It Is Mystery

"This week Chelsea brings up possibly the most haunted place in America. And you can get a tour today! The Winchester Mystery House! Please join us for a great episode with historical context."

Presented by: Chelsea
Category: Ghost, Curse

Sarah Winchester was the widow of William Winchester, the inventor of the Winchester repeating rifle. After the death of her husband and her daughter (from a disease common to the poor), her search for answers and closure lead her to a medium who told her she was cursed by the people who were killed by the rifle. She was allegedly told to build a new house to house the spirits.

She did just that, moving to California in 1884 and beginning construction on her new home. She hired workers to work on it nonstop until her death in 1922. The house, built without a professional architect, grew to 7 stories high and features bizarre architecture. Some notable examples include a door on an outside wall leading to a sudden drop, labyrinthine halls and two basements.

The popular story is that she was afraid of the ghosts and built the house to confuse them. Another interpretation is that she built the house out of guilt and designed so the spirits could be at peace.

One more mundane, but intriguing theory is that Sarah had an interest in being an architect, but couldn't because of her gender. The Winchester House was her way of playing and experimenting in home designed entirely by herself.

Visitors to the house still report ghosts on their tours.

Takeaway: Stop vilifying women. Don't horde your wealth.

Trivia

 * Patreon Skit: Cristina gets exorcised.