The Fight to Keep the 'Conjuring House' Name: What You Need to Know About the Trademark Battle
“This isn't just about a trademark application — it's about whether two LLCs can walk in and claim ownership of a name that belongs to the history of this property and every person who has ever supported it.”
— Jason Hawes
For years, the Arnold Estate in Rhode Island has been known around the world as The Conjuring House — a name that carries real history, real recognition, and a real connection to the property itself. Now, that name is under threat. A trademark application has been filed, and if it succeeds, it could strip the estate of the identity that millions of people associate with it.
I want to be straightforward with you, the way I always try to be. This isn't a ghost story. This is a story about documents, timelines, business registries, and what I believe is a coordinated effort to take control of something that was never theirs to claim. Let me walk you through what I've found.
At the center of this are two LLCs — Haunted Homes LLC, registered in Connecticut, and Summit & Stone LLC, registered in Rhode Island. When you pull the public records on these entities, a picture starts to emerge. I encourage everyone to look at these registries themselves. The Connecticut Business Registry and the Rhode Island Business Registry are publicly accessible, and the information there speaks for itself. What concerns me is the coordination between these two companies and the timing of the actions being taken. The trademark application — Serial Number 99449309, which you can look up directly at tsdr.uspto.gov — claims first use dates that, when you stack them up against the actual documented history of how this property has been identified and promoted, simply do not hold up to scrutiny.
The claimed first use dates are a critical piece of this puzzle. The name 'Conjuring House' didn't originate with these LLCs. It grew organically out of public association with this property, supported by years of visits, investigations, media coverage, and community engagement. When I laid out the full timeline of events, from the property's public history through the emergence of these business entities and up to the trademark filing itself, the sequence raises serious questions. A new website was also created — and the timing of that launch relative to the trademark application is not something I think is coincidental. These are the kinds of details that matter when you're looking at whether someone is acting in good faith or whether this is a strategic move designed to gain leverage over a location and the people connected to it.
What's at stake here goes beyond a name. If this trademark were to succeed, it could affect the property's GoFundMe, its merchandise sales, web traffic being redirected away from the legitimate estate, and ultimately the ability of the property to sustain itself financially. The supporters who have shown up for this location for years — buying shirts, donating, visiting — could find themselves cut off from the very place they've been supporting, or unknowingly sending their money somewhere else entirely. That is not acceptable to me. I've seen the paranormal community weaponized before, and I won't stay quiet when I believe something like that is happening. The good news is that our formal opposition has now been instituted by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, which means this case is officially moving forward through the proper legal process. That matters. It means there will be a review, and the record will be examined.
I want to be clear: I'm not asking anyone to take my word for it. I'm asking you to look at the publicly available documents, review the timelines, and come to your own conclusions — that's the same standard I apply to every investigation I walk into. What I can tell you is that based on everything I've reviewed, this feels less like a legitimate trademark claim and more like an attempt to take control of a name that belongs to the history of this property and the community that has supported it. We're going to keep fighting for it.