The significance of the number to her was clearly immense, although whether it was out of superstition or simply a troubled woman’s fixation remains unclear. Her will had 13 parts and was signed 13 times. There are 13-paned windows, 13-panelled ceilings and 13-step flights of stairs. It’s unclear why the number 13 was deemed so important by Sarah, but it recurs repeatedly throughout the construction and design of the house.
Mystery house san jose reviews windows#
She even had bespoke windows designed, including one by the prestigious artist (and later jeweller), Louis Tiffany, which would have refracted the light to cast rainbows in the room had it been installed in a room which had natural light. Sarah also adopted new innovations including an indoor shower, wool insulation and electricity. Within the 160 rooms (the precise number is still debated) are 47 fireplaces, 6 kitchens, 3 lifts, 10,000 windows and 52 skylights. Sarah spared no expense in fitting out her new mansion The view looking south of Winchester House from the top floor, c. Some think the winding hallways and labyrinthine layout were designed to confuse the ghosts and spirits she supposedly thought were haunting her, allowing her to live in peace in her new home. No one knows exactly what Sarah’s plans for the house were or why she pursued certain ideas or architectural features. Some think it was designed to be a labyrinth Odd features such as uneven floors and stairs, corridors to nowhere, doors that don’t open and windows that overlook other rooms in the house contribute to the eerie feeling inside. Prior to 1906, when the house was damaged by an earthquake, it had 7 stories. The haphazard nature of the building schedule and lack of plans mean the house is something of an oddity. She hired a stream of builders and carpenters, who were set to work, but did not hire an architect. Sarah purchased a farmhouse in California’s Santa Clara Valley in 1884 and set to work building her mansion. The house was under continuous construction for 38 years Interior view of a room in the Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California.
The more prosaic theory suggests that after a double tragedy Sarah wanted a fresh start and a project to keep her mind occupied. Whilst she was there, she was apparently told she must move west and build a home for herself and for the spirits of those who had been killed by Winchester rifles over the years.Īnother version of the story says she believed her inheritance was cursed by the spirits of those killed by Winchester firearms and that she moved to escape them. Legend has it a medium told her to move to California and build a new houseĪfter both her young daughter and husband died in quick succession, Sarah supposedly went to visit a medium. This newfound money made her one of the wealthiest women in the world at the time. She continued to receive profits from the sales of Winchester firearms throughout her life. His widow, Sarah, inherited his vast fortune and 50% ownership of the company. William Wirt Winchester was the treasurer of the Winchester Repeating Firearms Company until his untimely death in 1881. It was built by the widow of a firearms magnate Here are 10 facts about the Winchester Mystery House, which many consider to be America’s first haunted house. Shrouded in mystery and reportedly the site of eerie goings-on and ghostly visitations, the structure is said to be one of the most haunted sites in the world.
Mystery house san jose reviews full#
The result is a haphazard, labyrinth-like structure full of odd features, such as corridors to nowhere and doors that don’t open. The house took some 38 years to build, supposedly inspired by the advice of a psychic, and construction went ahead without an architect or plans. It was constructed by Sarah Winchester, the widow of the millionaire firearms director William Wirt Winchester. The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in San Jose, California, with a strange and sinister history: it’s said to be haunted by the spirits of people killed by Winchester rifles over the centuries.
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