Hey ghouls and ghosts! Welcome to the last article of my three-week Halloween special. It’s been a great ride, but since our favorite holiday is almost over, we have to part ways.
Before we say our goodbye’s until next Halloween we’ve got an exciting topic for y’all – The Winchester House. The Winchester House is located in San Jose, California, and was built by Sarah Winchester’s husband who owned a rifle company. The house was built from the profit that he earned from their rifle company. After the tragic demise of her husband and infant child, rumored to be a car crash, it was believed that Sarah Winchester suffered a mental breakdown. She dealt with her grief by hiring carpenters who began to work on her house. They worked day and night, rain or sunshine. It was a never ending process, and with each day a new room was being renovated, added, and expanded on.
Then the carpenters became more creative; there were doors that led to nowhere, staircases that never end, and over 100 rooms in the house. It is rumored that over 20,500 gallons of paint were consumed during the renovation process. The house did suffer damages due to time and earthquakes, whilst undergoing renovations, but it is still a great mystery.
Why was Winchester adding rooms? Why did she continue to live in a 4.5 acre property? Why were there stairways that led to nowhere? It was rumored that she built the house to ward off evil spirits, and the spirits of those who were killed by her husband’s rifles. By building rooms, adding lavish facilities in the house (such as ballrooms), and sleeping in different rooms each night, she believed that she could appease the spirits. The house also has a séance room which people believe Winchester used to communicate with spirits, so that she could meet their needs, and to free herself of the guilt she felt over her husband’s rifles killing innocent people.
Today the house still stands and tours are offered. Many people who have visited the house say they felt uncomfortable around her séance room, ballroom, and Winchester’s bedroom. Some have even claimed to have seen ghosts, and felt a drop in temperature around particular areas of the house. Since tours are focused on the more famous parts of the house, we may never know what lurks in the dark, hidden rooms, and where those never-ending staircases lead to. We may also never know if Sarah Winchester was suffering from mental health issues, or if she was actually communicating with spirits. However, if you are interested you can always book a tour:
https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/tours
That brings us to the end of “A Halloween Special.” Glad y’all stuck around for the ride, and I look forward to next Halloween. Have a Happy Halloween!