In San Jose, California you can tour what is referred to as the nation’s most spirited residences: the Winchester mansion. Commissioned by Sarah L. Winchester, the young widow of rifle and gun manufacturer William Wirt Winchester, the house always seemed to have a life of its own.
Perhaps the longest consecutive construction project ever, the house was worked on nonstop for thirty-eight years. Popular lore and legend hints that this was due to a touch of madness that Sarah Winchester had. Rumor has it that Sarah was told by a famous Boston Medium that all of the lives that were taken by Winchester guns would haunt her unless she built a house that could provide a place of peace for their souls.
Sarah headed west and settled in Santa Clara County where she immediately began the work that would keep her busy until she passed away in 1922. The house ultimately reached seven stories high and included over 160 rooms, 40 of which were said to be bedrooms designed for the spirits that haunted her. Forty-seven fireplaces kept the mansion cozy and the inclusion of modern touches such as elevators and indoor plumbing made the house always ahead of its time.
Still Sarah’s decorating tastes were consistently eyebrow raising. She is said to have been obsessed with spider webs and the number 13. Sarah even went so far as to significantly alter an expensive and imported crystal chandelier in her ballroom. She changed it from 12 gas lamps to 13. This famous chandelier is now listed among the most known, mostly for its interesting story.
December 18th, 2006 by Webmaster
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