The Winchester House, began it’s build in 1884 and had round the clock building, 24/7 and 365 days a year. The inside of the home was changed around to fit the changing structure along with the number 13 appearing in how many items were put in place somewhere or with stained glass. The home had 500-600 rooms, and at one point, was 7 stories high until the great earthquake in 1906 that collapsed a portion of the structure. It wasn’t until that moment that Sarah Winchester kept it to only four stories. This place also served as a sanctuary for Sarah and she was the only person responsible for having the house constructed to look as it does today, a masterpiece.
Education, Secret Societies and Children
Sarah Winchester was an intelligent woman, she was also a Yale graduate and spoke many languages. She was considered a child prodigy and a great business woman and had ties to Freemasonry and Rosicrucian, just as her relatives and some of her professors. She was married to a man named William Wirt Winchester, who was the son of Olive Fischer Winchester, the founder of the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. Both William and Sarah had 1 only child named Annie P. Winchester who was born June 15th, 1866. Sadly, Annie died July 25th, 1886 and Sarah’s death wasn’t until September 5, 1922.
Father and Son Winchester
William Wirt Winchester had lived until March 7th 1881 and held the position of Treasurer for the Repeating Arms Co. Four months before his death, his father Oliver, the founder of the Winchester Repeating Arms Co., had passed away. Some say William was taken to soon and had a premature death. During this time, both father and son were unable to see their production of the 1886 rifle that was adaptive to handling better cartridges.
Paranormal
People claimed to have seen actual ghosts, objects moving, and sounds throughout the house. According to history records and speculations, it was said that Sarah herself used methods to trap “entities,” with help from a medium. Historical documents reveal that Sarah and others have said that these ghosts or lost souls, were the victims that died at the end of the Winchester rifle. According to some, the deaths of Olive, William, Annie and Sarah, were said to be the result of revenge from these “entities.”
The Tour
The tour of the home took a few hours and we were allowed to view certain areas or to enter, so we didn’t actually view the entire home, who knows how long that would’ve taken. Much of the home was closed off for many reasons and the tour guide even stated that sometimes staff won’t go into other spots. The house was very cold and mysterious yet it was elegant and mesmerizing. Everywhere you turned, there was beauty, from hand carved wood and furniture to stained glass. Then, there were crazy stairs that led to nowhere, some that led you straight into a wall or into the ceiling. The house had twists and turns for rooms and odd placement for things, and doors that opened to the outside with no floor. It is by far one of the most beautiful structures to have set foot in. Sharing a moment with this house is no waste of time, rather a moment in history with the Winchester House.
