Ahhhhhhhhhh-CHOO? - An Interest-ing Spooky Montclair Story
The article from The Montclair Times, dated December 14, 1961, begins:
“Christian Interest sneezes with regularity and has been heard for years by the Robert A. Arnys and on occasion by guests at their home at 149 Watchung Ave. This would not be remarkable were it not for the fact that Christian Interest died on September 29, 1823, at the age of 80, after digging his own grave.”
What a way to start a story! Here’s a little background on Christian Interest, our “Sneezing Ghost”: born in Germany, he moved to the American colonies in 1754. He was a conscripted soldier in the British army until 1774 when his service ended. While living in Montclair, Christian, who by this point supported the Revolutionary cause, was so scared of the Hessian soldiers finding him and bringing him back to the British army that he created a secret cellar in his house where he could hide whenever the Hessians came around. When not hiding, Christian was a cobbler by trade and made boots for the Revolutionary soldiers. He often walked up and down Speertown Road (today Valley Rd) mending and making shoes for all the Dutch families in the area.
Here are some other legends surrounding 149 Watchung and Christian Interest:
-Prominent guests that reportedly stayed in the house include General Lafayette and Thomas Paine.
-Allegedly, Christian built the house at 149 Watchung Avenue house (though some records indicate it was built around 1724). The home is one of the first - if not THE first - home built in Montclair. The original house consisted of a 25’x25’ “sweeping room” and a loft. Over the years, it expanded to a much larger residence.
-Chirstian lived at the house until he died. Legend says he came down with pneumonia and knew he was going to die. In order not to be a burden to anyone, he went down to the churchyard and dug his own grave. When the task was done, he sat there until the pneumonia finally took him.
In 1921, the Rev. Thomas (pastor of the Watchung Congregational Church) and Mary Travis purchased 149 Watchung and named it “Tongueslip.” Their daughter, Mary, inherited it. She married a neighbor, Robert Arny and together they raised their family in this home. Mary Travis Arny was one of the founding members of the Montclair Historical Society, now the Montclair History Center. The home is currently owned by their daughter, Nancy. Mary Travis Arny was responsible for uncovering a lot of the history surrounding the home and also reported hearing the sneezes believed to be the ghost of Christian Interest. She admitted there might be a more mundane explanation for the sneezing, but said “Let’s not find it! We love to hear his sneeze!”
You can visit Christian today at the Brookdale Reformed Churchyard in Bloomfield. If you go, be sure to bring the poor guy some tissues!
By Collections Manager Erin Benz
Sources:
“Haunted by a Ghost Who Sneezes,” The Montclair Times, 14 December 1961.
“Christian Interest,” FindAGrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96873850/christopher-interest.
