History
William W. Winchester, Sarah's husband, died in 1881 of tuberculosis. After losing her husband and their baby who had only lived six weeks, Sarah became depressed and desperate, and sought out the advice of a psychic medium. At the time, Sarah was living in Connecticut where she had been living with William.
Legend has it that the psychic medium told Sarah to head West and build a house to pay homage to the spirits who had died by the hand of the Winchester rifle. She also told her that she could never stop building it! If she did, she would surely die. And so, Sarah moved to California and began construction on the Winchester house in 1884.
Oddities
Construction on the Winchester house lasted 38 years- 38 continuous years. Construction workers hammered and nailed continuously-day and night, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. This Victorian mansion contains 160 rooms and modern conveniences for the 1800's, like heating and sewer systems, and gas lights that could be turned on by the press of a button. There were 47 fireplaces and 14 chimneys, 40 staircases and over 1,000 windows.
Other oddities include stairs that lead nowhere, windows that when opened, face a brick wall, and doors that open to the outside world with nothing below them such as a balcony to step on once opened.
Spirits And Sarah
There was one room in the house that Sarah used only for communicating with spirits. She would do this on her own, and according to the legend, the spirits talked back, telling her what to add on to the house so that she wouldn't suffer at their hands if she didn't. She thought the number 13 and spider webs to be lucky, and it is evident when viewing the massive Victorian mansion with it's web-patterned stained glass Tiffany window, and chandeliers that would hold 13 candles.
Are They There?
So do the spirits of the victims who fell prey to the Winchester rifle roam the Winchester Mansion? Reports from visitors have said yes, they do. Many psychics have visited the Winchester Mansion and have said that spirits roam this odd house. Employees and visitors alike tell stories of footsteps, banging noises like windows that bang so hard they shatter in the aftermath, apparitions- including Sarah herself, and mysterious voices from beyond.
Whether the spirits are there or not, this amazing Historic Landmark is something to see even if you have no belief in ghosts. The Winchester Mystery House is something to behold, for it's legend, architectural beauty, and just plain weirdness!