Misplaced Pages

#441558

48-540: Attractions in West San Jose include the historic Winchester Mystery House , Santana Row , and Westfield Valley Fair mall. The majority of homes in the area were built in the 1950s and were moderately priced housing at the time. However, with the growth the tech industry in Silicon Valley , West San Jose has become increasingly upscale. Mean housing values now exceeding two million dollars, especially in

96-933: A San Francisco agent for the Winchester Repeating Arms Company , took Winchester on a tour of the Santa Clara valley to look for a home. He showed her a forty-five-acre ranch for sale that was located near San Jose. She purchased the property from John Hamm which included a two-story, eight-room farmhouse. Since the property reminded her of Llanada Alavesa from the Basque area, she named her new home Llanada Villa. In 1890, Winchester's niece, Marion Merriman (called Daisy) aged around twenty-one, came to live with her. Merriman became Winchester's personal secretary , looking after business correspondence and banking. They attended charitable events together and were paying members of Associated Charities and

144-406: A U.S. president. First, in 1901, President William McKinley visited, and a committee to arrange accommodations was formed, but Winchester did not extend an invitation. The president and his official coaches drove past the mansion without stopping. Second, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the area and the legend states that Winchester would not open a locked gate to let the president in; it

192-544: A large property near the hamlet of Burlingame , north of Coyote Point , then bought a houseboat , or ark as they were called at the time, instead of building a house. Winchester died on September 7, 1922, at the age of 83. Winchester and her husband had developed an interest in architecture and interior design while building a home on Prospect Hill in New Haven. With plans to expand the farmhouse, Winchester hired at least two architects but dismissed them, deciding to do

240-521: A leather or metal appearance, known as Lincrusta wall coverings. The ceilings had mouldings, stencils, and faux finishes. There were chandeliers from Germany, art glass from Austria, furnishings from Asia, and paintings from France. An annunciator, an early form of intercom, which was a common feature of large homes during this time period, was installed for calling servants. There existed an indoor garden with slanted floors that would carry excess water to trap doors which had pipes that would supply water to

288-519: A month. Between the fall of 1880 and the spring of 1881, Winchester's mother, father-in-law, and husband died. She was left with a large inheritance from her husband. In 1884, her eldest sister, Mary Converse died. Around this time, she began developing rheumatoid arthritis and her doctor suggested that a warmer and drier climate might help improve her health. In 1885, at the age of 46, Winchester moved to California from New Haven, Connecticut . According to Mary Jo Ignoffo in her book Captive of

336-460: A mysterious reputation feeding the gossip in the community and local newspapers which fuelled the rumor that she was superstitious. Winchester's companion of many years, Miss Henrietta Severs states Winchester had no superstitious beliefs. Winchester's relatives, employees and gardeners never made claims that she was superstitious, guilt-ridden or crazed. All her employees were named as beneficiaries in her will. Winchester twice declined to host

384-678: A newspaper with a cock-and-bull story. San Jose Evening News, 1897, acquaintance of Sarah Winchester. While Winchester lived at the Atherton house, her relatives stayed at the San Jose home for almost a year in 1915 to attend the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco , which ran for nine months. No construction happened during this time and the staff closed up the house for

432-409: A promotional name for the property. When Keith Kittle, a past Disneyland and Frontier Village employee, became the general manager in 1973, the house was in poor shape. He had the house renovated in the 1970s and 1980s and added a Winchester rifle museum. He sought historical landmark status and began an advertising campaign that included large billboards along the highways. The billboards feature

480-438: A safe are fanciful and unsubstantiated. Nickell wrote that after her death when the safe was opened, no gold plates were found, only personal mementos and a lock of her baby's hair. At the turn of the twentieth century, the most common belief, that still persists, regarding Winchester's house building was that she felt tremendous guilt resulting from all the deaths caused by Winchester rifles and from inheriting so much money from

528-399: A script emphasizing fabrications and inaccuracies. According to Ignoffo, one guide lamented, "I feel so torn because I have to tell people untruths! Every time I go through the house and have to talk about 13s and other 'kooky' things, my heart breaks a little for Sarah....I have to bite my tongue every time I hear a guest say, 'what a nutcase.'" Winchester's story has been embellished over

