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The house was dark and silent when Christopher Cox, who goes by Crii, came home late one night, exhausted from teaching. The Harper Professor flipped on the lights and froze. A collection of face masks, seemingly of human skin, hung in the shadows and stared back at him through eyeless holes. It was then that Crii let out a terrifying scream, momentarily forgetting that his house was now the set for a monster story.
A “normal” country home in Illinois had been the heart of the Cox family’s life for decades– filled with childhood memories, laughter, and the occasional sibling fighting. However, in recent years, it has taken on a new and unexpected role as the stage for a Netflix production about one of America’s most infamous murders and grave robbers.
Cox’s family experienced firsthand the chaotic and fascinating world of television production, an opportunity that seemed to come out of thin air.
“One day, about three or four years ago, a Location Manager stopped by and said he worked for a production company scouting locations in the Illinois area,” Cox said. “He told us our home looked like a cool property and asked to look around and take a few pictures.”
Although Ed Gein’s gruesome crimes unfolded in Wisconsin, Cox’s family home in Woodstock, Illinois fit the historic description perfectly. Over the years, the country home has grown accustomed to the attention, with many passersby stopping to comment on it.
“We have a unique-looking house. It’s not crazy looking, but it’s a pretty old country house,” Cox said. “It’s historic. Over the years, people will stop by to take pictures or even paint our house. We’re kind of used to the attention.”
In the fall of 2024, the ball finally started rolling. Cox and his family were informed about an upcoming project, though they kept the details private. The only certainty was that their house had a unique appeal. Cox recalled an unexpected part of the process.
“A big part of the process is having them measure things and scan things,” Cox said. “They do so much stuff that I’d never thought of before. Now I look at shows and movies differently.”
After six months, Cox learned that his family’s home had made a roster, competing with other properties for this mysterious project. Every few months, Cox received a call, each one confirming whether the house was still in the running.
After a while, Cox stopped receiving calls and did not think too much of it. All of a sudden, they were notified of plans, and reality hit them.
“Eventually things quieted down, and then, out of nowhere, we were told they were down to three locations,” Cox said. “That’s when it really hit my family and me that this was actually happening.”
Once Cox learned his family home had been selected, a group of executives, the show’s director, and members of the crew flew to town to take one more look at the property. That’s when Cox finally discovered what the project was about: the bone-chilling story of Ed Gein.
Although the name Ed Gein may ring bells for some, as he is known as one of America’s most sadistic criminals, Cox or his family did not know much about him
“I had never heard of him,” Cox said. “I knew about the things he inspired, like ‘Psycho’ and ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’ but I never knew what he had actually done.”
With the showrunners wanting to make the house as close to the original as possible, they began heavily modifying the house.
Cox’s family home transformed almost overnight into a bustling television set, with the crew building and adding new features at a rapid pace. They built a chicken coop and barn–key components to the story and where Gein carried out his gruesome acts.
“We don’t have chickens, so we use it for storage [now],” Cox explained.
Not only did Cox’s home become a construction zone, but it was also filled with unexpected structures, additions that most people would never have imagined.
“They needed to create a mudroom, so they had to build one inside our living room,” Cox said. “Upstairs, they had to construct things for perspective, like fake walls and a fake hallway. Again, things you just never would think about.”
Temporary bathrooms, makeup and changing rooms, and RVs dotted Cox’s property, while the crew also adapted to the stars’ unfamiliarity with Illinois’ harsh winter.
“There were a lot of people from California, so they were not happy about the cold,” Cox said. “They brought this huge tent made up of sturdy materials. It had doors and was heated inside due to them filming in the winter.”
Cox shared he and his family got to meet the several actors.
“We got to meet main actor, directors, and other cast members,” Cox said. “We also met the director of the first episode, who is the son of Henry Winkler.”
With construction, filming, and action taking place in his home, Cox said life was anything but normal. The family had to navigate around the constant chaos.
“During the actual filming, we had to be relocated to hotels,” Cox said. “But during the prep phase, when they were building and decorating, we were able to stay at our house. It was fun at times, but you never really get used to having 40 to 50 people in your home while you’re trying to live.”
Cox described the filming schedule and the time it took to prepare.
“For the core filming, they were in our home for almost three weeks,” Cox said. “However, the pre-film and post-film work in total lasted more like three to four months.”
Even with the cameras and crew taking over their home, Cox admits the finished show might not make it onto their screen, even though his sisters, Emily Johnson and Kirsten George, appeared as background actors.
“I haven’t watched the show yet, and I don’t know if I’m going to, “Cox said. “My mom actually refuses to watch it.”
Cox’s family home may have survived skin masks, fake walls, and a small army of crew members, but the family emerged with a front-row seat to Hollywood chaos and a story that won’t be shown on screen.
“Ever since the release, even more people stop by to take pictures of our house,” Cox said. “I never anticipated it.”
