Rosalia: Spook house adds super haunt stop

Big black spiders with red eyes creep toward the sidewalk, ghosts hover over the graveyard, spooky clowns grin frightfully from the porch.

It’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s just Lee Root’s house in Rosalia.

Root, a mill retiree from Potlatch who moved to a house on S. Whitman Street in Rosalia five years ago, helped out with the haunted house in Rosalia. When organizers discontinued it he decided to create his own haunted house.

“There wasn’t much for kids,” he said.

He borrowed some decorations from the old haunted house and began his project three years ago.

This year, it took him between two to three weeks to decorate, and then he started putting up lights. He had most of the decorations up by the first weekend in October and has been adding a little more here and there ever since.

He is surprised at the overwhelming response he has had.

“The reason I do it is for the kids,” he said.

He makes most of the decorations, using empty gallon milk containers for mask supports and wire to shape the different spooky figures. It’s all up to his own imagination.

Reactions to his efforts have been positive, at least for most people.

“I’ve had parents who won’t get off the sidewalk, but the kids come right up,” he said.

Last year, he had 20 pounds of trick or treat candy, but had to turn all the lights off at 8 p.m. because all the treats were gone.

He said he is very cautious about not using any gory decorations. His Halloween project changes every year.

He said most people stop to look, some slow down and then turn around for a closer look, and some even venture into the yard to take photos.

“It’s better than a speed bump,” he said.

He also said visitors come from as far away as Spokane and Coeur d’Alene to see the house.

So far, he’s had no trouble with vandalism.

“The first time I do, I’m done,” he said.

He’s still going to add more decorations right before Halloween, including an orange vintage Volkswagen trike with a vampire biker astride it.

“I’ll sneak a couple more surprises in there too,” he said.