SECTION 10

#1732780606442

576-585: A silhouetted house with implications that a ghost encounter was possible. Attendance increased as he played off the history and superstition that was already circulating. Kittle was general manager until 1996. As of September 2022, the house is owned and operated by Winchester Mystery House, LLC, which is a private company that represents the descendants of the Browns. Captive of the Labyrinth author Mary Jo Ignoffo wrote that tour guides are required to follow

624-457: A week to attend the fair. Ignoffo states that there is no evidence that Winchester was compelled to keep her construction project running and preferred to focus on estate planning. The belief that Winchester built her house in its strange, maze-like manner to confuse and keep spirits from harming her and that her sanity was questionable started in the mid-1890s and has grown in scale since her death. The doors and windows that open to nothing,

672-467: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Winchester Mystery House The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in San Jose, California , that was once the personal residence of Sarah Winchester , the widow of firearms magnate William Wirt Winchester . The house became a tourist attraction nine months after Winchester's death in 1922. The Victorian and Gothic-style mansion

720-497: Is no record of them being held in the house. Nevertheless, a false urban legend has arisen claiming she held nightly séances in the blue room or in a closet by herself from midnight until two in the morning, talking to ghosts about what construction should be accomplished the following day. In addition to the lack of records found about seances at Llanada Villa, the closet séances were unlikely given that they were usually social events and not done by individuals and records show that

768-532: Is renowned for its size and its architectural curiosities and for the numerous myths and legends surrounding the structure and its former owner. Sarah Winchester was born in 1839 in New Haven , Connecticut . She was called Sallie by people closest to her, after her paternal grandmother. She married William Wirt Winchester in 1862. In 1866, Winchester gave birth to a girl named Annie Pardee Winchester. Diagnosed with marasmus , she did not thrive and lived only

816-592: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake hit, the Llanada Villa was severely damaged. Though there are rumors that Winchester was trapped in the San Jose home, there is no evidence that she was there. She owned several homes in California, and after the earthquake spent most of her time at her home in Atherton . The seven-story tower and most of the chimneys collapsed. One entire wing was destroyed along with

864-733: The Moreland School District . The western portion of the area is served by the Cupertino Union School District and the Fremont Union High School District . Private high schools in the area include Archbishop Mitty High School and the Harker School . This Santa Clara County, California -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This San Jose, California -related article

912-467: The Red Cross . In 1903, Winchester paid for Daisy's wedding to Frederick Marriott III. That same year, Winchester purchased several homes and properties in Atherton . One of the homes was offered to Daisy and her new husband to live in, which they accepted. Winchester subsequently purchased a home for the couple closer to the train station for Fredrick to travel to work from. In 1904, Winchester purchased

960-412: The 1906 earthquake and the severe damage that happened to the house. The small steps were built because of Winchester's declining health. The trap doors were constructed in a greenhouse room where excess water could run and be piped to an outdoor garden. After the damage from the earthquake, Winchester did not rebuild the house. The tower bell was used to call workmen and to serve as a fire alarm on

1008-615: The Labyrinth: Sarah L. Winchester, Heiress to the Rifle Fortune , her doctor's recommendation, her happy memories of traveling to San Francisco with her husband in the 1870s, and advertising about the weather and health benefits of California were possible factors in Winchester's decision to move. Winchester invited her three remaining sisters to follow her to California, which they did. In 1886, Edward "Ned" Rambo,

SECTION 20

#1732780606442

1056-603: The Winchester home to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, they incorrectly stated that the construction lasted 38 years, and reiterated that Winchester believed she must continue building or she would die. HABS also incorrectly listed the purchase date as 1884 when county records state the purchase was not until 1886. There were some articles published against the superstitious slant. In one, an unidentified acquaintance refuted these superstitious accusations, stating that they were nonsense and that Winchester

1104-613: The arms company. Ignoffo claims that it is unlikely Winchester had any guilt, since in the 1800s the Winchester Repeating Arms Company was seen as a success, and weapons were viewed as a necessity for survival. Ignoffo and paranormal investigator Joe Nickell report that as Winchester aged, particularly after 1900 as her health issues grew worse, which included arthritis , missing teeth and neuritis , she became more private and reclusive. This reluctance to appear in public or to socialize with her peers gave her

1152-472: The east coast to California are thought to have originated from author Susy Smith in her book Prominent American Ghosts, published in 1967. In Smith's version of events, Winchester visited a medium in Boston named Adam Coons who told her that she and her family were being haunted by the ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifles, that she must construct a house for these ghosts, and that she must never complete

