The story of the mysterious Winchester House which resides in San Jose California certainly has many mysteries surrounding it.
It is the story of unbounded wealth created by one of the most
successful firearms companies ever established. It's also a story about
the wealthy widow of that business owner, a trip out west as suggested
by a medium and a construction and rebuilding endeavor that lasted some
thirty-six years.
Explore the Winchester House
If your travels take you to the San Francisco Bay area, and more specifically in the South Bay area, a trip to this unique home and grounds is well worth the trip. The Winchester House is located at 525 Winchester Blvd. in San Jose California.
From San Francisco and the North Bay: Take I-280 South to San Jose. Take Winchester Blvd. exit. At stoplight, turn left. At next stoplight (Winchester Blvd.), turn left. Proceed two stoplights, and the Winchester House will be on your left.
From Oakland and the East Bay: Take I-880 South to San Jose. Take Stevens Creek Blvd. exit. Proceed West on Stevens Creek Blvd. to Winchester Blvd. Turn left onto Winchester Blvd. and proceed two stoplights, and the Winchester Mystery House™ will be on your right.
The Winchester Wealth
Mr.William Winchester's father, Oliver Winchester, was a successful businessman who,in 1857, bought a company that made repeating rifles. He changed the name of the business to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and redesigned the rifle to make it more effective. The rifle was named the "Henry" and was capable of firing a shot every three seconds,a major improvement over most firearms at that period. reportedly about 12,000 Henry's were produced over six years. As a side note, the Winchester Henry was named after Winchester's talented engineer Benjamin Tyler Henry.
When the rifle met with success during the American Civil War the government rewarded Winchester with enormous government contracts. It were these government contracts that made huge profits for the company. Many people have heard the saying that it was the Winchester repeating rifle that won the West.
Oliver Winchester passed away in December 1880. Upon his death the Winchester fortune passed to his son William.
Sarah Pardee Marries William Winchester and Soon Tragedy
When Sarah Pardee from New Haven Connecticut married William Winchester in 1862 she became the heir to this large fortune.
Four years later in 1866 Sarah had her first and only child, a girl named Annie. Unfortunately for the Winchesters, the child died just ten days after birth. This as very hard on Sarah who almost went insane. Ten years later Sarah suffered another shocking loss with the death of her husband William.
The Medium
Sarah Winchester inherited about $20 million upon William's death. The story is that to help overcome her grief of losing both a child and her husband in a ten year span, upon the suggestion of a friend, Sarah sought out a psychic. It was supposedly from this psychic/medium that Mrs. Winchester was told to move to the San Jose California area. The suggested was said to have come from her dead husband.
It has often been said that Sarah always believed her family cursed and turned to psychics for some degree of relief. One spiritualist told Sarah that the Winchester family was cursed because of all the people killed by the Winchester company products.
The Move to California
Upon arriving in San Jose California in 1884 Mrs. Winchester located a home that was under construction. She purchased the house and 162 acres surrounding it.
Along with the suggestion of moving west, the medium also said that the spirits wanted her to continue the house's construction and never end. The medium told Sarah that if construction on the house stopped sh would join her husband and infant son. This warning she accepted and the result was the hiring of some twenty-two craftsmen who were working in shifts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
See the Western Trips articles found on the links below...
California Spanish Mission / Santa Clara de Asis
Visit Mission San Jose
Historic old Benicia California Arsenal
Visit the Historic Custom House Plaza in Monterey
Mrs. Winchesters Construction
In case you're wondering what could be constructed for thirty-six years, the answer was plenty. Rooms were added to rooms which eventually became a wing. The home had forty-seven fireplaces. Three elevators were built and the home reached seven stories high. In some cases doors went to nowhere.
Mrs. Winchester lived alone in this enormous house with the exception of her servants. In 1922 Sarah Winchester died in her sleep at the age of 83. Sarah Winchester is buried next to her husband and infant son in New Haven Connecticut.
