Could The Addams Family’s Home Be From Central New York?
A long-standing rumor in Central New York suggests that The Addams Family’s iconic mansion may have been inspired by a college building at Syracuse University. The evidence behind this claim is intriguing.
The Rumor and Its Roots
For many years, locals have speculated that the Hall of Languages at Syracuse University served as the creative model for the eerie residence of Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, and Pugsley Addams. Designed in 1873 by Horatio Nelson White, the building embodies a classic Second Empire style, complete with elaborate windows, steep towers, and a distinctly gothic atmosphere reminiscent of the Addams aesthetic.
Screenwriter Connection
According to syracuse.com, there’s a tangible link to the university through Seaman Jacobs, a screenwriter for The Addams Family who graduated from Syracuse University in 1932. Jacobs also contributed to the university’s humor magazine, The Orange Peel. One of his scripts from 1964 is currently preserved in Syracuse University’s special collections archive.
Literary Validation
The theory gained further attention in 1994 when biographer Victor Bockris discussed it in his book Transformer: The Lou Reed Story.
He wrote that the Hall of Languages looked like something "straight out of a horror movie about college life," and suggested that a writer from the show who studied at Syracuse around the same time as Lou Reed might have drawn inspiration from it.
Although Bockris didn’t name the writer specifically, and the idea has never been confirmed, the myth continues to add a spooky charm to the university’s legacy.
Author’s Summary
Whispers of Syracuse University’s Hall of Languages inspiring The Addams Family mansion persist, fueled by historic design parallels and alumni connections that keep the local legend alive.