The Shockingly True Story Behind A Famously Haunted House
Are you the kind of person that loves sitting around a campfire listening to scary stories? Some people love the thrill of a creepy story, and others can’t stand it. If you’re part of the first group then you’ll love this story.
The unique part of this specific story is that it isn’t just some scary story based on a myth, it actually centers around a real house that you could visit today. The only requirement is being courageous enough to actually go there!
The house in question is the Winchester Mansion, and it was built by Sarah Winchester. Sarah believed that she was troubled by tragedy throughout her life, and those supernatural elements followed her.
The Winchester Mansion is now a popular location for so-called “ghost hunters” or people who enjoy a spooky adventure. Visitors claim to hear ghosts when they visit, similar to what Sarah claimed when she lived there.
Check out more pictures of this “haunted house” below and learn about Sarah’s story.
Sarah Winchester was born Sarah Lockwood Pardee to parents Leonard Pardee and Sarah Burns in New Haven, Connecticut. Sarah was a beautiful pianist and spoke four languages, and eventually, she married a man by the name of William Winchester in 1862. The name Winchester came from the families work with the famous Winchester rifles.
After their marriage, Sarah and William led a relatively happy life that was soon enriched by the birth of a daughter. Their life took a nasty turn when their daughter, Annie, fell sick and died in 1866.
Sarah became distraught and depressed, and it only got worse when her husband William died of tuberculosis a short time later.
Out of desperation, Sarah got in touch with a spirit medium in Boston and explained her belief that her family was being haunted and killed by ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifles, the same as the ones her husband had made. Sarah thought she was the next victim.
The medium gave her a solution – Sarah would have to continue the construction of the Winchester Mansion eternally, and if constructed ever ceased, she would die. It sounds unbelievable, but like due to her emotionally distraught state, Sarah believed it.
Construction on the house never really stopped. Sarah seemed to believe it would confuse the ghosts and spirits that were following her. It definitely confuses visitors today as it’s built like a maze with seven bedrooms and stairs that go nowhere.
Throughout the entire process, Sarah claimed to hear ghosts screaming at her, but she continued construction until she eventually died. The mansion now has 160 rooms, 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, 47 fireplaces, 47 stairways, 6 kitchens, and 13 bathrooms.
It’s not the only house with a haunted past, but it does have one of the most fascinating stories. Whether you’re a believer or not, it’s interesting to hear what sorrow and grief can drive someone to do.
The entire house is open to the public to visit, but do you have the courage to check it out?