The house furnishings were removed and the mansion was sold to investors who opened it as a tourist attraction which it remains so today.
(Article and photos copyright 2014 Western Trips)
 |
| Winchester House and grounds |
Explore the Winchester House
If your travels take you to the San Francisco Bay area, and more specifically in the South Bay area, a trip to this unique home and grounds is well worth the trip. The Winchester House is located at 525 Winchester Blvd. in San Jose California.
From San Francisco and the North Bay: Take I-280 South to San Jose. Take Winchester Blvd. exit. At stoplight, turn left. At next stoplight (Winchester Blvd.), turn left. Proceed two stoplights, and the Winchester House will be on your left.
From Oakland and the East Bay: Take I-880 South to San Jose. Take Stevens Creek Blvd. exit. Proceed West on Stevens Creek Blvd. to Winchester Blvd. Turn left onto Winchester Blvd. and proceed two stoplights, and the Winchester Mystery House™ will be on your right.
 |
| The Door to Nowhere |
Mr.William Winchester's father, Oliver Winchester, was a successful businessman who,in 1857, bought a company that made repeating rifles. He changed the name of the business to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and redesigned the rifle to make it more effective. The rifle was named the "Henry" and was capable of firing a shot every three seconds,a major improvement over most firearms at that period. reportedly about 12,000 Henry's were produced over six years. As a side note, the Winchester Henry was named after Winchester's talented engineer Benjamin Tyler Henry.
When the rifle met with success during the American Civil War the government rewarded Winchester with enormous government contracts. It were these government contracts that made huge profits for the company. Many people have heard the saying that it was the Winchester repeating rifle that won the West.
Oliver Winchester passed away in December 1880. Upon his death the Winchester fortune passed to his son William.
 |
| Another section of the San Jose house |
When Sarah Pardee from New Haven Connecticut married William Winchester in 1862 she became the heir to this large fortune.
Four years later in 1866 Sarah had her first and only child, a girl named Annie. Unfortunately for the Winchesters, the child died just ten days after birth. This as very hard on Sarah who almost went insane. Ten years later Sarah suffered another shocking loss with the death of her husband William.
The Medium
Sarah Winchester inherited about $20 million upon William's death. The story is that to help overcome her grief of losing both a child and her husband in a ten year span, upon the suggestion of a friend, Sarah sought out a psychic. It was supposedly from this psychic/medium that Mrs. Winchester was told to move to the San Jose California area. The suggested was said to have come from her dead husband.
It has often been said that Sarah always believed her family cursed and turned to psychics for some degree of relief. One spiritualist told Sarah that the Winchester family was cursed because of all the people killed by the Winchester company products.
 |
| Another view of the grounds |
Upon arriving in San Jose California in 1884 Mrs. Winchester located a home that was under construction. She purchased the house and 162 acres surrounding it.
Along with the suggestion of moving west, the medium also said that the spirits wanted her to continue the house's construction and never end. The medium told Sarah that if construction on the house stopped sh would join her husband and infant son. This warning she accepted and the result was the hiring of some twenty-two craftsmen who were working in shifts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
See the Western Trips articles found on the links below...
California Spanish Mission / Santa Clara de Asis
Visit Mission San Jose
Historic old Benicia California Arsenal
Visit the Historic Custom House Plaza in Monterey
 |
| California Historical Landmark plaque |
In case you're wondering what could be constructed for thirty-six years, the answer was plenty. Rooms were added to rooms which eventually became a wing. The home had forty-seven fireplaces. Three elevators were built and the home reached seven stories high. In some cases doors went to nowhere.
Mrs. Winchester lived alone in this enormous house with the exception of her servants. In 1922 Sarah Winchester died in her sleep at the age of 83. Sarah Winchester is buried next to her husband and infant son in New Haven Connecticut.
The house furnishings were removed and the mansion was sold to investors who opened it as a tourist attraction which it remains so today.
(Article and photos copyright 2014 Western Trips)
