The Winchester Mystery House Of San Jose, California
Where Is the Winchester House?
Winchester House is located in San Jose, California. It was the official home of Sarah Winchester, and was built in a Queen Ann Style Victorian style. The mansion is famous for its large size and lack of architectural design or plan. The mansion is a historic landmark in California. The mansion is currently privately owned and used as a tourist attraction site. Many including Winchester herself have claimed that the mansion is frequented by the ghost of those who were killed by the Winchester guns, as Sarah Winchester's husband was William Winchester, who owned a company that made firearms.
Sarah Winchester’s Relocation
After the death of William Winchester from Tuberculosis, Sarah inherited over $20 million and 50% stake from her husband’s Arms Company which guaranteed her daily revenue of about $1,000. The inheritance from the husband gave her tremendous wealth which she used for the funding of the construction of her house. After the passing of her daughter, Sarah was advised by Boston medium to relocate from her house in New Haven and move west where she should construct a house for herself as well as for the ghosts of those who had been killed by Winchester guns. Sarah left her property and proceeded to California as she was advised. However, it was possible that she moved from her home to seek a change of location after a long depression while other sources claimed that she believed that ghosts haunted her family and fortune and she could only appease them by moving west and constructing a house for them.
The Building Of Winchester Mystery House
In 1884, Sarah started the construction of the mansion. The workers and builders worked both day and night until they could complete the seven-story house. She did not hire any architect but instead made additions to the building in whichever fashion that came to mind with the home containing several oddities including doors and stairs that do not lead anywhere while windows overlook other rooms. The oddities are linked to Sarah’s belief in ghosts. The house was seven-storey high before the 1906 earthquake but has since been reduced to four stories.
The Winchester Mystery House was constructed mostly of wood as was preferred by Mrs. Winchester. Faux grain and stains were used to cover the wood as Sarah disliked the look. The house is built using a free foundation that saved it from collapsing from the two largest earthquakes in 1909 and 1989. The design allows the building to swing easily since it is not attached to any brick foundation. Winchester Mystery House has 161 rooms including over 35 bedrooms, 45 fireplaces, several chimneys, and elevators. The house had only one working toilet while the rest of the restrooms were constructed to confuse the spirits. Sarah also spent her night in a different room each night in an effort to confuse the ghosts.
Winchester Mystery House Today
Winchester Mystery House was opened to the public five months after the death of Mrs. Winchester in 1923. Today, the house is managed by Winchester Investment LLC. The house represents Sarah’s belief and her preoccupation wading off the malevolent spirit. Every Friday 13th the management of the property rings a bell 13 times at exactly 1 pm as a tribute to the Winchesters.
