Netflix has just dropped its latest true crime drama, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, but while the series gives us a dramatised look at the killer’s house, the real one was far more disturbing, and the chilling photos prove it.
From 1947 to 1957, Gein terrorised his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin. His secluded farmhouse became infamous after police uncovered what was hidden inside, forever cementing his place in true crime history.
Here’s the real story of Gein’s property, the horrifying evidence investigators found, and why the farmhouse no longer exists today.
Content Warning: Graphic images
The Plainfield farmhouse
via MGM Plus
Ed Gein lived on a 155-acre farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin. He moved there with his parents and brother in the early 1900s, and after his mother Augusta died in 1945, he stayed there alone. The house itself was a large, two-story wooden farmhouse; isolated, cold, and eventually decaying.
via MGM Plus
One of the eeriest details about the house was how Gein treated his mother’s rooms. After Augusta’s death, Ed boarded up her parlor and bedroom, sealing them away like a shrine. Those rooms stayed perfectly preserved, while the rest of the home collapsed into filth and clutter.
via MGM Plus
While the “mother’s rooms” were frozen in time, Ed himself lived in just a small corner of the house, a tiny room next to the kitchen. That’s where investigators later found him sleeping on a mattress surrounded by trash, old magazines, and body parts.
So, what else did the police find?
via MGM Plus
When police entered the farmhouse in November 1957, they uncovered what would make Gein infamous worldwide. Inside, investigators found:
- Human skulls turned into bowls
- Chairs upholstered with human skin
- Masks made from real faces
- A belt crafted from nipples
- Organs stored in jars
- The decapitated body of Bernice Worden, hanging in the shed
The discoveries shocked even hardened officers, with many describing the farmhouse as a “house of horrors.”
So, what happened to the house?
via MGM Plus
After Gein’s arrest, his home was scheduled to be auctioned off along with his belongings. But on March 20, 1958, before the auction could take place, the farmhouse mysteriously caught fire and burned to the ground.
Authorities suspected arson, though no one was ever charged. Many in Plainfield were relieved, worried the house would become a macabre tourist attraction. When told about the fire, Gein simply said, “Just as well.”
The farmhouse itself is long gone, but its legend lives on. The disturbing photos of the interior remain some of the most infamous crime scene images in history.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
Featured image via Netflix/MGM Plus.
