom would stand up and send them running on their way.

     In 1996 Truman Bells, a police officer with the City of Canandaigua and good friend to both Fred and Tom, became involved with the spook-fest.   That year he sat in Fred's front lawn on a bail of straw with hay filled clothes and a hollowed pumpkin on his head where he surprised kids and parents (much the same way in which Tom did the year before).  Fred continued to dress in costume to greet and scare the kiddies while Tom popped out of his home made coffin on the porch.

      In 1997 the three, Fred, Tom and Truman, decided that in order to improve upon past years they would have to expand the attraction into the front lawn.  Mozak Tent donated for a week, the use of a 12' x 12' commercial tent which became an extension of Fred's front porch.  Ghoulish displays were set up without fear of inclimate weather and Fred and Tom dressed as monsters and mingled with the kids while Truman operated three pneumatic displays from behind the scenes.

    The following year expanded out into a 20' x 40' tent containing 5 pneumatic displays, special effects lights, sound effects, 2 more volunteer monsters and an ever increasing number of little ghouls and goblins. (Hungry ghouls and goblins... Mrs. Mellini handed out $250.00 in candy in 1998!)

    The displays and pneumatic devices up to this point are a collection of personal property belonging to Fred, Tom and Truman. (this included any speakers and miscellaneous parts collected curbside during fall clean up)  From 1991, with about 30 or so trick or treaters, through 1998, with an estimated 200-250 visitors, the three men were able to keep this one night (Halloween) attraction free to the public.

     The 1998 event caught the attention of local businessman and friend Frank Tedesche.  Frank also happened to be the owner of the long vacant ruler and yardstick manufacturing factory, Westcott Rule, which is located off East Bayard Street in the Village of Seneca Falls, New York.  The old factory property is also home to a somewhat dilapidated structure known as the old Seneca Falls Trinity Chapel of 1835.  With Halloween holding a special place in his heart as well, Frank offered the use of the church, as well as construction assistance for 1999's spooky attraction.   Frank's one stipulation was that a donation be collected from visitors with proceeds benefiting the newly formed non-profit organization, "Seneca County Friends of Cancer Patients".

    A deal was struck and with the assistance of Tim Snyder, a Red Jacket Fireman and volunteer monster from the previous year, local attorney Charlie Shaffer and approximately 30 friends, family members and other volunteers, as well as donations from a number of very generous area merchants, the 1999 S.F. Haunted House was a huge success, raising several thousand dollars for the cause!

    The 1999 Haunt was comprised of a maze which was constructed on the main floor and divides the otherwise vacant chapel into themed rooms such as Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory, Dracula's sleep chamber, the Phantom's organ loft and "The Exorcist" bedroom of Linda Blair, to name a few.  The spider web riddled basement was converted into a dungeon / morgue, complete with a witches den where refreshment's are served.

    Our attraction, from the early years up to and including this past year, has progressively become bigger, scarier and more technical than the year previous.  1999 brought us indoors with 11 animated creatures & features, digital audio, smoke, lasers, a real 15,000 watt Jacob's ladder and several live monsters played by local volunteers. The year 2000 saw continued growth, with even more monsters, special effects and guests. The attraction nearly doubled in length from the previous year with even more expansion in 2001!

    It is our goal to continue this trend of making each years haunt more technically advanced featuring a longer maze, new themes and more monsters.   Our visitors will have a fresh experience each year, never knowing what to expect. New monsters around each new corner and more surprises will leave them more satisfied and terrified than the year before!

    Just after Halloween 2002 word came that the Old Trinity Church of 1835 might soon be torn down. For four years the Seneca Falls Haunted House had raised thousands of dollars for charity but now their venue was in question. A week before Christmas 2002 Fred and Truman learned that the property would soon be sold to avoid its demolition and that the Haunted House had to find a new home. So the following week Truman and Fred, along with their close friend and faithful volunteer, Eric Calabrese, tore down and hastily packed up the Seneca Falls Haunted House and stored the contents in a 10' x 20' storage unit until a new home could be found. The search took them to various parts of Seneca County and into Auburn, but nothing materialized.

    In the mean time, the old church was purchased by a local organization known as the Seneca Falls Canal Development Project so that this historical building might be saved and perhaps later restored. A job promotion had taken one of the original founding members of the SFHH, Tom Fischer, about 2 hours from Seneca Falls and the amount of time available for work on the house had become considerably less and less as each month passed.

    In May, 2003 time was running short when Truman and Fred went to local businessman and Canal Development Project board member, Bruce H. Bonafiglia to inquire about the status of the Old Church and with the approval of its remaining board members the Seneca Falls Canal Development Project decided to let the two men haunt the church once again. To show their gratitude, Fred and Truman offered to donate the profits from the 2003 Haunted House to the closely related organization, Seneca Falls Downtown Revitalization Committee.

    With an entire Haunted House to rebuild and only a few short months in which to do it, Fred and Truman took on a new partner, fellow police officer Eric Calabrese, and formed the organization responsible for bringing the Haunt to life, Screaming Corpse Productions.

    Thanks to Bruce Bonafiglia, The Seneca Falls Canal Development Project, The Seneca Falls Downtown Revitalization Committee and a few faithful volunteers, the "Seneca Falls Haunted House" of 2003 and 2004 were even bigger, scarier and better than ever!

    By mid-year 2005, Screaming Corpse had learned that their partners of two years, The Seneca Falls Downtown Revitalization Committee, had been disolved and its assets turned over to the original downtown preservation organization, "Downtown 2000". This left the need to partner with a new local non profit organization for the 2005 season.

    Screaming Corpse Productions chose to work with the Seneca Knit Development Corporation, a not for profit group that is very close to The Canal Development Corporation, and partly responsible for saving the Old Trinity Church from certain demise in 2003. Together these two groups are responsible for providing the SFHH with a home once again. The Seneca Knit Development Corporation is also the primary organization responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the Old Trinity Church.

    By teaming up with The Seneca Knit Development Corporation, The Seneca Falls Haunted House can not only help provide needed funds to develop this historical landmark on the Seneca Barge Canal in Seneca Falls, but it can also help fund the daily maintenence and possible restoration of the Old Trinity Church, thus making an investment into the future of The Seneca Falls Haunted House for the years to come.

    What surprises are in store for you THIS year? Stop by and visit the old church that is once again home to the spirits, ghosts and apparitions of The Seneca Falls Haunted House!

    We look forward to sharing with you another Safe and Happy Halloween!