State Orders Woonsocket Haunted House Torn Down

A haunted house built in a Woonsocket, R.I., couple’s yard has been ordered closed by the state fire marshal’s office because it violates safety codes.

The Woonsocket Call reports that Dave and Charlene Densmore have assembled Halloween displays for years and opened them to visitors in exchange for donations of canned food for a soup kitchen. They said they’ve raised more than 1,000 pounds of canned goods this year.

This year’s display was an enclosed maze attached to the Densmore’s front porch. It was built with an old stockade fence and plastic tarps.

State Fire Marshal Jack Chartier ordered the structure closed Tuesday. The couple had refused a similar order from the city, but decided to remove it after the state intervened. Dave Densmore says he’ll rebuild, but as a display, not a structure.