Sarah L. Winchester

Since Sarah was the first millionare in the small town, she turned into a celebrity of sorts. She was not social at all, and local gossip turned into rumors, many of which still define the legend of the mysterious Mrs. Winchester, though many of them are false.

Sarah never had any company in her home, except for children. Perhaps the presence of children eased the pain that she still felt from losing her own daughter. Her favorite niece, Marian Isabel Merriman, was a constant companion.

Sarah kept construction going 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Her body was sent back to New Haven where she was buried beside her husband and daughter.

Sarah Winchester was one of the most intriguing women in history. She was sad and misunderstood all of her life. Rumors and lies about her were spread; but she chose to ignore them and the opinions of people who didn't know her. Ms. Winchester was, and remains today, a very mysterious woman.

Sarah Winchester died from heart failure on the morning of September 5, 1922.

The house has many bizarre features...

She married William Wirt Winchester in September of 1862.

Sarah's only child died in 1866, scarcely a month after she was born.

Sarah L. Winchester was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1839.

Many people thought that Sarah Winchester was crazy....

As legend has it, a Boston spiritualist told Mrs. Winchester she was being haunted by the ghosts of those killed by the Winchester rifle, the gun that made her husband millions.

The Winchester House has 40 staircases, with a total of 376 steps. There are 950 doors and 1,257-framed windows. In these frames a total of 10,000 glass panes are installed. The house has 52 skylights, and the floors are made of various hardwoods. There are approximately 160 rooms in the mansion; 40 bathrooms, thirteen bathrooms, six kitchens, two basements, two conservatories and one seance room.

Unfortunately, Sarah's husband died in March 1881 from Tuberculosis, leaving her all alone, with the exception of approximately 20 million dollars.

Sarah's doctors and friends suggested that she move to a milder climate and find a hobby in which she could devote her time to help her deal with her intense grief.

So, Sarah packed up and moved away to what we now know as San Jose, California.

Since her late husband was successful in his business, Sarah was very wealthy. When she moved to California, she purchased a simple eight room farmhouse, and began the construction that would last a lifetime.

Mrs. Winchester even drew up most of the plans on her own. Maybe this was her "hobby" that her friends begged her to seek out after the death of her husband.

The people living in San Jose wittnessed an eight room farm house turn into a twenty-six room mansion over the course of six months.

On April 18, 1906, the San Francisco Earthquake shook the Winchester Mansion. This event upset Sarah; and afterward, she only built out, never higher than four stories.

The house itself was quite a structure. Complete with winding starways, elevators, doors that lead to nowhere, and the ever present number thirteen, the Winchester House remains one of the most beautiful, but strange, mansions in the world.

Sarah never stopped construction on her home. Whether it was to confuse the spirits that were "haunting" her, or just because she enjoyed it, still remains a mystery.

In 1909, Sarah established the William Wirt Winchester Fund, giving $1,200,000 in his memory. Her money went to build a hospital dedicated to the care of tuberculosis patients. This was one of her greatest charitable acts.