There are two kinds of people in this world, and there really isn’t a grey area: You either love scary stories or you don’t, and if you’re part of the former camp, have we got a scary story for you. The best part is that this particular story isn’t all myth and legend: It involves a very real house that you can still visit today — if you’re brave enough, that is. It’s the old Winchester Mansion, built by none other than Sarah Winchester herself. The woman believed herself to be plagued by tragedy and spirits, so she built this enormous estate for the most unlikely reasons. It’s a popular spot with ghost hunters and those who just enjoy the feeling of the heebie-jeebies, and people still say they can hear or feel the same ghosts that Sarah did. Learn more of this truly tragic and creepy story below — and see the house that was, essentially, built by Sarah’s ghosts.Sarah Lockwood Pardee was the daughter of Leonard Pardee and Sarah Burns, a carriage manufacturer in New Haven, Connecticut. She spoke four languages and played piano beautifully, and in 1862, she married a man called William Winchester.
In 1866 infant daughter, Annie, died of then mysterious childhood disease marasmus. Mrs. Winchester fell into a deep depression.
In fact, Sarah Winchester believed that they were part of her misfortune.
After both of these tragedies, Sarah ultimately sought help from a spiritualist.
Sarah Winchester contacted the Boston Medium and explained that her family and her fortune were being haunted by spirits – in fact, by the spirits of American Indians, Civil War soldiers, and others killed by Winchester rifles — the rifles her husband made.
She also thought that she was the next victim, and wanted to do everything she could to prevent it.
She claimed that as long as construction of the house never ceased, Mrs. Winchester could rest assured that her life was not in danger.
It sounds fishy, but Sarah believed it to be true.
And she never really stopped.
Her rationale? She thought it would confuse the ghosts and spirits.
Admittedly, her ideas make for a pretty cool home.
Today, people that visit the mansion get lost in it — and some of them actually love it.
And yet, she persevered, committed to her goal of never-ending life via home improvement.
Visitors have heard ghosts around the property and inside, when they visit.
This is pretty much the most terrifying, prototypical haunted house that you could ever imagine.
But in her mind, she was warding off ghosts and spirits.
Sorrow is a powerful emotion, and people will convince themselves of crazier things just to free themselves from despair.
At the time of her death, the estate sprawled over six acres. It has 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens.
But really — would you dare?
And ghosts or not, Sarah Winchester can certainly be proud of what she built — and maybe she is, from beyond the grave.
