The house is said to be haunted, with the spirit of a former caretaker named Clyde among those roaming the halls.Īdding to the supernatural appeal are the stories of its former owner, who supposedly believed that the untimely deaths of her husband and daughter were karmic payback for all the people killed by Winchester rifles. A Queen Anne revival Victorian mansion, the home features an elaborate interior layout seemingly designed to confuse visitors: stairways end at ceilings, doors open to walls, big rooms contain smaller rooms. Today, the Winchester Mystery House is a tourist attraction in San Jose, California, and the former home of Winchester rifle heiress Sarah Winchester. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a California Historical Landmark in 1974. Over the next 20 years, at a cost of approximately $5 million, the cottage was rebuilt into a 160-room mansion, covering an area of 24,000 square feet.Įxpansion slowed after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, which toppled a seven-story tower and the upper floors of the mansion, and the heiress spent most of her final two decades at another home in nearby Atherton, leaving part of the Winchester House in disrepair.įollowing Winchester's death from congestive heart failure on September 5, 1922, the already famous home was sold and reopened soon afterward as a roadside attraction. In 1886 Winchester bought a 40-acre plot of land in San Jose, California, which included an eight-room cottage. Inheriting a 50 percent stake in the company, worth approximately $20 million, the widow endowed what would become the Winchester Chest Clinic at New Haven Yale Hospital and moved to California to start anew with extended family members. In March 1881, William also died, following a long battle with tuberculosis. However, the baby was unable to process calories and died malnourished six weeks later. In June 1866, Winchester gave birth to a daughter, Annie. Wild West luminaries Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley celebrated their prowess with their Winchesters, as did President Theodore Roosevelt. The family business became immensely successful its Winchester Model 1873 rifle was known as the "gun that won the West," and the company sold more than 700,000 rifles from that year through 1916. William soon sold his interest in the shirt company and became secretary of Winchester Repeating Arms. However, Oliver had also developed an interest in the firearms business, and after taking control of the Volcanic Arms Company, he established the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1866. Her father-in-law, Oliver, was co-owner of the Winchester-Davies Shirt Manufactory, and William was being groomed to take over the company. On September 30, 1862, Sarah married fellow New Haven resident William Winchester, whom she had likely known since childhood. Growing to a petite 4'10" and 95 pounds, she also developed a reputation as one of the area's great young beauties, nicknamed the "Belle of New Haven." Marriage into the Winchester Family Influenced by this environment, Sarah developed into an excellent all-around student, learning four languages and demonstrating proficiency in musical composition, math and science. He also ran a progressive household, holding court with prominent abolitionists and freethinkers of the day. Her father managed the City Bathing House until finding success as a finish carpenter, providing financial security for the family. Sarah Lockwood Pardee was born in 1839 (some sources say 1840) in New Haven, Connecticut, to Sarah Burns and Leonard Pardee. The Winchester Mystery House today stands as a popular tourist attraction, thanks to its ornate, confounding interior and anecdotes of supernatural activity. Sarah Winchester married into New Haven's Winchester family, known for its "gun that won the West." After her husband died, Winchester embarked on the construction of a massive 160-room mansion in San Jose, California, reportedly guided by spirits, until her death in 1922.
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