1200-418: The firearms industry fed into a superstitious narrative, despite large, ornate homes being commonly built by the wealthy. The newspapers declared that the reason that the construction was ongoing was that Winchester feared she would have bad luck if the construction would stop. This theory eventually grew into stories that she believed she would die if construction stopped. Ten years ago the handsome residence

1248-474: The home. The design was essentially Victorian , with elements of Gothic and Romanesque features. There was carved wood on the ballroom walls and ceilings. Woods such as teak , maple , and mahogany were used to make an intricate pattern on the ballroom floor. A large, brick fireplace was framed by two windows that included quotes from Shakespeare . The second floor had bedrooms that each had adjoining sitting rooms and sewing rooms. The wall coverings had

1296-499: The house and Winchester, and were upset the Browns were making money off of falsehoods. They described Winchester as clearheaded and savvier with finances and business than most men. In 1924 Harry Houdini briefly visited the house and was reportedly impressed by its unusual layout and architectural novelties, but could not make a detailed investigation because of more pressing engagements. According to some accounts, Houdini suggested tour operators employ "Winchester mystery house" as

1344-531: The house under construction around the clock for thirty-eight years, until her death in 1922. At its largest, the house had approximately 500 rooms. As claimed by Bruce Spoon, a student from San Jose State College who decided to write his master's thesis about Winchester in 1951, the reasons for building her large home were to keep workers employed and to express her artistic vision. He reached this conclusion after interviewing people who remembered her and after reviewing newspaper and magazine articles. When

1392-482: The number thirteen. However, according to carpenter James Perkins, these items and “the more irregular features, which have made the house a world-famed oddity were built after Mrs. Winchester's death.” The first time that this apparent superstition appeared was in an article printed in 1929. Subsequently, it has been mentioned in most articles about Winchester and her house. Winchester's staff, who spent every day with her, stated she had no interest in séances and there

1440-430: The outdoor flowers. A generator was installed for a water pump and electricity. Because of Winchester's height of four feet ten inches and health issues, a stairway was built that has 44 steps but rises only ten feet. The windows are unusual since they are pastel-colored, asymmetrical in their design, and have sharp bevels. The windows on the upper levels had a spider-web tracery , a popular design then. The windows to

1488-610: The planning herself. She designed the rooms one by one, supervised the project, and sought advice from the carpenters she hired. She took inspiration for the house from the world's fairs that were common then. While the home was similar in scope to other homes built then, it was unusual for a woman to look after such a project and, Colin Dickey states in his book Ghostland: an American History in Haunted Places , she could be considered an architectural pioneer of her time. She

West San Jose - Misplaced Pages Continue

1536-417: The project. This assertion of Winchester meeting with a medium has been repeated in brochures and articles ever since. According to Ignoffo, while it is plausible that Winchester did meet with a psychic medium since it was a common practice for women of her status at the time, there is no evidence that she did so. Emily Mace, a scholar, and others have looked through issues of Banner of Light , which

1584-411: The property subsequently leasing the house to John and Mayme Brown who turned it into an attraction. They later purchased the house in 1931. There were many room additions and deletions made to the home after Winchester's death. The first tour guide of the house was Mayme Brown. Past neighbors, friends, and workers for Winchester were distressed when they read about superstitious claims being made about

1632-544: The property. According to Joe Nickell, fanciful claims later arose that it was used to "summon spirits". According to Joe Nickell, claims that local residents heard "ghostly music" coming from the house are explained by the fact that Winchester often played the pump organ in the Grand Ballroom when she was unable to sleep. According to Joe Nickell, claims that Winchester held parties for the spirits in her home that featured lavish dishes served on gold plates kept in

1680-512: The right and left of the brick fireplace feature Shakespearean quotations from Richard II and Troilus and Cressida . It has been claimed by tour guides and articles over the years that the windows were made by Tiffany & Co despite the fact that the company rarely used beveled glass. This style of window is also found at Craigdarroch Castle in British Columbia , Canada , prompting architectural historian Jim Wolf to believe that

1728-594: The third and fourth story additions. Winchester had the rubble removed but had little more done to the property after the earthquake. It left doors that opened to nothing where balconies had once been, pipes that were protruding from what were once window boxes, and staircases that once led to upper floors ending suddenly. After 1910, due to failing health, Winchester did not work on the San Jose home except for odd maintenance jobs and adding an elevator in 1916. At this time, she dedicated her time to finances and building an investment portfolio. Mary Jo Ignoffo claims that, "She

