Haunted lawn scares up funds for SPCA

Spooky sites for Halloween night

Each year Eric Lowther's home becomes a must-see for locals who appreciate monstrous displays of Halloween spirit.

October 28, 2005

EXETER - Eric Lowther is well known in town for his Halloween displays. Every year his property at 28 Garfield St. grows with more and more spooky decorations.

This year is no exception. Some 150 jack-o-lanterns are scattered throughout his property; a new 24-foot witch and a werewolf also join the haunting display.

Lowther, 39, has had a haunted lawn, which residents can walk through during the day or early evening, for several years. This is the third year he is accepting donations, half of which go to the local SPCA.

"It’s a great community event where lots of people go and then they have some exposure to our program," said Abigail Smith, director of marketing and development for NHSPCA in Stratham. "It’s a nice way for us to meet people from the community and the funds go directly to animal care, which feed homeless and starving animals. Unrestricted direct donations are the best kind."

While the local SPCA gets an assortment of donations each year, Lowther’s approach is one of the most unusual, Smith said.

"There are a couple of organizations and individuals who do things all on their own and give us the proceeds," she said. "It’s so wonderful when that happens. But this is certainly the most interesting one we’ve seen."

Last year Lowther raised $3,600 in donations, half of which went to the SPCA while the other half went to improving this year’s decorations. Lowther said he contributes money to the SPCA because he likes animals and always gets the SPCA newsletter.

It takes him a lot of time to set up, and break down the displays.

"It’s fun, but it’s a lot of work," he said. "It’s a pretty good sense of accomplishment at the end." I’m always kicking myself in November because it’s so miserable to take down."

Each year he wants to try something new. "I want it to look better each year, so I have to keep one-upping myself every year."

He recalled how he started his haunted yard. About 12 years ago, he and some friends wanted to put on a fake Kiss concert, but instead they did a small haunted house in a neighbor’s garage. He said it was such a fun event that he just kept doing it. "Now it’s gotten out of control as far as the scale." He gets help from friends, neighbors and family.

The display is open during the day for anyone to walk through, but the best experience is at night when it’s lit up. There is small box on the side of the shed for donations. The best time to see the display is after dusk either Sunday night or Monday night.

While the display is scary, he said it’s suitable for children of all ages, but parents should use their own discretion.

"Very little kids have come through with no problems, but even older kids can get scared," he said. "The haunted tunnel is intense, so that’s not necessarily for very little kids."

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