1776-443: The unusually shallow stairs, the stairs that end in a ceiling, interior barred windows and trap doors in the floor are used to confirm Winchester's spirituality and poor state of mind. According to paranormal investigators Nickell and Ignoffo these house oddities have simple explanations. The barred windows were previously exterior windows blocked off as the house additions grew. The doors and windows that opened to nothing resulted from

1824-411: The wall of one of the dining rooms that was being restored. Many of the art glass windows that were purchased were never installed and have been housed in a storage room. Winchester would take breaks from construction on a regular basis to rest, sometimes for months, since she tired easily. It slowed construction considerably and is counter to the claims made in articles and by tour guides that she had

1872-646: The western portion of the region bordering Cupertino and Saratoga. The area features the Winchester Mystery House, a California Historical Landmark and one of San Jose's most famous attractions. Additional historical landmarks include the now-closed Century 21 theater, the first Century theater , and the Moreland School . The eastern portion of West San Jose is served by the Campbell Union School District and

1920-493: The windows were made by the same company. Wolf determined that glass artist John Mallon from Alexander Dunsmuir's company, the Pacific American Decorative Company, was the most likely artisan of the windows. This theory was confirmed when an envelope postmarked July 1894 , which had the seal of Dunsmuir's company on it and a scribbled note that appears to be in Winchester's hand, was discovered in

1968-424: The years by various rumors, hyperbole, and myths, and popular writers have misrepresented or invented details about the house and its owner in order to enhance the legend. Claims of Winchester inheriting as much as $ 20 million and earning $ 1,000 per day in royalties from her inheritance can be found in tourist literature purchased at the Winchester Mystery House. Ignoffo states that her husband's estate in 1881

West San Jose - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-436: Was a spiritualist periodical, and in the Boston city directories, which listed spiritualists in the area, and no one named Adam Coons could be found. Beginning around 1895, Winchester started appearing in newspapers. The articles in these local papers were filled with speculation about Winchester and the ongoing construction of her San Jose home. Her lack of interaction with neighbors and the known fact that her money came from

2064-440: Was an unusually sensible woman. If she wants to build a castle on her premises near Campbell, she should be permitted to do so without ascribing her motives to foolish superstitions. If people of wealth who settle in Santa Clara are to be ridiculed when they spend their money lavishly, we might as well put up the bars...After awhile the lady might not want to have a nail driven about the place for fear that someone would run off to

2112-549: Was apparently ready for occupancy, but improvements and additions are constantly being made, for the reason, it is said, that the owner of the house believes that when it is entirely completed, she will die. This superstition has resulted in the construction of a maze of domes, turrets, cupolas and towers, covering territory enough for a castle. San Jose Daily News, March 29, 1895. In the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), when it added

2160-414: Was far more successful constructing an investment portfolio than a mansion." When Winchester died in 1922 the house had 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens. The house became a tourist attraction nine months after Winchester's death in 1922. The house was in disrepair and considered to be of no monetary value. A group of investors purchased

2208-496: Was known to rebuild and abandon construction if the progress did not meet her expectations, which resulted in a maze-like design. In the San Jose News of 1897, it was reported that a seven-story tower was torn down and rebuilt sixteen times. As a result of her expansions, there are walled-off exterior windows and doors that were not removed as the house grew in size. Multiple levels, up to five, were added to different parts of

2256-521: Was not true as the president had no interest in meeting Winchester as stopping at the home could have been used to promote rifle sales. He did not want to be seen endorsing any product. Despite there being plausible reasons for her not hosting the presidents, these instances furthered rumors that she was not of sound mind and was a crank. According to lore, architectural features such as thirteen bedrooms, thirteen bathrooms, and thirteen windows in certain rooms are due to Winchester's apparent fascination with

2304-445: Was valued at $ 362,330 (equal to $ 11,439,633 today), but this amount included approximately $ 300,000 of stock that Winchester would only inherit when her mother-in-law died, which did not happen until 1898. With the addition of her husband's Winchester Repeating Arms Company shares, she owned a total of 777 shares valuing $ 77,700, which paid average dividends of $ 7,770 annually between 1880 and 1885. Myths around her decision to move from

#441558